SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF COTTON CULTIVATION (Gossypium) IN THE ARRONDISSEMENT OF AKLAMKPA (MUNICIPALITY OF GLAZOUE)

Abstract

Cotton is the main cash crop in Benin. Cotton cultivation is an important source of income for the Aklamkpa District. The income from this sector contributes to the improvement of the living conditions of the populations. The main objective of this study is to contribute to a better understanding of the socio-economic impacts of cotton cultivation in the Aklamkpa District. The methodological approach adopted includes documentary research, field work, demographic data from 1979-2013, cotton production statistics, data processing with Word and Excel software. The analysis of the results has been done. The results obtained show that income from the marketing of cotton production has contributed 85% to the improvement of people's living conditions. Cultivation techniques suggest a degradation of the vegetation cover and the acceleration of the depletion of the soil of the study area. Faced with such a situation, more than 90% of producers adopt endogenous strategies to adapt to cotton production. In doing so, it is important to develop new methods of cotton production, diversify agriculture, adopt organic cotton cultivation and propose measures for the rational management of the environment.