Influence of the Institutional Framework on the Agroecological Transition of Market Gardening Production Systems in the Grand Nokoué Area (Benin)

Abstract

This article analyses the influence of the institutional framework on the transition of production and food systems in the municipalities of Sèmè-Podji, Abomey-Calavi and Cotonou, through the market gardening value chain. The study focuses on the effect exerted by the institutional framework on the market gardening production systems existing in the area. The analysis is based on a qualitative approach drawing on the sociology of institutions, multilevel governance and the dynamics of co-construction of public policies. It considers both formal institutions (laws, policies, strategies, programmes), informal institutions (social norms, local arrangements) and actor dynamics influencing the transition trajectories of food systems. The data used come from an in-depth documentary review of twenty-six (26) strategic and regulatory documents relating to the agricultural and food sector in Benin, as well as thirty-four (34) semi-structured interviews conducted with institutional actors, market gardening producers and agricultural cooperative managers. The results show that the Beninese institutional framework plays a determining role in the orientation of agroecological transition trajectories. However, its influence remains mixed: while recent reforms reflect a clear political will to promote sustainable agricultural systems, their implementation remains limited by constraints of institutional coordination, local ownership and the effectiveness of public policies. The study thus highlights institutional mechanisms that are both facilitating and constraining, which structure the transition trajectories of market gardening production systems in different ways.