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This chapter provides a brief description of the evolution of economic policy in Benin since<br />

independence, concentrating on agricultural policy since 1989. The objective is to provide some<br />

context to assist the interpretation of the results of the surveys.<br />

2.2 Background on Benin<br />

The Republic of Benin covers an area 112 thousand square kilometers, of which just 23 thousand<br />

km 2 (21 percent) is used for agriculture. Broadly speaking, Benin can be divided into three agroclimatic<br />

zones:<br />

The southern part of the country has a sub-equatorial climate with rainfall averaging 1200<br />

to 1500 mm per year. There are two rainy seasons, the main one from March through July<br />

and the second season from September to mid-November.<br />

The climate in the center can be characterized as Sudano-Guinean, with average rainfall<br />

ranging from 1000 to 1200 mm per year. This region has a single rainy season lasting from<br />

April to October.<br />

The north has a semi-arid climate with rainfall of just 800-1000 mm per year. The rainy<br />

season in this region is between May and September, although considerable variation exists<br />

from one year to the next.<br />

The 1998 population is estimated to be 6.0 million, implying a population density of 54<br />

inhabitants/km 2 . The population of Benin is concentrated in the south, so the density ranges from<br />

over 300 inhabitants/km 2 in Atlantique to less than 40 in Atacora and Borgou. About 40 percent of<br />

the population lives in urban areas.<br />

The per capita gross national product is US$ 380, placing Benin among the low-income countries.<br />

However, its per capita income is higher than that of its landlocked neighbors to the north (Niger,<br />

Mali, and Burkina Faso) and somewhat higher than Togo and Nigeria, but lower than Cameroon<br />

and Cote d’Ivoire (World Bank, 2000).<br />

The agricultural sector accounts for 38 percent of the gross domestic product and employs about 56<br />

percent of the economically active population. The main food crops are maize, manioc, and yams,<br />

followed by sorghum/millet, groundnuts, and beans. The main cash crop, by far, is cotton, which<br />

accounts for 44 percent of the value of exports. Other agricultural exports, including oil palm,<br />

cashew nut, and pineapple, are much smaller (Republique du Benin, 1997).<br />

6

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