First Steps in the Agroecological Transition for Market Gardeners in Yamoussoukro: Brakes and Levers

Market gardening in Yamoussoukro, Cote d'Ivoire, is characterized by monoculture dominated by Solanum lycopersicum and Solanum macrocarpon. Yields are generally low despite a large amount of chemical inputs which deteriorates the sanitary quality of the products. A consortium included a training organization, a research center and an agricultural cooperative, worked with 20 pilot farmers to test and evaluate agroecological innovations to improve and diversify their production. At the same time, IECD created a social enterprise to sell a part of these agroecologically grown agricultural products. Surveys and biological indicators were used to evaluate the impacts of these agroecological innovations and the results showed that local organic fertilisers and plant extracts allowed farmers to significantly reduce chemical inputs. These innovations combined with the diversification of cropping systems, have contributed to improving the quality and safety of vegetables, but also the health of farmers and biodiversity. Bio-aggressors were no higher in agroecological systems than when using conventional practices, on the contrary. According to producers, the risks of losses due to pests and marketing have decreased and farmers are starting to sell on local markets. Despite the increased workload, some of the pilot farmers have adopted and extended the agroecological innovations to their entire cropping system. However, the use of agroecological innovations takes time and requires more interaction with other farmers and local actors. The cooperative and circular economy could help farmers to make this transition.