The Songhai Model of Integrated Production

Gaston Agossou, Gualbert Gbehounou, Godfrey Nzamujo, Anne Sophie

Poisot, Allison Marie Loconto, Caterina Batello

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Gaston Agossou, Gualbert Gbehounou, Godfrey Nzamujo, Anne Sophie Poisot, Allison Marie Loconto,
et al.. The Songhai Model of Integrated Production. Innovative markets for sustainable agriculture :
Exploring how innovations in market institutions encourage sustainable agriculture in developing
countries, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations., 2016, 978-92-5-109327-6. �hal-
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 259

Chapter 14
Songhai model of integrated
production in Benin

Gaston Agossou, Gualbert Gbehounou, Godfrey Nzamujo, Anne-Sophie Poisot,

Allison Loconto and Caterina Batello

14.1 INTRODUCTION
This chapter introduces an innovation within the agriculture sector in Benin: the
Songhai Centre’s integrated production model. The centre focuses on an integrated
production system, but its innovation is in creating a solid network of regional
hubs that excel in sustainable production and have established local markets for
sustainably produced goods that are accessible and affordable for the majority of
the population.
The agricultural sector in Benin comprises some 550 000 farms, mainly small
family farms focusing essentially on mixed food crop farming and small animal
farming. More than 60 percent of male workers and 36 percent of female workers
in full employment are in agriculture (second General Population and Housing
Census [RGPH2], INSAE, 2004). Approximately 34 percent of farms have less
than 1 ha of land, while only 5 percent of farms in the south of the country and
20 percent in the north boast more than 5 ha (MAEP, 2011). Current production
methods are still predominantly based on extensive systems that are highly depend-
ent on natural resources. Significant progress can increasingly be observed with the
creation of modern farms (orchards, intensive small animal farming, fish farming,
etc.) by private promoters.
Generally speaking, the agricultural sector represents 70 percent of all employ-
ment, generates between 70 and 80 percent of export revenue and accounts for 15
percent of state revenue. Its contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP) of
the primary sector, which includes agriculture, stock farming, fishing and forestry,
has grown steadily from 351 billion CFA francs (XOF) in 2003 to 490 billion in
2012. We observe a regularity in the ratio (38 percent) of the contribution of the pri-
mary sector and GDP at constant prices. More than 72 percent of this contribution
is provided by the agriculture subsector. Nevertheless, agriculture in Benin remains
essentially a prime example of subsistence farming with a low level of mechaniza-
tion and with little use of technologies and improved inputs. It is consequently
unattractive to the younger generation who prefer to invest in new non-agricultural
activities such as the sale of black market petrol and driving motorcycle taxis, if
indeed they do not head to neighbouring Nigeria to sell their labour.
There are a number of sustainability problems within the Beninese agriculture
sector. First, farmers still use only a little organic fertilizer and few phytosanitary
products for crop cultivation, and few veterinary products or improved inputs for
260 Innovative markets for sustainable agriculture

livestock. This limited use of the essential inputs for production is key to explain-
ing the considerable productivity gap between results obtained by producers and
those obtained in research trials. Small traditional tools also remain predominant in
most farming practices, which means that a great deal needs to be done in terms of
mechanization, processing and post-harvest storage in the agricultural sector.
Second, the funding situation in the sector continues to be marked by a mis-
match between capital costs and internal profitability, resulting in difficulties in
paying back loans and producer over-indebtedness. Production value chains are not
competitive and, with the exception of the cotton value chain, the collection and
marketing channels for agricultural products have little or no formal structure. The
rate of adoption of innovations remains low because these new technologies are not
always suitable and/or producers are not always aware of them. There is therefore a
need to develop appropriate technologies at the research stage, to give producers the
capacity to adopt these technologies by means of extension and support/advice and
to train a large number of people who will be capable of training others.
Third, Benin has considerable natural resources (water, land, flora and fauna),
enabling agriculture to form the foundation of its economic and social develop-
ment. However, there is no consistent operational strategy for the promotion of
agriculture and particularly the development of managed agricultural cropland
(including the rehabilitation of agricultural tracks), which is much needed within
this sector. Beninese agriculture generally remains at the mercy of the vagaries
of the weather; producers are bound by seasonality with somewhat inconsistent
harvests demonstrating peaks and troughs with huge losses. Globally, the country’s
agriculture remains almost exclusively rainfed, extensive and pastoralist, based on
a traditional slash-and-burn system. Moreover, livestock rearing is not integrated
with crop cultivation. This system is confronted by the three challenges of pro-
ductivity, competitiveness and sustainability that are necessary in order to satisfy
the food and nutritional needs of a constantly growing population, and to procure
currency for the economy while protecting the productive base of natural resources
for future generations.
Fourth, there are clear environmental pressures on current land-use practices.
Forest resources, which cover 65 percent of the country (approximately 73 450
km2), have been deteriorating for several decades because of the combined impacts
of anarchic extension of agricultural and pastureland, practices not conducive to the
sustainable management of natural resources, bush fires and plantation fires and soil
nutrient depletion. The uncontrolled use of forest resources to satisfy the popula-
tion’s needs in terms of lumber and household energy is one of the main factors
contributing to this deterioration and represents a serious threat to the preserva-
tion of national forest reserves. According to a study conducted by FAO in 2006
(MAEP, 2011), the rate of deforestation in Benin is estimated at 70 000 ha/year. The
actions being developed to protect and manage forest resources are not yet able to
compensate for the forest resources needed to satisfy the population’s demand for
fuel, lumber and agricultural production.
Finally, land registration leading to landownership remains inaccessible for the
majority of the population because of the cost and complexity of the procedure
(less than 1 percent of all land is registered in Benin). Consequently, almost all
land continues to be governed by customary law characterized by secular rules and
Chapter 14 – Songhai model of integrated production in Benin 261

practices that are not documented in official registers, which serves as a source of
insecurity, particularly in regions subject to a high level of agricultural land pressure
(MAEP, 2011).
Given these environmental, social and economic sustainability challenges,
attempts to ensure the sustainability of agricultural production is at the heart of all
development policies within the sector in Benin. In the Strategic Recovery Plan for
the Agricultural Sector (PSRSA) (MAEP, 2011), a number of measures are planned
to guarantee this sustainable agricultural development:
ƒƒ definition and implementation of a specific operational plan relating to soil
fertility management with a view to ensuring sustainability of farming systems;
ƒƒ integrated water resources management (IWRM), in particular by means of
equity and solidarity between users in terms of space and time;
ƒƒ definition of a sustainable fisheries resources management plan.

The sustainability of agricultural production in Africa is the challenge for which the
Songhai Centre intends to provide a tangible solution. This involves providing the
populations with healthy agricultural products at a lower cost. The emergence of
single-crop farming (in particular cash crops) with an increasingly pronounced use
of large quantities of chemical fertilizers and pesticides is not conducive to protect-
ing the environment and natural resources for future generations. Sustainability of
agricultural production corresponds to a rationale of food security that will allow
African populations to enjoy a better lifestyle and grow older better, and that will
also prevent illness.
The Songhai model focuses on the need to raise the level of Africans by creating
entrepreneurial skills, while providing effective solutions to the problems of food
insecurity, climate variability, wasteful use of natural resources and constant increase
in youth unemployment. The model develops technical, moral and entrepreneurial
skills within the local communities in general and among young people in particular
through effective and functional training programmes within the framework of
regeneration or an autonomous economic system. In this system, care is taken to
promote the relative advantages of individuals, communities and regions to ensure
efficiency and increased synergy.
Data used in this case study were collected during 2013 as part of a sustainability
assessment of the Songhai integrated production model, carried out by FAO (Agos-
sou, 2014). The case study presents highlights from this study and focuses on the
questions pertinent to this book, which is on the innovative institutional arrange-
ment that enables the Songhai Centre to link its sustainable production model with
markets for sustainable products within Benin. This article will present: (i) the
institutional innovation; (ii) description of the sustainable practices developed at
the Songhai Centre; (iii) description of markets; (iv) results and advantages; and (v)
recommendations for the replicability of this approach.

14.2 INSTITUTIONAL LANDSCAPE

Legislative and regulatory context
In Benin, public policies in general and agricultural development policies in par-
ticular are often oriented towards increased productivity and growth with a view to
satisfying the needs of a rapidly growing population. Sustainability is not excluded
262 Innovative markets for sustainable agriculture

from concerns, as seen in the vision laid out in PSRSA: “… make Benin a dynamic,
competitive, attractive and environmentally friendly agricultural power by 2015,
which creates wealth in line with the economic and social development needs of the
population” (MAEP, 2011).
At the legislative, regulatory and institutional level, there is no national code of
conduct, nor is there a directorate in a ministry or a special national programme
relating to agricultural sustainability that focuses exclusively on ecological or
organic agricultural practices. However, in several existing regulatory provisions
relating to agriculture, food, trade and the environment, allusions are made to
sustainable agriculture, organic agriculture or the ecological balance and health of
the population (OBEPAB, 2013). For example, Law No. 98-030 of 12 February
1999, constituting the framework law on the environment in Benin, and defining
the foundations of environmental policy in the country, takes advantage of the main
keys of environmental policy such as:
ƒƒ the precautionary principle and the polluter pays principle;
ƒƒ the orientations of PSRSA for the promotion of specific fertilizers and other
organic inputs for the sustainable management of soil fertility and for the
rational use of agricultural equipment suitable for all farming operations;
ƒƒ staggered targeted control (STC) promoting threshold application, which is
less polluting for the environment than conventional programmes for cotton
phytosanitary treatment;
ƒƒ the increasingly numerous organic agriculture initiatives.

Beyond these provisions promoting sustainable agricultural practices, it must be

acknowledged that the general trend is towards the adoption of polluting prac-
tices to obtain immediate quantitative results with a view to resolving present-day
problems. The issue of preserving natural resources to enable future generations to
satisfy their needs has not always been of prime concern. A perfect illustration of
this general trend is the importance accorded to conventional cotton in Benin. Every
year, the promotion of this crop requires the efforts of all, and the majority of the
country’s resources. Producers use large quantities of chemical fertilizer, with an
average of 67 377 tonnes of fertilizer used over the decade 2001/2002 to 2011/2012,
representing 45 327 tonnes of NPK, 19 446 tonnes of urea and 2 605 tonnes of
potassium chloride (KCl) (UEMOA, 2013).
These different requirements in favour of conventional agriculture call on the
majority of resources and efforts to the detriment of sustainable practices such as
those advocated by the Songhai integrated agricultural production model.

Stakeholders of sustainable agriculture in Benin and partnership networks

Within Benin, Ecological Organic Agriculture (EOA) networks have been devel-
oped to promote ecological and/or organic agriculture. Some of these networks
carry out activities such as information, training and advocacy aimed at changing
people’s behaviour, while others develop products for local, regional and/or inter-
national markets in addition to these activities. Structures promoting EOA include
OBEPAB, the Songhai Centre, the Réseau de développement de l’agriculture
durable [sustainable agriculture development network] (REDAD), Bio Phyto
Collines, CIEVRA [International Centre for Experimentation and Development
Chapter 14 – Songhai model of integrated production in Benin 263

of African Resources], Centre LABEL Bénin [shopping centre], JINUKUN and

KARETHIC. The secondary entities promoting EOA include the Directorate of
Agriculture (DAGRI), the Directorate of Agricultural Advice and Operational
Training (DICAF), MEHU (Ministry of Environment, Housing and Urbanism]/
DGE [General Directorate for the Environment], ABePEC [Benin Trade Promo-
tion Board]/Ministry of Trade and the German Agency for International Coopera-
tion (GIZ). There are numerous partnership networks in EOA in Benin, foremost
among which are those of the Songhai farmers, organic cotton, organic market
gardeners, Bio Phyto, KARETHIC natural shea butter and REDAD. The organic
pineapple network is important for local consumption but, more important to seize
the export opportunities available is the Plateforme de l’agriculture biologique et
écologique [organic and ecological agriculture platform] (PABE).

14.3 INSTITUTIONAL INNOVATION: THE SONGHAI MODEL

Brief history, activities and objectives pursued
The promoter of the Songhai approach is the Dominican friar Godfrey Nzamujo,
supported by a group of Africans keen to return Africa to its former glory by
restoring the fundamental values of courage, creativity, a sense of the common good,

PHOTO 14.1
The Songhai symbol

© Karin Maier
264 Innovative markets for sustainable agriculture

discipline and solidarity, which are tending to disappear from the habits of young
Africans. Created in 1985, the centre derives its name from the powerful, flourishing
and prestigious West African empire of the fifteenth century: the Songhai Empire,
which evokes pride and hope for a dignified and prosperous Africa.
The Songhai initiative has two components: the first is the development of a
functional, competitive and efficient agricultural system (parent farm); and the
second the incubation of agro-entrepreneurs and promotion of services to increase
their productivity, thereby creating a snowball effect through the formation of a
critical mass of young agricultural entrepreneurs and the creation of a framework
conducive to the successful development of producers across the African continent.
The Songhai model incorporates three key sectors of the economy into a
network. It is organized in such a way as to create synergy and complementarity.
It is an industrial cluster model, a model of a productive and autonomous “green
rural town”. The model ensures perfect integration between primary, secondary
and tertiary production. The network focuses on the development of appropriate
innovative technologies and training. Primary production relates to vegetable crops,
annual crops, perennial crops, stock farming and fish farming. This diversified
production (mixed farming and stock farming) was designed to facilitate technical
synergies and complementarities between the different links while ensuring better
promotion of the environment than mono-specialized systems. No link functions
without a relationship with one or more other links. This new approach is based on
the imitation of nature (biomimicry). It incorporates principles such as mutuality,
synergy, symbiosis, interrelations, complementarity and networking. It contributes
to the development of new, authentic and noble values and technologies.

Training, extension and communication

Training is one of the key missions of the centre. It is organized in all the Songhai
centres (Porto-Novo, Kinwedji, Savalou and Parakou) and remains essentially prac-
tical in nature (about 75 percent of the total duration). The approach adopted is that
of the master and apprentice (mentor-mentee, learning by doing) and the training is
based on a system of values, knowledge and expertise.
The centre primarily trains two categories of people: pupils and trainees. Training
for pupils is reserved for young people of Benin who have dropped out of school
and wish to become agricultural entrepreneurs. This training lasts for 30 months,
18 months of which focus on practical training divided into a common core lasting
three months and 15 months of specialization with crop farming as the common
module. Pupils complete the training with 12 months of application, either in a
regional station or on their own farm. They launch their farms on the basis of a
business plan defined and approved at the end of the first phase of training and are
monitored during this final phase. At the end, a positive evaluation will enable them
to obtain an agricultural entrepreneur’s diploma and thus to set up business.
Trainee training lasts between one and 18 months and is open to all nationalities.
Those participating in the training are socio-economic entrepreneurs, agricultural
professionals who want to specialize, students of agricultural colleges and agronomy
faculties and senior officers in public or private administration.
The training provided at the Songhai Centre is based on a non-material foun-
dation, comprising a system of human, moral and ethical values: commitment,
Chapter 14 – Songhai model of integrated production in Benin 265

thoroughness, discipline, excellence, and punctuality and honesty at work. This

training forms people who can put on the moral and technical cloak of authority,
enabling them to steer their own lives. They are endowed with the functional skills
necessary to create and manage a viable agricultural holding with a view to helping
to stimulate the local community.
The extension approach founded on expertise relies on those trained at Songhai
who, by implementing the agricultural and para-agricultural production techniques
received at the centre, act as a relay in their respective environments. This is com-
bined with the initiative of the Songhai Centre which, having noted the low agricul-
tural productivity of farming areas, has recruited and trained a number of producers.
The production zones therefore serve as extension areas and are accessible to all.
The centre receives more than 20 000 visitors per year, primarily from Benin and the
countries of the subregion, who come to draw inspiration from the model.
The Songhai Centre has also implemented the purchasing office’s policy that
enables inputs to be provided to Songhai farmers and other producers. These are, in
particular, high-quality seed and appropriate technological packages for the produc-
tion of raw materials (maize, soybean, rice) in sufficient quantity and quality. As the
parent centre, Songhai has introduced industries that can facilitate the processing of
products from farmers in its purchasing office network. A rationale of traceability
is also introduced with a view to guaranteeing product quality. The centre thus
procures its supplies from the network of Songhai entrepreneurs and in exchange
represents a key marketing outlet for them.
The Songhai Centre’s communication strategy, based on the internal production
and dissemination of audio documents, overcomes the deficit created by the una-
vailability of radio frequency. Newsletters are produced and disseminated in house
and to partners, and there are documents on conservation/low-till agriculture and
organic agriculture. There are also documents from the World Bank, International
Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), FAO and other development and
sustainable agriculture bodies as well as scientific journals and publications on the
selection of plants and biotechnology.
Innovation combines business and research institute approaches while using the
concept of an authentic green rural town. Songhai is active in research and devel-
opment, implementing its technological platform (technology park) with several
innovative technologies. The park is used for the development of African agriculture
by providing solutions to the numerous difficulties faced by producers and that
make agriculture appear a gruelling and unattractive activity. These include access
to quality genetic inputs, the fight against pests, soil fertility management, irrigation
and weed management. Once tested and proven, these technologies are turned into
production factors through the industrial park composed of the production units.
Particular emphasis is placed on simple and accessible new agricultural technologies
that treat nature and the environment as partners and give pride of place to the val-
ues of the resulting products. The different production workshops at the centre are:
ƒƒ primary production, including crop production, stock farming and fish farming;
ƒƒ secondary production: agro-industry with plastic recycling and bottle pro-
duction units;
ƒƒ tertiary production: the services at the start and end of the system – training,
communication, marketing, library and reception.
266 Innovative markets for sustainable agriculture

Administration and management of the centre

The Songhai Centre is administrated by a Board of Directors consisting of volunteer
resource persons with proven experience and who, through their positions, provide
the necessary support for the development of the centre. There is also a think tank.
The day-to-day management is carried out by a team of management executives
under the aegis of the General Manager. The organizational chart presented in
Figure 14.1 highlights the different levels of responsibility and the relationships that
ensure good governance of the activities at head office and in the regional centres.

Sustainable practices: Songhai, sustainability as keynote

Autonomy, the cornerstone of sustainable agricultural systems (Vilain et al., 2008),
is the foundation on which the agricultural practices developed by the Songhai
Centre are built. The three components of the model are primary production, agro-
industry and services.
Primary production includes annual crops, perennial crops, stock farming and
fish farming. This diversified production (mixed farming and stock farming) was
designed to facilitate technical synergies and complementarities between the different
links while ensuring better promotion of the environment than mono-specialized
systems. No unit functions without a relationship/link with one or more other unit
(Agossou, 2014).
Because of the synergies inherent in the model, the functional relationships
between the units are highlighted in the presentation. Thus, stock farming is pre-
sented with the production of organic fertilizers that represents the entrance to the
model, while crop production is presented with livestock fodder and stock farming
with fish farming.

Stock farming and the production of organic fertilizers

The stock farming activities of the Songhai Centre (Porto-Novo and regional sites)
concern several species, all eaten in Benin, namely:
ƒƒ poultry, such as quail, hens (Cou-nu, Sussex, Rhode Island red, red), turkey,
guinea fowl, geese and ducks;
ƒƒ rabbits, with breeds including Californian, Fauve de Bourgogne, local, French
Papillon and New Zealand;
ƒƒ pigs, with large whites, Landrace and crossbreds;
ƒƒ cows, with Goudaly and Borgou breeds;
ƒƒ Djallonke sheep.

These forms of farming are the main sources of organic material fertilizing the soil
on which annual and perennial crops are farmed.
Breeding caged hens allows droppings to be collected in two different ways.
First, they may be collected on a mat, without being mixed with the soil. In this case,
they are placed directly in a digester to produce biogas for heating in agro-industry
and for cooking, for the benefit of the pupils and trainees at the centre. This biogas
production gives rise to a liquid effluent that constitutes a rich fertilizer for differ-
ent crops. Droppings may also be collected from huts on stilts, periodically mixed
with ramial chipped wood (RCW) and soil for a period of six months, and regularly
inoculated with micro-organisms that effectively manage odour. They are then col-
 figurE 14.1
Songhai organizational chart

BOARD OF Partnership/
Financial Advisor DIRECTORS communication
Secretariat
Assistant
General Manager to Director

Financial Manager Marketing Manager Prod./Farm Manager Food Services Administration/Logistics, Technologies
and Value Maintenance and and Mech.
Chain Manager Supplies Manager Prod. Manager

Sales and Assist.

Accounts
Distribution Secretary GRH
Manager
Manager
Agro-ind. Rest. and Supply Assist. Civ.
Processing Services Planning Secretary Eng.
Manager Manager Assist. General Asst.
Senior Senior Senior
Acc. 1 Acc. 2 Acc. 3

Realization
Manager Manager
machines/ Boutique
Chapter 14 – Songhai model of integrated production in Benin

Welding Design
equipment
Post-harvest Fruit and Dairy/
Meats
Manager Vegetable Pastry
Kinwédji Manager
(rice, cassava, Manager Manager
site palm oil, Rivers site
soybean)
Parakou Ebonyi site
site

Savalou Enugu site

site
Lagos site
Ketou
site Katsina site
Nigeria
Cross River site
sites
267

Source: ???.
268 Innovative markets for sustainable agriculture

lected and piled into heaps that are regularly turned to make compost and use as an
organic fertilizer on farmed land.
For some time, thanks to the development of technological soil fertilization plat-
forms, effective micro-organisms (EMs) have been used to strengthen the fertilizing
power of liquid effluents from the production process and that of the compost
manufactured. The effluents and compost are watered with solutions of these EMs.
The result is remarkable on soil treated with these organic fertilizers both for annual
and perennial crops. In Songhai language, this fertilization “feeds the soil which, in
turn, once transformed into a super soil, feeds the plant”.
As with the droppings of laying hens, the manure of all other animals reared
are used to manufacture super soils. Since the soil is the plant’s “home” and larder,
stock farming is a key component of the integrated agricultural production system
developed by Songhai.
In the Parakou and Savalou centres, and in particular with ruminants, the system
of kraalage is adopted, which involves ranching these animals on plots of land
intended for crops. They defecate on the land and the soil is then ploughed before
being sown (basic organic fertilizer).

Crop production and livestock fodder

Stock farming serves to produce super soils on which annual and perennial crops
are grown. In return, production of these crops serves first and foremost to feed

PHOTO 14.2
Songhai integrated agricultural production system

© Agossou, 2014
Chapter 14 – Songhai model of integrated production in Benin 269

the animals reared. With regard to animal fodder, feed produced in agro-indus-
trial workshops uses raw material from the crop production workshop, primarily
maize, soybean, cassava and moringa. Maize is the main cereal used to produce
feed served to animals. Rice, and in particular rice bran, is also an important
ingredient of the feed. Soybean is the most frequently used source of vegetable
protein found in animal feed. Cassava root is an excellent foodstuff for pigs and
is also used in other livestock fodder. Cassava leaves are also much appreciated as
feed for laying hens, which then produce eggs with a rich yellow colour, a quality
sought by consumers.

Crop production, stock farming and fish farming

Fish farming at the Songhai Centre has impressive results and stock farming plays an
important role in feeding the fish. The centre has maggot farms to produce maggots
that are eagerly eaten by the fish since they are rich in proteins and amino acids.
Animal droppings, in particular from pigs and cane rats, are collected and placed
in open pits together with rotting animal waste from meat (viscera, unused meat
leftovers). Through the fetid smells they release, the maggot farms attract flies that
land on them to feed and lay the maggots that are then collected to feed the fish.

PHOTO 14.3
Red Royale papaya trees growing on super soil, Porto-Novo centre

© Agossou, 2014
270 Innovative markets for sustainable agriculture

The centre has recently made progress with the development of technological
platforms for the management and protection of genetic inputs; soil fertilization and
regeneration; improved agricultural production techniques (production in tropical
greenhouses for hot countries, irrigation) and livestock fodder production; use
of EMs; implementation of the plastic mulching technique to reduce the arduous
nature of agriculture and make it more attractive to young people; and the develop-
ment of animal and fish genetic inputs (e.g. Songhai tilapia, which can reach 500 g
in six months).

Secondary production: agro-industry

Stock farming products, primarily meat, are not often delivered to the consumer
in their raw state. The centre (mainly in Porto-Novo) processes them to add value.
Similarly, crops are processed before being delivered to the consumer in the form
of semi-finished or finished products. This processing is carried out in three
industrial units. Processing workshop 1 handles meat, smoking, syrup production,
pasties and dairy products. Workshop 2 handles the processing of palm fruit (palm
oil, palm kernel oil and palm kernel cake), processing of cassava to produce gari,
rice husking, production of roasted almonds and production of soap. Processing
workshop 3 handles plastic recycling, bottle production, pretreatment and filling
operations for the production of water, juice, tomato and mango concentrate, etc.
With a capacity of 6 000 bottles per hour, this new installation strengthens the
network of agricultural entrepreneurs supplying raw materials, pineapple, mango
and baobab powder.

PHOTO 14.4
Cattle ranching for organic soil fertilizers (kraalage system), Parakou centre

© Agossou, 2014
Chapter 14 – Songhai model of integrated production in Benin 271

Markets for sustainable products and services: building the local market
OBEPAB (2013) described the markets for ecological and organic agricultural prod-
ucts in Benin as follows:
ƒƒ local markets comprising demand recorded in the production zones;
ƒƒ urban markets in the major cities, in particular Cotonou, where the products
most in demand are foods declared to be organic, natural or vegetarian; organic
vegetable products; organic papaya; non-conventional stock farming products
(chickens, local breeds of guinea fowl) and non-wood forest products;
ƒƒ the subregional market, in particular the Economic Community of West Afri-
can States (ECOWAS), Nigeria, the Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso where there
is high demand for natural shea butter, organic pineapple and pineapple juice;
ƒƒ the international market, with demand for certified organic products (organic
cotton, cotton made in Africa, natural shea butter, organic pineapple, organic
soybean and organic papaya).

Markets for Songhai products and services are primarily local markets. The centre’s
aim is to produce for the well-being of the communities living near the other
centres. Production is therefore primarily intended for local markets, and thus local
consumers. Within Benin, the main markets are in Porto-Novo, Cotonou, Parakou,
Savalou and Lokossa, as well as in other towns around the country.
Four product categories are marketed: seed, inputs (organic fertilizer and organic
livestock fodder), fresh produce (fruit, vegetables, meat and eggs) and processed
products. The processed products in particular are labelled Songhai (fruit juice,
purified water, yoghurt, soap, soybean oil and pastries). Honey is also a reference

figurE 14.2
Monthly change in turnover in 2011 and 2012

70 000 000
2011 2012
60 000 000
West African CFA (XOF)

50 000 000

40 000 000

30 000 000

20 000 000

10 000 000

0
y

ch

il

ay

ne

ly

er

r
us

be

be

be
ar

pr

Ju
ua

ob
ar

Ju

ug
nu

em

em

em
M
br

ct
A
Ja

pt

ov

ec
Fe

Se

D
N

Source: Agossou, 2014.

272 Innovative markets for sustainable agriculture

product of the Songhai Centre and many customers know the centre for the honey
it sells. Eggs are currently the product most sold. Sales figures show that peak
sales occur at the end of the year (Christmas period). The trend was more or less
the same in 2011 and 2012, with a slight increase in total sales in 2012 (a total of
XOF350 005 510, or approximately US$700 000).
The centre does not use intermediaries outside the Songhai network. All sales
logistics are managed internally by Songhai. With its trucks, the centre implements
logistics and delivers to the points of sale, supermarkets and wholesalers. The
customers or consumers of Songhai products can also purchase products on site via
the on-farm shops. For products such as vegetables, consumers can visit the farm
and choose the products themselves. The centre also has a delivery office in town
to facilitate purchases for people who cannot go to the farm. Finally, the reception
and restaurant services at each regional centre also represent a convenient means of
providing the population with Songhai products.
Both trade internal to the Songhai network and sales of processed products are
managed by the centralized sales unit within the Porto-Novo hub. The regional sites
are charged with sales of inputs and fresh produce at their sales points, while the
overarching marketing strategy for the centre is centrally handled. Non-negligible
quantities of fresh produce and cleaning products are also sold internally to the
centre’s catering service, students’ canteen and workers’ and visitors’ restaurant.
Certain products, such as eggs and poultry, are sold to hotels and other private
distributors.
The markets for processed products are relatively diversified. At the end of
November 2013, the centre’s marketing team launched a marketing strategy to tar-
get sales of specific products, such as mangoes and pineapples to hotels in Cotonou,
to different market outlets. When the local market is satisfied, the products are sold
in other markets. This is the case for drinks on the Nigerian market, thanks to the
installation of pretreatment and filling chains for the production of water and juice.
Agricultural machines are sold in several countries within the region including
Nigeria, Togo, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone and even as far afield as
the Congo and the United Republic of Tanzania.
Employees at the Songhai centres and farmers who received training at the par-
ent centre provide a ready consumer base for Songhai products. Yet there is also a
wider consumer population made up of people concerned for the well-being and
maintenance of the environment and those who specifically seek organic/sustain-
able products. Consumers, who are aware that they are buying more sustainable
products, are ordinary consumers who buy their products from the Songhai shops
at the head office in Porto-Novo and on the regional sites. The trainees, partners
and visitors to the centres are also consumers of Songhai products and account for
60 percent of total sales.
All products are labelled with the Songhai brand and these labels provide
sufficient information about the health benefits of the products. Some processed
products (juice and yoghurt) have the word “bio” on them. Thus, the consumer can
find the following information on the label: product name, ingredients used in the
product, nutritional values, expiry date and addresses/contact details of the Songhai
production centre. This information is in French and English to facilitate access to
the products for a wide range of consumers.
Chapter 14 – Songhai model of integrated production in Benin 273

Consumers buy sustainable products because of the comparative advantages these

products enjoy over conventional products, primarily in terms of quality. Products
from the Songhai sustainable production model are healthy and the consumer runs
no risk of finding residues from chemical inputs. Songhai products (tomatoes, eggs,
purées, jams, smoked chicken, etc.) keep better than conventional products. Juices are
natural with no additives or colouring. Songhai also incorporates the natural virtues
of its probiotic micro-organisms into these products, thereby endowing them with
enhanced value for well-being. Another advantage for the consumer is the relatively
affordable price adopted by Songhai, which takes account of the consumers’ budget.
To satisfy the demand of an increasing number of customers, the Songhai Centre
has developed an active communication strategy and adopted a marketing plan
that is centrally managed, which takes account of consumer demand and expecta-
tions. This plan combines a direct sales strategy and a network of distributors. The
marketing team itself organises tasting sessions for new products in order to bring
them to the attention of consumers. Canvassing, attentiveness and communication
operations are continuously carried out with customers.
The pricing policy adopted allows the Songhai centres to resist price competition
from the local market, since Songhai applies lower prices for an equivalent quality.
With the production system based on the “low-input agriculture” principle, prod-
ucts from the Songhai model benefit from this advantage as 90 percent of inputs
necessary for their production are available on site. In the current plan (end 2013),
the marketing circuits for processed products remain oriented towards the Nigerian
market as a result of the trade liberalization in place. Over time, the introduction of
the marketing plan has led to greater awareness of the demands made by consumers
who now distinguish between the quality of the Songhai products and that of oth-
ers. Diversification has also been a key priority of the Songhai strategy – diversifica-
tion of the supply of products and diversification of the buyers and/or distributors.
In the medium term, this will facilitate a significant presence of Songhai products
on the market.
The challenge for the marketing programme will be to ensure effective continuity
management of the supply of raw materials for the Songhai processing industries,
which add value to the raw products. Moreover, it is important for the marketing
unit to continue facilitating dialogue with buyers/distributors with a view to ensu-
ing satisfaction in terms of quality and quantity. Demand for processed products is
steadily climbing, and in 2013 and 2014 outpaced supply.

14.4 RESULTS: SOME ADVANTAGES LINKED TO THE EXISTENCE

OF THE SONGHAI CENTRE
In the short and medium term, Beninese farmers will be able to derive certain
advantages from the existence of the Songhai centre. The integrated agricultural
production model will become increasingly common among farmers who are begin-
ning to see the inconsistency and counterperformance of conventional agriculture.
In the southern region of Benin, land constraints are forcing farmers to abandon
extensive farming practices. They have to adopt sustainable intensification, making
do with less land.
The Songhai integrated agricultural production model has numerous advantages
for the community.
274 Innovative markets for sustainable agriculture

ƒƒ Training young people who have dropped out of school, or university gradu-
ates, in entrepreneurship. With practical work accounting for 75 percent of
the training, it offers them the opportunity to set up their own businesses,
thereby avoiding an inflated number of job seekers.
ƒƒ Supply of sustainable agricultural products with an organic label, which have
huge advantages for consumer health, unlike conventional products that may
contain residues of the chemical inputs used.
ƒƒ Supply of services – in great demand – provided by the assembly workshops
for agricultural machinery and agrifood processing equipment.
ƒƒ Recycling of scrap metal and plastics that lie in the street and pollute the urban
landscape.

Songhai is a training centre for rural entrepreneurship providing both short, tech-
nological training courses and longer training courses promoting the emergence of
entrepreneurs and leaders. Since its creation, Songhai has trained 7 500 people.

IDEA method for evaluating sustainability

IDEA (Indicateurs de durabilité des exploitations agricoles) [Farm sustainability
indicators] is an analytical tool that can be used at farm level to evaluate sustainabil-
ity, based on a system of 41 sustainability indicators covering the three dimensions
of sustainability (agro-ecological, socioterritorial and economic) (Vilain et al., 2008).
The agro-ecological scale of indicators covers environmental concerns such as diver-
sity, organization of space and farming practices; the socioterritorial scale includes
social aspects of the farm such as quality of products and land, employment and
services, and ethics and human development. The economic indicators fall under
the categories of economic viability, independence, transferability and efficiency.
Using the IDEA diagnostic method, a recent study conducted by FAO evaluated
the sustainability of the Songhai integrated agricultural production model and that
of 35 Songhai farmers located in different agro-ecological zones in Benin (Agossou,
2014). These evaluations highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of the Songhai
model in terms of sustainability and identified, particularly for farmers, the changes
they could make on their farms to enjoy greater sustainability.
The Songhai model demonstrates numerous strengths at all levels of sustainabil-
ity, in particular with regard to agricultural practices at agro-ecological level. The
restrictive element in the sustainability of the model is the socioterritorial element.
The Parakou and Lokossa sites demonstrate a sustainability that is limited at the
agro-ecological level, whereas the Savalou site is limited in terms of socioterritorial
sustainability. The challenges raised by reproducing the Songhai model on a grand
scale concern the optimization of water, production of organic fertilizers, pest
control using organic products, and agricultural mechanization.
Songhai farmers’ activities are characterized by a sustainability limited at socio-
territorial level. To achieve a greater level of sustainability, scope for progress avail-
able to these farms can be found in the domestic diversity and special organization
elements (agro-ecological level); the product quality, employment and services ele-
ments (socioterritorial level); and the economic viability element (economic level).
The difficulties encountered by these farms in attempting to achieve a greater level
of sustainability primarily concern inadequacy of funding and the unavailability
Chapter 14 – Songhai model of integrated production in Benin 275

of certain factors of production (certified seeds, fry, and livestock). In addition to

the families of employees (15 000 people in total), of trainees (30 000 people) and
of the farms created (7 000 people), the population benefiting from Songhai can be
evaluated at 100 000 people since the centre was founded 30 years ago. The impacts
of Songhai must also be measured in relation to the machine tools produced in the
centre to increase productivity and reduce the toil of agricultural work. Other ele-
ments should be taken into account such as the new varieties of plants introduced,
the creation of telecentres, the development of new crops (jatropha for the produc-
tion of energy) and livestock. Every year, 20 000 visitors come to Songhai and are
introduced to the integrated production system and the functioning of green cities.
The model of economic development in rural areas – the rural green city promoted
by Songhai – is easily adapted to the agro-ecological and socio-economic context of
West Africa, where it is currently established in 15 towns. It is not simply an infra-
structure project but also a method of generating sustainable, inclusive rural growth
through the creative use of the local resources available, thereby helping to resolve
the problems of poverty, unemployment and the rural exodus. The solution provided
by Songhai demonstrates a certain originality in this approach to transforming peo-
ple and their communities. Consequently, the Songhai model was promoted by the
United Nations system in 2008 as a holistic model of development to be adopted by
states in their efforts to change the precarious socio-economic situation experienced
by the population. Since then, the model has been reproduced in several countries
within the subregion and across the continent (Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Liberia, the
Congo, Malawi and Guinea). Other developing countries (Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire,
Senegal, Burkina Faso, Kenya, Togo and Gabon), as well as countries outside the
continent of Africa (for example, Haiti) have also voiced their interest.
The people involved in disseminating the Songhai model within the region are
the trainees who have spent time in the Songhai centres, governments, economic
operators and company managers. The projects designed to replicate the Songhai
model within the subregion are promoted by states or by individuals. They are
tasked with mobilizing financial resources via their partners while Songhai provides
technical expertise.
The Songhai Centre incorporates three key sectors of the economy into a single
organizational form that links sustainable practices to local markets. It is organized
in such a way as to create synergy and complementarity between sustainable pro-
duction methods based on an integrated production system that includes vegetable,
pulse, cereal and fruit crop production; livestock raising; aquaculture; and biogas
production. It includes an industrial cluster model, where artisanal and modern
food processing takes place (e.g. fruit juice, snacks, popcorn, baked goods, bread,
fresh cuts and cured meats, soap, plastic recycling, plastic buckets). The centre also
organizes the production and sale of sustainable inputs (seeds, manure, compost
and EMs), provides agritourism and Internet services, and is involved in developing
appropriate technologies for sustainable production.
The Beninese network is currently made up of the main demonstration site in
Porto-Novo and five satellite centres in regional urban centres that source, when
necessary, from surrounding rural farms. No link functions without a relationship
to one or more of the other links and the satellites are governed through a central-
ized, hierarchic chain of command that permits horizontal linkages between net-
276 Innovative markets for sustainable agriculture

work members. There is a central procurement and marketing service that organizes
the procurement of raw materials for processing and sales of processed products
from the Porto-Novo hub. However, each satellite is also responsible for local sales
of its fresh produce and artisanal processed goods. In 2014, 54 percent of the value
of finished products was internal to the network and 46 percent constituted product
sales with a value of XOF4 185 694 831 (US$7 040 540), of which the off-farm sales
of finished products accounted for XOF1 533 743 462 (US$2 579 830). We may
conclude that the Songhai Centre has effectively created three levels of markets: (i)
markets for sustainable inputs (seeds, bioproducts and machines) between the hub
and each regional site and farmers; (ii) markets for sustainable products (both fresh
and processed); and (iii) markets for food service and hospitality.
The Songhai model can be considered an institutional innovation, because the
actors in the network have had an active role in defining “organic” in Benin through
their use of labelling for consumers. As of 2015, Songhai began a partnership with
the Ministry of Agriculture to manage national projects for youth training in agri-
culture (changing the rules), and with its efforts has created an organizational model
that is being replicated in other countries (the actors who use and enforce the rules).
In fact, in 2014, the largest revenue from a single source came from the corporate
fees received from Nigerian operations.

14.5 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Agricultural development policies in Benin emphasize the need to promote sus-
tainable agricultural practices in order to maintain the productive base of natural
resources for future generations. This political will is nevertheless slow to take tan-
gible form in the legislative and regulatory texts obliging the operators concerned to
adopt best practices. A documentary review showed that several existing regulatory
provisions concerning agriculture, food, the environment and trade contain allu-
sions to sustainable agriculture. Furthermore, associative movements were observed
that have redoubled their efforts to promote organic and ecological agriculture.
These associations develop financial, technical and complementary partnerships
with each other and with associations in the countries of the North.
The Songhai integrated agricultural production model, launched in Benin in
1985, is one such initiative promoting sustainable best practices in the agricultural
sector. Through the perfect integration of crop production, livestock farming and
fish farming, this model generates a synergy and complementarity among its differ-
ent links, while ensuring zero waste. Similarly, it obeys the principle of autonomy,
the cornerstone of sustainable agricultural systems (Vilain et al., 2008).
The best practices put forward by the Songhai model concern:
ƒƒ effective integration synergy between crop production, stock farming and fish
farming;
ƒƒ autonomy (and thus non-dependence) of the farm insofar as the main factors
of production come from the farm itself;
ƒƒ zero waste as nothing is thrown away on the farm – anything that can be
considered a waste product in a given sector is reused as a factor of production
in another sector;
ƒƒ organic orientation given to farms that use no chemical inputs and only
organic inputs (compost, manure, organic pesticides);
Chapter 14 – Songhai model of integrated production in Benin 277

ƒƒ promotion of produce on site through the development of different process-

ing workshops enabling farms to acquire sufficient value added;
ƒƒ promotion of marketing services, helping to create loyalty among customers
who are attached to the centre’s organic products;
ƒƒ practical training given to young agricultural entrepreneurs wishing to set up
business in the agricultural sector and to replicate the integrated agricultural
production model promoted by the Songhai Centre.

To “spread the message”, the Songhai initiative provides annual training – primarily
practical in nature – for numerous young farmers (almost 7 500 trained since its
creation) who are called on to replicate the model across the subregion.
According to all observers, the Songhai integrated development model has proved
its worth in managing the complexity involved in meeting the following:
ƒƒ increasing demand for training;
ƒƒ creation of new activities (rural energy training centre, electricity power sta-
tion with Electricité de France (EDF), where the role of EDF is to contribute
to optimizing expertise in producing and distributing renewable energy
through the implementation of energy production poles, development of
bacterial culture, etc.); and
ƒƒ requests from governments from all regions of Africa to install Songhai centres.

Without endangering its achievements, Songhai is faced with four challenges.

1. Need for new leaders capable of promoting new actions.
2. Management capacity building for current unit managers to ensure the conti-
nuity of the Songhai centres.
3. Training of people from other African countries or elsewhere promoting proj-
ects similar to the Songhai initiative.
4. Training of project managers in rural companies (in the energy sector, for
example) within the subregion for development projects of NGOs or semi-
private operators.

The other challenges of the Songhai production model primarily concern its large-
scale reproduction and replication at small-scale producer level. These challenges are
optimization of water, production of organic fertilizers, pest control with organic
products and agricultural mechanization (Agossou, 2014).
Water and its permanent availability are essential for the system to work. As an
increasingly scarce resource, water use requires highly economic irrigation measures
such as the drip system, which is a best practice in terms of sustainability. The
technique of plastic mulching recently introduced at the Songhai Centre increases
this water-saving process by limiting direct evaporation from the soil and through
soil moisture retention. While differing species allow organic fertilizers to be pro-
duced (compost, liquid effluents), the shift to a larger scale may raise the question
of covering needs for organic fertilizers in light of the large quantities required by
unit of surface area. Pest control through organic pesticides is also a challenge for
large-scale replication of the model. For certain attacks deemed to be severe, the use
of small additional quantities of chemical pesticides should not generate any major
pollution pressure and therefore not compromise the sustainability of the system.
278 Innovative markets for sustainable agriculture

Finally, on a large scale, mechanization is necessary, although this is a double-edged

sword. It saves time and reduces the arduous nature of the work, but measures
must be taken to protect the soil as a resource as sustainable agriculture endeavours
to protect the food potential of the future.
Small-scale farmers find difficulties in replicating the model in terms of funding
for their farms in order to procure agricultural equipment and construct the neces-
sary infrastructures; the unavailability of organic factors of production; and the
unavailability of agricultural land in the southern part of Benin.
The political authorities in Benin have taken action to prove their commitment
to best practices designed to ensure the sustainability of agricultural systems in the
country. They should nevertheless pursue their action by establishing specific legis-
lative and regulatory texts obliging the actors in the sector to develop best practices
with a view to protecting natural resources for future generations. The Promotion
of Agricultural Entrepreneurship Programme (PPEA) sponsored by the United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which is managed by Songhai in Benin
for the Beninese Ministry of Agriculture, is a technical initiative that is worthy of
support from other similar entities and could be expanded to reach more young
agricultural entrepreneurs.
The Songhai model has demonstrated that it responds to the specific sustainabil-
ity challenges in the country, is culturally and socially appropriate, technologically
advanced and economically viable. Therefore, the process of replicating the Songhai
centres should be pursued and it is desirable for each of the rural communes in
Benin to create their own Songhai centre, that could be linked up to the national
network, so that all farmers have the possibility of benefiting from this integrated
agricultural production model. The difficulties for farmers to replicate the model at
farm level lie in obtaining funding for their farms and the unavailability of livestock,
fry and seeds. With more of these innovation hubs in rural areas, more support
would be available for individual farmers.

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