Production agricole et elevage dans le centre du bassin cotonnier de Cote d'Ivoire - Developpement economique, gestion des ressources naturelles et conflits entre acteursAgricultural production and livestock breeding in the centre of the cotton area

摘要

The central part of the cotton area in Cote d'Ivoire is still sparsely populated (20 habitants per km2), so that large little-used land and rangeland resources are remaining. However, agrarian situations are historically diverse in this vast region and they have changed quickly during the last 20 years due to the settlement of farmers and livestock breeders from Northern Gate d'Ivoire (i.e., the Senoufo region), Burkina Faso, and Mali. In spite of such readily available natural resources, more and more conflicts between farmers and herders are observed, land tenure tensions are appearing between migrant farmers (Senoufos) and natives (Koros, Tagbanas), and, above all, producers have but little consideration for the preservation and maintenance of renewable natural resources. The economic strategies and behaviours of rural players in this region are diverse: native landowners manage to get ground rent by letting their lands to migrant farmers for annual crops; the latter count on a rapid exploitation of these lands, using inputs and equipment provided by the cotton sector on the one hand, while they do not hesitate to move out to develop uncultivated areas, on the other hand; stock-breeders seek to enter into alliances with the local authorities and the administration in order to strengthen their position. The low cost of access to land and services (inputs and farm equipment supply, animal health) has allowed migrant farmers and transhumant herders to quickly develop their activities. The land conquest strategy of migrant farmers has been encouraged by native poptilations who consider the installation of these farmers as an efficient way to develop the local economy. The population increase, the maintenance of the tracks network by the cotton Company, the arrival of new capacities encourage the development of trade and services (forges and mechanic workshops, rice-husking units, mechanised transportation....). Nevertheless, the conflicts between farmers and herders are still there. This can he explained by the diversity of cattle-owners: Fulani herders as well as traditional chiefs, administration staff, urban traders, and well-off farmers. All of them want to develop their livestock without consultation and regulate access to rangelands and herd moves without investing in flock tending. Economic logic usually outweighs hazy objectives related to the management of space and natural resources. Regional or local space and natural resources management policies hardly emerge in that part of Code d'Ivoire, clue first to social causes (lack of common goals and projects, large flows of migrants), and second to the fact that the consultation framework is weak or missing at the local (village) or regional level ("pays rural", "sons-prefecture"). To help rural people define regulations to access and manage natural resources, one has to let them objectively figure out how their territories is to function. It requires land use maps (even simplified) and updated census data (people, cattle, crop areas). This type of action has to be carried out at village level but could be envisaged on larger territories in order to channel population and cattle flows as well as decide on the building of relevant infrastructures.