Over the past fifteen years we have funded the incredible work of our charity project partners PAN UK and OBEPAB to support farmers to grow organic cotton and eliminate their use of pesticides. Leading this vital work is Keith Tyrell, Director of Pesticide Action Network UK (PAN UK).  Working in both the UK and abroad, Keith and the PAN UK team are focused on tackling the problems caused by pesticides and promoting safe and sustainable alternatives.   

Kieth Tyrell, Director of Pesticide Action Network UK.

Today, we fund three of PAN UK’s international pesticide-free projects, two in Ethiopia and one in Benin, which was also our very first fashion related project which we began funding in 2009. We sat down with Keith to hear more about the origins of our project in Benin and its fantastic growth to make a difference to the lives of farmers, their families and communities.     

Benin is the fourth largest cotton producer in Africa, an industry which supports 50% of its population. However, most farmers rely on unsustainable practices, such as the use of harmful agrochemicals, which cause widespread health issues, including pesticide poisoning. 

“Twenty years ago, Professor Davo Voduhe, an agricultural professor and also the Coordinator of our project partner in Benin, OBEPAB, noticed there were an awful lot of farmers who were seriously ill or died from pesticide poisonings.” Keith explains. 

From this Davo conducted the first survey of pesticide poisoning in Benin. Through his research Davo found that between 2000-2002, 174 farmers had died of pesticide poisoning in just one local authority region in the country, without even counting farmers who had suffered poisoning but survived.

Even with this evidence, Davo found it challenging to compel the Beninese government to act, so he started to train farmers himself in organic cotton production, as an alternative to intensive pesticide use, with the support of PAN UK.

A Cooperative focus group discussion. Benin, West Africa. Image courtesy of Cotton Diaries; photographed by Gbèmèho Elisé Fanou.

“The project started with just a few hundred farmers and this season we’ll be supporting around 9,000 farmers, making this one of the biggest organic cotton projects in Africa! It has been recognised as one of the best extension systems in Africa, and our organic cotton farmers actually achieve the same yields or higher than their conventional neighbours.”, Keith shared.   

“The project is led by what the farmers need. We’ve established farmers’ groups that give them a way of advocating for their community’s needs, and we fully involve them in the project design and adapt and adjust the focus of the project, the way we train, the way we interact with them and what they want us to do.”

The great success of this project goes beyond the cotton fields and supports the wider well-being of the farming communities and their families.  

“Nearly a third of the farmers that we support are female farmers, which is much higher than the number of women that are in the conventional cotton sector, which is around 10% or less. In Benin just 11.2% of women over 25 years old have secondary education and we found that women farmers spend their money on keeping their daughters in school. So, girls’ attendance is much better in our project areas and the girls stay in school longer, benefitting the next generation of women moving forward.”     

Alougba, president of a cooperative of organic cotton producers. Benin, West Africa. Image courtesy of Cotton Diaries, photographed by Gbèmèho Elisé Fanou. ⁠

Together PAN UK and OBEPAB have raised the working standards and best practice for farmers to improve their health and livelihoods. 

“Our farmers in Benin make around three times more money than conventional farmers on the same amount of land. That’s largely driven by the reduced input costs, as pesticides can account for up to 60% of a farmer’s income in West Africa.” 

“Our farmers also get a 20% premium for selling their organic cotton. The bottom line is that for every pound that Traid has invested in this project, the farmers make £9. So that’s a return of one to nine on the investment. And that’s just on cotton! If you factor in the other crops that are grown, for example, shea, maize, as well as cashews then that return increases to a staggering £22.”   

Today, Keith, PAN UK and OBEPAB continue to drive the project’s success as they seek enroll more farmers into organic cotton training, moving Benin’s produce towards an organic future. 

This year, Traid has committed £336,332 of funding to further support this great project. You can read more about the PAN UK and this project here.