In April 2024, nematologists Prof. Antoine Affokpon and research assistant Sabrina Adanmaho from the NEMEDUSSA partner Université d’Abomey-Calavi (UAC, Benin) conducted a training on nematodes for farmers in the Beninese cities Savalou and Bohicon. A total of 35 participants from 6 farmers’ cooperatives, including the cooperatives of disabled vegetable producers of Bohicon, attended the training followed by field visits. The cooperatives and extension services of both communes were also offered copies of the Fon translation of the A-Z book on nematodes.
Although farmers in rural areas are often hard to reach, trainings such as those offered by UAC, and tools such as the A-Z nematology book in local languages, (like Fon), make it possible to better inform farmers about the impact nematodes have on their crops. The books distributed in Benin were meticulously translated from French into Fon by the nematology staff from UAC to ensure local relevance and scientific accuracy. Prof. Affokpon and his team also recently hosted the 3rd Pan African Nematology Network Workshop in Cotonou, showing their commitment to increasing knowledge of nematodes in the region and raising the international profile of their institute. The digital A-Z book on Nematology in various languages will be made available for download on the NEMEDUSSA website.
Here, a trainee of a cooperative of disabled farmers of Bohicon reads the A-Z book in Fon to other farmers.