An Original Experience of Shared Mechanization in Africa: the Cuma in Benin

Capitalizing on 18 years of experience of shared farm machinery in Benin: such is the project undertaken by the Farm Machinery Cooperative of Benin (UN Cuma) along with its historic partner, the French Farm Machinery Cooperative Cuma Benin.

To assess the benefits of the development of farm machinery cooperatives in Benin and to establish the best ways to boost the development thereof, UN Cuma and the Cuma Benin Association thought it would be of great interest to have an outside perspective on their experience, in the form of a study. The National Federation of French Cuma (FNCuma), The Foundation for World Agriculture and Rurality (FARM) and the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) contributed to this endeavor between February 2014 and March 2015. This study picks up many of the salient points of work done by a student at the Montpellier SupAgro Institute for Higher Education in Tropical Agri-food Industry and Rural Development.

The executive summary of the Study is available in English and the Study is only available in French.