Title:
DETERMINANTS OF LAND DEGRADATION AND INDICATORS OF FOOD INSECURITY IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF ZAGNANADO SOUTH OF BENIN

Authors:
Pascal GBENOU, Hervé Dègla KOUMASSI, Benin

Abstract:

Land degradation is a problem that affects about a third of the world's land. The phenomenon is alarming when we know that the final phase of the degradation process is desertification of the land and, in turn, a threat to food security. The purpose of this study is to analyze the determinants of land degradation and its impacts, including food insecurity in the municipality of Zagnanado.
The data collected and submitted for analysis are essentially demographic, topographic, soil and climatological data. The processing and analysis of this data was done using the PEIR (Pressure-State-Impact-Response) analysis model. A sample of 205 households and resource people were consulted for access identification indicators determining food insecurity.
From the analysis of the data, it emerges that the prevalence relative to food insecurity is around 33% for moderate food insecurity and 6% for severe food insecurity with indices of climatic aggressiveness varying between 30 and 60 mm from 1984 to 2014. Similarly, the fall in agricultural production is one of the consequences of land degradation. This situation poses a problem of food and nutritional insecurity and thus deteriorates the purchasing power of the populations. Other factors contributing to the degradation are the pressure, the climatic, demographic effects and the farming techniques.