期刊名称：European Journal of Business and Social Sciences
印刷版ISSN：2235-767X
出版年度：2017
卷号：6
期号：9
页码：12-28
出版社：European Society of Business and Social Sciences
摘要：Crop and livestock farming are the main activities for ruralpopulations in sub-Saharan Africa. In Benin, crop andlivestock farming occupy 70% of the population, providebetween 70 and 80% of export earnings and contribute to 15% ofgovernment income. However, crop farmers and pastoralists sharethe same natural resources for their activities. This studyinvestigated the competition over these natural resources, thedynamics of conflicts that emerge as well as the mechanisms of theirresolution, and finally the impacts that have on the relationsbetween crop farmers and pastoralists. For that, 60 crop farmers and60 pastoralists were interviews in the Nikki municipality inNorthern Benin. Results show that conflicts between crop farmersand pastoralists are over land, access to grazing areas and waterpoints. These conflicts became more and more frequent and violentthan in the past and their resolution mechanisms evolved from therecourse to informal institutions such as conciliation and theintervention of wise and notable persons of the community to therecourse to formal institutions such as gendarmerie. These formalconflicts resolution mechanisms also contributed to deteriorate thesymbiotic relations between crop farmers and pastoralists thatexisted for decades. We conclude natural resources subject toconflict between crop farmers and pastoralists could be bettermanaged and conflicts avoided or at least seriously reduced if formaland informal institutions are both considered in their resolution.
