Technical Efficiency Effects of agroecological practices use on crop-producing farms: Empirical Evidence from Northern Benin Republic using an endogeneity corrected stochastic frontier model.

Abstract

Agroecology is a sustainable production approach that has positive effects for farms. However, some innovations of this approach penalize yields at the beginning and do not promote their good perception per farmers. To boost agroecology adoption in such context, technical efficiency analysis of production of main crops is done to highlight this approach contributions to improving performance in agriculture. 509 farms in municipalities of Banikoara, Kandi, Péhunco, Parakou and Savalou were surveyed. Cobb-Douglas endogenous stochastic production frontier analysis approach was adopted. The results showed a correlation of technical production efficiency with labor intensity, use of chemical fertilizer, farmer profile and type of operation. Thus, agricultural mechanization is suggested to reducing pressure on family labor which could exacerbate child labor. Also, agroecological practices and chemical fertilizer combining had an interesting effect in terms of improving production performance and suggests the maintenance of chemical inputs in production systems. So, agroecological practices scaling up in Benin cotton areas must be accompanied by appropriate mechanization and chemical fertilizer using, with gradually decrease of its amount following soil under agroecological management fertility improvement.