Land Degradation and Cotton Growing in Farming Communities in Benin

Alfred B. K. Dossa

Abstract: The municipality of Kerou is an agricultural community characterized by land impoverishment due to cotton monoculture and rudimentary agricultural technology (1). Land degradation in the municipality of Kérou is therefore a worrying situation that has a negative impact on soil fertility, crop yields and can lead to long-term food insecurity and poverty (2). The model developed by the soil scientists of the FAO (3) and the World Bank (4 and 5) is used to calculate from 2013-2014 the accumulated land losses (Pt) of 2.79 to 10.45 t/ha/year, following cotton growing in the municipality of Kérou

Keywords: Quantification, land degradation, cotton growing, Kerou