An Atoms4Food evaluation mission has recognized important alternatives to increase the usage of nuclear science and know-how to strengthen Benin’s agrifood programs, enhance productiveness, and improve meals safety and diet.
The mission, carried out by specialists from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), reviewed Benin’s manufacturing of maize and rice, the nation’s two important staple crops. The evaluation additionally examined soil and water administration, livestock well being and husbandry, fisheries, meals security monitoring, and public well being diet.
During the go to, the staff met with officers from the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, toured meals manufacturing amenities, and visited analysis establishments and laboratories working in agriculture, soil science, and meals security.
Agriculture Central to Benin’s Economy and Livelihoods
The mission confirmed that agriculture stays the spine of Benin’s economic system, offering livelihoods for practically 70 per cent of the inhabitants.
Despite regular financial development, the nation continues to face persistent meals safety challenges, significantly in rural areas the place smallholder farmers are extremely weak to local weather variability and environmental stress.
The Government has prioritised modernising agriculture and strengthening resilience in its nationwide growth technique, however productiveness constraints stay throughout crop, livestock, and meals security programs.
Livestock manufacturing is affected by low-performing breeds, restricted feed and water administration, and animal illnesses such as trypanosomiasis, which scale back meat and milk output. Food security management capability can be restricted, with analytical testing largely centralised in Cotonou, proscribing nationwide protection.
Nuclear Technology Offers Practical Solutions
The evaluation recognized a number of areas the place nuclear science and know-how might add measurable worth to Benin’s agrifood programs.
In crop manufacturing, plant mutation breeding utilizing irradiation might speed up the event of higher-yielding maize and rice varieties, decreasing breeding timelines to three to 5 years. This approach has been efficiently utilized for many years in many nations to enhance crop efficiency.
The use of nitrogen-15 isotope tracing might assist farmers optimise fertiliser use, bettering effectivity by up to 40 per cent, decreasing prices and environmental affect. Radioanalytical strategies might additionally strengthen nationwide capability to detect contaminants and residues in meals.
In addition, meals irradiation was recognized as a software to scale back post-harvest losses and infestations in saved and packaged merchandise, serving to prolong shelf life and preserve high quality.
“Nuclear and isotopic techniques offer precise, innovative and unique solutions to some of the most persistent challenges,” mentioned 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.”
Strong Alignment with National Priorities
Benin’s Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Gaston Cossi Dossouhoui, mentioned the Atoms4Food initiative aligns carefully with the nation’s growth objectives.
“The Atoms4Food initiative is perfectly aligned with Benin’s strategic priorities: ensuring food security and boosting the productivity of our agricultural sector,” he mentioned.
“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.”
Building on Existing Capacity and Partnerships
The mission additionally reviewed alternatives to scale up Benin’s current collaboration with the IAEA and the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture.
Through technical cooperation, Benin has already launched synthetic insemination in cattle and makes use of nuclear-derived RT-PCR strategies to quickly detect animal illnesses and foodborne pathogens, together with peste des petits ruminants (PPR) and salmonella.
With IAEA help, the University of Abomey-Calavi has developed experience in isotopic strategies to assess breastfeeding practices and iron absorption from meals, supporting evidence-based diet coverage. The mission advisable strengthening these capabilities to generate further nationwide diet information.
The evaluation additionally highlighted the necessity to improve laboratories and reinforce regulatory and analysis establishments to totally harness nuclear-based applied sciences.
Atoms4Food Initiative Expanding Global Reach
Launched in 2023, the Atoms4Food initiative builds on greater than 60 years of collaboration between the FAO and IAEA in making use of nuclear science to tackle starvation and meals insecurity.
To date, 38 nations have requested help by means of the initiative. The Benin mission concluded on the finish of 2025, with findings anticipated to inform future nationwide funding and cooperation priorities.
“The IAEA remains a committed partner to help Benin leverage nuclear science to strengthen food security and drive human and economic development,” mentioned Hua Liu, IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Technical Cooperation Department.