IAEA and FAO Complete Assessment to Boost Food Security in Benin

Agriculture provides livelihoods for nearly 70 percent of Benin’s population and remains the backbone of the national economy. Despite steady economic growth, Benin faces persistent food security challenges, particularly in rural areas where smallholder farmers are vulnerable to weather variability.

The Government has prioritized modernizing and strengthening the resilience of the sector in its national development strategy.

Livestock productivity is hindered by low-performing breeds and poor feed and water management, while animal diseases such as trypanosomiasis reduce meat and milk output.  Food safety control is limited, with analytical capacity to monitor food products centralized in Cotonou, in the extreme south of the country.

"The Atoms4Food initiative is perfectly aligned with Benin's strategic priorities: ensuring food security and boosting the productivity of our agricultural sector,” said Gaston Cossi Dossouhoui, Benin’s Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries. “The partnership and expertise of the IAEA are crucial and will enable us to consolidate our capabilities to provide producers with reliable solutions, increase yields and minimise post-harvest losses."

The assessment identified areas where nuclear science could make a measurable impact.

Plant mutation breeding using irradiation could speed up development of high yield maize and rice varieties to 3–5 years. This technique has been used for decades by countries around the world to improve crops.

Nitrogen-15 isotope tracing could help farmers optimize fertilizer application, improving efficiency by 40%, while radioanalytical techniques could enhance national capacity to detect and monitor contaminants and residues.

Food irradiation can also reduce post-harvest and packaged product infestations, extending product shelf-life and quality.

“Nuclear and isotopic techniques offer precise, innovative and unique solutions to some of the most persistent challenges,” said Najat Mokhtar, IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications. “These tools can be tailored to Benin’s priorities.”

The team reviewed opportunities to scale up ongoing support from the IAEA and the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture and highlighted the need to reinforce the capacities of the country’s research and regulatory institutions, including laboratory upgrades in the country.  

Through technical cooperation, Benin has introduced artificial insemination in cattle and uses nuclear-derived RT-PCR to rapidly detect diseases and pathogens such as peste des petit ruminants (PPR) and salmonella.  

With IAEA support, the University of Abomey-Calavi has developed capacity to apply isotopic techniques to evaluate breastfeeding practices and assess iron absorption from food. The team recommended strengthening capabilities to generate additional nutrition data for national initiatives.

“The IAEA remains a committed partner to help Benin leverage nuclear science to strengthen food security and drive human and economic development,” said Hua Liu, IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Technical Cooperation Department.