WS3Infini addresses Benin's deep-rooted nutritional crisis by empowering smallholder farmers with climate-resilient practices and diversified crop systems, ensuring direct food security for vulnerable communities.
Benin Republic is facing a structural food affordability crisis, where an estimated 83% of the population cannot afford a healthy, diverse diet. While the government struggles with resource shortages, inflation, and climate shocks that heavily impact young children and the elderly, they have actively scaled up safety nets—such as expanding school meal coverage to nearly 100% of rural primary schools—to combat severe child malnutrition.
The nutritional crisis in Benin remains complex and heavily strains vulnerable households:
Child Malnutrition Rates: Chronic malnutrition remains alarmingly high, with 36.5% of children under five suffering from stunting (low height for age) and 8.3% facing acute wasting.
The Affordability Barrier: Even though local markets have food, inflation and low agricultural yields mean that 83% of households lack the purchasing power to acquire nutrient-dense foods like proteins, vegetables, and dairy.
Regional Disparities: The Northern and Central regions of Benin bear the brunt of severe food insecurity. These areas face unpredictable climate shocks (droughts and floods) and spillover security pressures, displacing families and disrupting farming.
Vulnerable Groups: Children and the Eldest
Infants and Children: Young children face lifelong cognitive and physical developmental deficits due to micro-nutrient deficiencies and high stunting rates. Families suffering from financial hardship frequently pull children out of school to engage in child labour.
The Elderly & Rural Families: Older generations, particularly those relying on subsistence farming (which employs up to 70% of the population), lack comprehensive pension systems or formal safety nets. When climate shocks ruin smallholder crop yields, elderly family members often reduce their meal frequencies to prioritize feeding children.
Government Responses and Structural Shortfalls
It is a mixed picture regarding the government's response. While the state faces severe budget constraints, it has launched major initiatives to stabilize food security:
· The School Feeding Program (PNASI): Benin’s flagship program has been a major success. Administered alongside the UN World Food Programme (WFP), it expanded hot daily meal coverage to roughly 1.3 million students, heavily targeting rural public schools.
· National Strategy 2026–2030: The Council of Ministers recently approved a budgeted National Food and Nutrition Strategy. This aims to coordinate regional resources and fund community learning and recovery centres (FARN) for malnourished children. This programme does not cover 30% of children need.
· Systemic Roadblocks: Despite these plans, independent reports highlight that implementation is slowed by low staff motivation, weak local social protection tracking, and a heavy reliance on international funding partners like UNICEF and the World Bank to sustain basic health and safety nets.
· Plan to create in 513 ha compound and 150 ha of land outside the compound belong to villagoises farmers an agricultural labtry to change farmers and families life style by reducing poverty and food malnutrition suffering.
36.2% national poverty rate
36.5% of children under 5 suffer from chronic malnutrition for a population of 13.7 million
Project Objectives
Increase agricultural productivity among 70 smallholder farmers.
Improve food security and nutrition through crop diversification.
Generate sustainable income from high-value crops.
Promote climate-smart and sustainable farming practices.
Strengthen market access and value chain development.
Introducing bio stimulant and produce organic food to prevent disease like cancer and other disease.
