Effects of the Systematic Cluster Approach (SCA) and Rural Land Plans (RLPs) on Land Tenure Security for Agricultural Household: Insight from Benin (West Africa)

Rural land plans (RLP) and the systematic cluster approach (SCA) are the two main approaches used in Benin to secure rural land tenure. However, the contributions of these approaches to land tenure security in rural communities are mixed. This paper firstly identifies the main factors to be consider...

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Main Authors: Inoussa Guinin Asso, Soulé Akinhola Adéchian, Mohamed Salifou, Bédé Prudence M’po Kouyinampou, Bruno Charles Pierre O’heix, Mohamed Nasser Baco
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-09-01
Series:Land
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/10/1681
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author Inoussa Guinin Asso
Soulé Akinhola Adéchian
Mohamed Salifou
Bédé Prudence M’po Kouyinampou
Bruno Charles Pierre O’heix
Mohamed Nasser Baco
author_facet Inoussa Guinin Asso
Soulé Akinhola Adéchian
Mohamed Salifou
Bédé Prudence M’po Kouyinampou
Bruno Charles Pierre O’heix
Mohamed Nasser Baco
author_sort Inoussa Guinin Asso
collection DOAJ
description Rural land plans (RLP) and the systematic cluster approach (SCA) are the two main approaches used in Benin to secure rural land tenure. However, the contributions of these approaches to land tenure security in rural communities are mixed. This paper firstly identifies the main factors to be considered in conceptualizing rural land tenure security and secondly assesses the contributions of the two approaches in achieving rural land tenure security. The study is conducted in four communes of Borgou (a district in North Benin) that have benefited from both approaches to land tenure security. The dimensions of land tenure security were identified during focus group discussions and unstructured interviews with key informants. The contribution of the approaches is assessed using individual surveys from 742 beneficiaries of the approaches randomly selected, based on actors’ perceptions measured on the Likert scale. The nonparametric Friedman test was used to determine the average rank of each factor according to the RLP or SCA context. As a result, land tenure security must integrate nine factors, leading to two forms of land tenure security. Legal and institutional security includes land tenure norms, property rights, local land management institutions, and the land information system. Socioenvironmental security involves access and use rights, social peace, gender mainstreaming, and land conservation. According to stakeholders’ perceptions, RLPs mainly lead to legal-institutional security, whereas SCA combines and contributes to both forms of land tenure security. Rural smallholders will enjoy high levels of land security when these elements are in dynamic balance.
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spelling doaj.art-e4741567d5974e0391cc3e8b86a8887e2023-12-02T00:34:32ZengMDPI AGLand2073-445X2022-09-011110168110.3390/land11101681Effects of the Systematic Cluster Approach (SCA) and Rural Land Plans (RLPs) on Land Tenure Security for Agricultural Household: Insight from Benin (West Africa)Inoussa Guinin Asso0Soulé Akinhola Adéchian1Mohamed Salifou2Bédé Prudence M’po Kouyinampou3Bruno Charles Pierre O’heix4Mohamed Nasser Baco5GIZ, Projet Promotion d’une Politique Foncière Responsable (ProPFR), Parakou P.O. Box 123, BeninLaboratoire Société–Environnement (LaSEn), Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology, Faculty of Agronomy, University of Parakou, Parakou P.O. Box 123, BeninGIZ, Projet Promotion d’une Politique Foncière Responsable (ProPFR), Parakou P.O. Box 123, BeninGIZ, Projet Promotion d’une Politique Foncière Responsable (ProPFR), Parakou P.O. Box 123, BeninGIZ, Projet Promotion d’une Politique Foncière Responsable (ProPFR), Parakou P.O. Box 123, BeninLaboratoire Société–Environnement (LaSEn), Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology, Faculty of Agronomy, University of Parakou, Parakou P.O. Box 123, BeninRural land plans (RLP) and the systematic cluster approach (SCA) are the two main approaches used in Benin to secure rural land tenure. However, the contributions of these approaches to land tenure security in rural communities are mixed. This paper firstly identifies the main factors to be considered in conceptualizing rural land tenure security and secondly assesses the contributions of the two approaches in achieving rural land tenure security. The study is conducted in four communes of Borgou (a district in North Benin) that have benefited from both approaches to land tenure security. The dimensions of land tenure security were identified during focus group discussions and unstructured interviews with key informants. The contribution of the approaches is assessed using individual surveys from 742 beneficiaries of the approaches randomly selected, based on actors’ perceptions measured on the Likert scale. The nonparametric Friedman test was used to determine the average rank of each factor according to the RLP or SCA context. As a result, land tenure security must integrate nine factors, leading to two forms of land tenure security. Legal and institutional security includes land tenure norms, property rights, local land management institutions, and the land information system. Socioenvironmental security involves access and use rights, social peace, gender mainstreaming, and land conservation. According to stakeholders’ perceptions, RLPs mainly lead to legal-institutional security, whereas SCA combines and contributes to both forms of land tenure security. Rural smallholders will enjoy high levels of land security when these elements are in dynamic balance.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/10/1681land tenure securityrural land planssystematic cluster approachsustainable development
spellingShingle Inoussa Guinin Asso
Soulé Akinhola Adéchian
Mohamed Salifou
Bédé Prudence M’po Kouyinampou
Bruno Charles Pierre O’heix
Mohamed Nasser Baco
Effects of the Systematic Cluster Approach (SCA) and Rural Land Plans (RLPs) on Land Tenure Security for Agricultural Household: Insight from Benin (West Africa)
Land
land tenure security
rural land plans
systematic cluster approach
sustainable development
title Effects of the Systematic Cluster Approach (SCA) and Rural Land Plans (RLPs) on Land Tenure Security for Agricultural Household: Insight from Benin (West Africa)
title_full Effects of the Systematic Cluster Approach (SCA) and Rural Land Plans (RLPs) on Land Tenure Security for Agricultural Household: Insight from Benin (West Africa)
title_fullStr Effects of the Systematic Cluster Approach (SCA) and Rural Land Plans (RLPs) on Land Tenure Security for Agricultural Household: Insight from Benin (West Africa)
title_full_unstemmed Effects of the Systematic Cluster Approach (SCA) and Rural Land Plans (RLPs) on Land Tenure Security for Agricultural Household: Insight from Benin (West Africa)
title_short Effects of the Systematic Cluster Approach (SCA) and Rural Land Plans (RLPs) on Land Tenure Security for Agricultural Household: Insight from Benin (West Africa)
title_sort effects of the systematic cluster approach sca and rural land plans rlps on land tenure security for agricultural household insight from benin west africa
topic land tenure security
rural land plans
systematic cluster approach
sustainable development
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/10/1681
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