In Benin, the national agricultural development strategy advocates for a paradigm shift focused on the creation of added value through the promotion of inclusive economic partnerships, linking small producers and their organizations to the private sector and to the market. Selected sub-sectors at national level include three conventional commodities, i.e. rice, maize and cassava, with the aim of strengthening food security and increasing the income of rural populations.

Despite the importance of the three value chains, small and medium-sized actors operating in these sectors struggle to reach profitable markets, efficiently add value to their produce and access affordable financing to support their activities.

In 2019, the Government of Benin requested and obtained financial support from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) for the formulation and implementation of the Agricultural Development and Market Access Support Project (PADAAM), whose objective is to sustainably improve food security and the incomes of small-scale rice, maize and cassava producers, particularly women and youth.

For the implementation of component 1 of PADAAM, which seeks to strengthen partnerships and the creation of value added, the Government requested FAO to provide international expertise for the operational coordination of all operators involved in the value chain. FAO’s operations will improve the efficiency and inclusiveness of the sectors by formalizing relations between actors through mutually beneficial productive partnerships, allowing for better integration between the production, processing and marketing links.