Since 2009, we have supported PAN UK and OBEPAB to establish and expand Benin’s organic cotton sector. Together, we’ve empowered thousands of farmers to transition to safer, pesticide-free farming, improving their health and livelihoods.  

In the last six months alone, the teams have successfully supported 8,770 farmers of which 7,114 received organic certification for their produce while the remaining 1,756 farmers are in training to become certified.  

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

We are delighted to share the story of one farmer who has been positively impacted by this project.  

Bani Asso Démon.

Bani Asso Démon, a farmer from Banikoara in northern Benin, joined the project four years ago. Before converting his crops to organic, Bani was exposed to toxic pesticides on a daily basis, which left him with serious health issues, particularly affecting the skin on his hands and arms. Sadly, his story isn’t unique. It’s estimated there are 385 million cases of pesticide poisoning every year, with the vast majority affecting farmers in Africa and Asia. 

Since going organic, Bani has seen the positive effects of converting his crops. He has increased his income, as all organic cotton is sold to the Beninese government with a guaranteed premium (currently 20%), where he has started to build a new home for his family and bought a motorbike for his travels.  

Cleaned cotton seeds ready to be planted.
Maize, another crop grown in Benin to diversify the land and promote healthy soil. Image courtesy of Cotton Diaries.

Through the training from OBEPAB, Bani has also hugely improved the fertility and health of his land’s soil, which means he can now grow a wider range of crops. As part of OBEPAB’s farming model built on crop rotation and diversification, Bani also grows soya, onions, peanuts, millet, and sorghum alongside cotton. This approach builds resilience against climate change and ensures families have enough food to eat year-round. 

The benefits of this project are being shared across Bani’s household where his wife, who has three hectares of land, has been cultivating organic cotton for three years. She is one of over 1,800 female farmers supported by the project, which is three times higher the number of women in conventional cotton farming. Through the income raised, Bani’s wife has been able to purchase a grain mill, a valuable new source of income that supports the whole family.  

Spun organic cotton yarn ready to be woven into textiles.

OBEPAB works with the whole community to promote gender equality, encouraging men, to provide women with land to farm too. It means they can also benefit from economic empowerment, take new leadership roles, and benefit the whole family by investing back into the family business and their children’s education. 

Our continued support of this project will allow more farmers like Bani to convert their crops to organic, significantly improving their health and livelihoods. You can read more about the project here.