Market gardening operations in the Solomougou irrigated area (Côte d’Ivoire): adoption of agroecological practices and perception of innovations

Context: The adoption of innovative agricultural practices is promoted as a way to improve the living conditions of rural communities. Objective: This study assesses the contribution and understanding of agroecological practices on market garden farms in the Solomougou irrigated area in the Korhogo department. Methods: A quantitative approach was implemented on a sample of 203 female producers surveyed in 10 villages, and a qualitative approach through three focus groups was used to understand the perceptions of users of the area. A binary logistic regression was used to identify the determinants of the adoption of agroecological practices. Results: The female producers, mostly aged 31 to 50, have a low level of education (75.37%), and 79.31% have more than 10 years of experience. Yields are higher for farms undergoing ecological transition (4.41 T/ha) than those using conventional practices (3.8 T/ha) for the combined production of eggplant, pepper and okra. The adoption of agroecological practices is significantly influenced by the size of the workforce, the level of education, and the farming system used. While some recognize its environmental benefits and its propensity for resilience, concerns remain regarding the often unpredictable yields and increased workload. Conclusion: Ultimately, the irrigated area brings greater productivity to female producers undergoing agroecological transition. While the exploitation of this new production environment has strengthened women's empowerment, it has also increased their social responsibilities through increased workload, thus hindering their overall emancipation.