A Farm Typology Based on a Modelling of Their Size on a Global Level

Abstract

To this day, cotton is one of the main cash crops in Benin, despite the emergence of certain crops that are considered less constraining. In sub-Saharan African countries, agriculture is essential for economic growth, which is necessary to reduce poverty and food insecurity. In the cotton-growing areas, the support given to farms in the framework of national actions or bilateral/multilateral cooperation is not based on a typology of farms to help identify what to do and measure what has been achieved. Differences in land area per capita and land productivity largely explained the variation in food security across sites. In agriculture, such grouping of farms might help for a better knowing and understanding of the structure and functioning of each farm group as well as the problems, opportunities, and needs in terms of policy intervention and support. This study aims to draw up a typology of cotton production based on area size. The present work aimed at establishing a typology of the cotton farms used as a first discriminatory factor, which was the farm size, measured by the size of land under cotton cultivation. This size may also reflect the crop’s importance for farmers. Based on this factor or criterion, a first discrimination of cotton farms has been set, giving different groups of cotton farms. To this end, data were collected from 140 cotton growers in Benin. Using discriminant factors, a typology analysis based on farm size was carried out. The results showed that farm size is determined by socio-economic and demographic characteristics, as well as by access to production factors. Agricultural policies aimed at increasing cotton production can influence factors such as access to production inputs.