ÌÇÐÄVlog

Legumes: Pillars of Sustainability

Grain legumes — such as soybean, cowpea, groundnut, pigeon pea, Bambara groundnut, and earth lentil — play a central role in food and agroecological systems. They enrich the soil thanks to their ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen, help diversify crop rotations, and contribute to food security due to their high content of plant-based proteins.

In Benin, these crops hold an important place in smallholder agriculture. During the 2020–2021 farming season, they accounted for 5.43% of total food production. Field studies conducted in the Zou and Collines departments revealed that over 50% of cultivated land in some farms was dedicated to legumes, often integrated into crop rotations or intercropped with other strategic crops such as maize or cassava.

Strengthening Local Seeds and Agroecological Practices   

FISeLAE places the seed sector at the heart of its approach. The project aims to strengthen systems for the production, selection, and dissemination of quality seeds by promoting participatory methods tailored to local realities. It specifically supports:

• Participatory varietal selection with farmers,
• The enhancement of local genetic resources,
• Improved traceability and distribution of farmers’ seeds.

These actions are supported by action-research initiatives, multi-scale assessments, and innovation platforms.

A Collective and Regional Dynamic

FISeLAE is built on strong regional cooperation with national research institutes (such as IRC and INRAB in Benin), NGOs, universities, and farmers committed to the agroecological transition. It is also aligned with the Global Legume Initiative, which recognizes the crucial role of legumes in combating malnutrition and ensuring the sustainability of food systems.

Toward More Resilient Agricultural Systems

The initial results of the project show that the thoughtful integration of legumes into farming systems enables:

• Diversification of production and income,
• Improvement of soil fertility in the medium and long term,
• Provision of products with high nutritional and economic value,
• Strengthening of farmers’ seed autonomy.

FISeLAE thus contributes to the emergence of sustainable cropping systems that are less dependent on chemical inputs and better adapted to climate variability.

Research Rooted in Local Territories

As a research and development project, FISeLAE combines real-world field experiments, socio-economic analyses, and methodological support for local stakeholders. It generates scientific knowledge useful both to researchers and farmer organizations, while aligning with an integrated vision of agroecological transition in West Africa.

A Shared Vision for Food Sovereignty

By strengthening local capacities to produce, multiply, use, and add value to legumes, FISeLAE works toward sustainable food sovereignty rooted in territories and driven by local actors. The project embodies an agroecological vision of agricultural development based on scientific knowledge, farmers’ innovations, and regional alliances.