The productivity of smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa has remained low despite significant investment in technology development and scaling. There is a recognized need for interventions that strengthen farmers' business skills and organizational capacity while providing technologies on demand. However, the evidence base for such types of interventions is weak. This study aims to fill this gap by analyzing the impact of "Vegetable Business Networks," an intervention approach that emphasizes business coaching and capacity strengthening of vegetable value chains. The study applied a cluster-randomized controlled trial design with 48 farmer groups in Benin, equally split between control and treatment. Questionnaire-based data were collected from 665 farmers before the intervention and one year later. The intent-to-treat effect is estimated using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and difference-in-difference (DiD) methods. The results show farmers' annual income increased by $2159/ha or 5.9%. The score for knowledge of developing a business plan increased by 21.5 (p < 0.001). Farmers' trust in their organization and external actors significantly increased. While more evidence is needed on the cost-effectiveness and sustainability of holistic approaches compared to those that promote particular technologies, our study proves that business coaching can significantly increase farmers' income in the short term.
Abstract: This study explores the challenges for linguists to develop innovative pedagogy due to the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the job market. It is a necessity to adapt pedagogical approaches in order to prepare students for evolving employment opportunities. Grounded in the technological pedagogical content knowledge framework and socio-constructivist learning theory, the research adopts a mixed-method approach combining quantitative and qualitative analyses. So, it aims at comparing job market outcomes for individuals trained with or without exposure to AI. Findings emphasize the need for educational system to incorporate AI and computational linguistics, equipping students with the skills to develop AI tools and access emerging job opportunities. Since, the integration of AI and computational linguistics courses in students’ curricula sharpened their competence to create AI tools and to its efficient use. This also helps them have these opportunities. Their interdisciplinary expertise encourage them bridge the gap between AI developers and its users. Then, enhancing their employability. These insights yield important shifts in the process of teaching and learning methods practices which enable linguists to gain proficiency in programming languages and data science. By leveraging AI powered tools, such as chatbots and adaptive platforms, linguists can enhance language extraction and performance. Finally, the study highlights the importance of integrating AI-powered tools in language processing and calls for further research on AI development inputs to advance linguistic education. Keywords: Artificial intelligence; professional integration; job transfer, computer linguistics.
IntroductionSeeds of Isoberlinia doka (Fabaceae), a keystone tree of West African woodlands, have been reported to be recalcitrant, with viability tightly coupled to moisture content and therefore presumed vulnerable to desiccation and thermal stress. Yet the practical limits of their handling after dispersal remain poorly defined, particularly under the high ambient temperatures prevailing in the non-refrigerated nurseries where the species is propagated. This study evaluated how collection condition (canopy versus ground) and storage duration affect seedling emergence capacity and emergence dynamics in Isoberlinia doka.MethodsSeeds were stored without artificial cooling at ambient temperature (mean 34 °C) for 0, 2, 4 or 6 weeks, reflecting the resource constrained conditions of smallholder nurseries in West Africa. The experiment followed a completely randomized design with 8 treatments (2 collection conditions × 4 storage durations), each replicated 3 times (720 seeds). Emergence was monitored daily for 30 days and analyzed using beta regression (with the Smithson-Verkuilen transformation) for the final emergence proportion and a Cox proportional-hazards model, complemented by Kaplan-Meier estimation and log-rank tests, for emergence dynamics.ResultsStorage duration strongly affected emergence (p< 0.001), with a marked decline beyond two weeks. Freshly collected seeds reached the highest final emergence proportion (0.844). Two week-stored seeds reached about 0.55, and seeds stored for four or six weeks showed no emergence. The Kaplan-Meier emergence probability stabilized at 84.4% by day 14 for fresh seeds and at 55% by day 28 for two week-stored seeds. Collection condition affected emergence in a storage-dependent way, with a significant storage × collection interaction (p< 0.001). Canopy-collected seeds emerged more than ground-collected seeds when fresh (p = 0.004). After two weeks, the ranking reversed and ground-collected seeds emerged more (p = 0.008).Discussion and conclusionThese results indicate that storage duration under ambient tropical conditions, rather than soil contact during early post-dispersal, governs the rapid loss of emergence capacity. This loss is consistent with the desiccation and temperature-sensitive behavior previously reported for this presumed recalcitrant species, although no physiological marker was measured here. We establish a practical two-week emergence threshold for seed sourcing, nursery management and forest restoration.
African Animal Trypanosomosis (AAT) are blood-parasitic infections transmitted to cattle by tsetse fly with significant economic losses for farmers in West Africa. To estimate the rate of infection among cattle reared in the region to support regional control programs, a meta-analysis was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol. The study included research articles published between 2000 and June 30, 2025, focusing on the prevalence of AAT in cattle diagnosed by parasitological techniques (Buffy coat or blood smear). A comprehensive search of three databases was undertaken, and the data extracted from 45 eligible studies were subjected to a meta-analysis using a random effect Model. The regional parasitological prevalence was 6.8% (95% CI: 5.0-8.8), while Trypanosoma vivax was the most predominant trypanosome species, 5% (95% CI: 2.9-7.4), followed by Trypanosoma congolense, 2.1% (95% CI: 1.1-3.4); Trypanosoma brucei, 0.4% (95% CI: 0.1-0.8) and Trypanosoma evansi, which has only been reported in Nigeria. The parasitological prevalence varied considerably according to sub-region and country. A higher prevalence was reported in coastal countries of the Gulf of Guinea (7.7%, 95% CI: 5.6-10.2) compared to Sahel countries (3.9%, 95% CI: 1.8-6.9); while the highest infection rates were recorded in Benin, 15.7% (95% CI: 1.62-39.8), Togo 10.4% (95% CI: 2.6-22.5), and the lowest in Senegal, 2.0% (95% CI: 1.2-2.9), and Niger, 2.3% (95% CI: 1.0-4.1). As ATT is still the main cause of livestock productivity losses, it is recommended that more regional control efforts be implemented to control and eradicate the disease by 2030.
This study focused on determining the viability (technical, economic, and overall) of soybean seed production units in Benin. Data were collected from a random sample of 155 seed production units using the PIB (Participatory Indicator-Based) approach and then analyzed using descriptive statistics and an ordered probit model. Although the technical (75.2) and economic (47.10) viability scores are mixed, the results reveal that only 2 out of 5 soybean seed farms are overall viable. Finally, the size of the workforce, the seed producer’s membership in a cluster, and access to financing were the main determinants of the viability of soybean seed units in Benin.
