L'émergence de nouvelles coopératives semencières au Sénégal - Analyse de l'impact de la recherche-développement sur l'arachide de 1999 à 2016

Abstract

The emergence of new seed co-operatives in Senegal, impact analysis of research and development on groundnut from 1999 to 2016. This article reviews the process of implementing a series of innovations in the peanut sector in Senegal between 1999 and 2016. The emphasis is put on the decisive factors that enabled the establishment of a network of seed cooperatives under the impetus of the producer's organization Asprodeb. The analysis is based on the theory of change, which gives importance to relations between technological innovations and their social and political context.We conclude that three factors were determinant in the observed changes: (1) a pilot research and development operation involving research, the farmer's organization and the producers of the Paoskoto village, the initial place where research results moved into achievements, (2) strengthening and diversifying partnerships between groundnut stakeholders, especially those from seed sector and (3) capacity building leading to professionalization of producers. Beyond the successes obtained, a risk of weakening of the cooperative system has been identified if the seed expertise developed by Asprodeb is only mobilized for commercial interests. This qualitative, participatory and reflexive impact analysis also made it possible to shed light on the role, often invisible, held by researchers who, working in context, facilitated the processes of innovation and the connections between actors.