Dynamics of the egg supply chain in the Southern Benin

A study on the Beninese egg supply chain was realized in order to understand its dynamics and to identify the factors that contributed to its evolution. A DPSIR model was used to analyze those dynamics. The method relied on identifying involved stakeholders on the studied territory, describing their specific functions and highlighting the driving forces which can contribute to the development of this chain. Eighty semi-structured individual interviews were led with different actors directly or indirectly involved in production, marketing and egg processing activities. The increase of the local demand and the ban on the imports of cooled eggs are some positive driving forces acted through grouping of stakeholders in unions. These drivers lead to the increase of the livestock breeding activities and the emergence of new stakeholders. However, the increase of the production resulted in a seasonal unavailability of some feedstuffs such as corn and soybeans, due to the weakness of the links between crops and poultry supply chains. Stakeholders in the egg chain must therefore adapt their strategies to the availability of feedstuffs and to the fluctuation of their prices in the country. Finally, development opportunities of the related supply chains were underlined such as: increase of the local production of corn and soybean and creation of frames to process and preserve eggs. These opportunities can generate new driving forces that would be more favorable to the development of the egg production. (Resume d'auteur)