Empowering Women Cooperatives in Benin through Cassava Processing

Oct 06, 2023

In Benin, cassava plays a crucial role as a staple food among low-income consumers, causing a high regional demand for gari and other cassava products like tapioca. The Union Communale des Coopératives des Femmes Transformatrices de Manioc de Glazoué (COOP-CA), also known as UCCFTM-Glazoué, is a union composed of 15 women's village cooperatives with a total of 234 active members in the Glazoué commune, of which 218 are women.

This union primarily consists of women producers with limited technical skills who transform cassava into various products, including gari, tapioca, and atchèkè, using traditional equipment. They sell their products individually, which hinders their ability to secure competitive market prices and access structured markets. Furthermore, union members lack the financial means to raise funds from banks.

In 2021, UCCFTM-Glazoué was awarded a $242,000 grant by USADF to implement several initiatives aimed at enhancing members' access to raw materials, improving product quality, and increasing production capacity.

This support enabled the union to establish a modern gari processing facility and three processing workshops that meet quality standards and are equipped with advanced machinery. UCCFTM also expanded its gari yard, improved transportation, and strengthened its connections with raw material producers. Members of the union received training in various areas, including management, cooperative principles, and entrepreneurship.

These efforts yielded remarkable results, including a significant increase in production, storage, and sales of cassava products. Between 2021 and 2022, they achieved sales of 2,514,923 kilograms of gari, a substantial increase from their baseline. By the next season (2022-2023), this figure further increased by 27%, reaching approximately 3,202,605 kilograms of gari.

These improvements also led to a 60% increase in marketing effectiveness and professionalism, making UCCFTM more visible and expanding their clientele by over 20%. With the improved incomes, cassava producers and union members have experienced better livelihoods, enabling them to meet their families' needs, including children's education and healthcare