Poultry sovereignty and peasant dignity: the plea of Patrick Sagbo from Benin, of the Jinukun network

In Niaguis, in the Ziguinchor region, Patrick Sagbo, a member of the Jinukun network and the Benin Agroecological Federation, delivered a passionate plea in favor of local poultry and traditional farming knowledge. Rejecting the label of "expert," he emphasized that the true specialists are the farmers themselves, custodians of ancestral knowledge that continues to feed rural communities.

Patrick Sagbo denounced the dependence on imports and industrial models, while nature already offers abundant resources. Traveling through Gambia and Senegal, he said he was struck by the richness of the plains, forests, and mangroves, veritable treasures of biodiversity. "Our leaders are fishing," he declared. He criticized the tendency to hand over the future of agriculture to foreign interests.

His plea focused on free-range poultry, a pillar of the family economy and rural resilience. "When a farmer has a problem, he catches a hen or a rooster, goes to the market, sells it, and pays for schooling," he explained, contrasting this self-sufficiency with the constraints of industrial chicken, which is vulnerable to unforeseen events and dependent on bank loans.

The member of the Benin Agroecological Federation emphasized the nutritional and cultural value of local eggs, produced through natural mating and carrying life. "Local chicken is what you should be eating," he insisted, denouncing "empty" industrial eggs incapable of producing chicks. He reminded everyone that these practices are rooted in symbolic traditions, where the chicken egg accompanies rituals of protection and prosperity.

Mr. Sagbo also praised the "We Are the Solution" initiative, which places women at the heart of the agroecological transition. "When women are at the forefront, things run smoothly," he stated. He called on the press to support this fight for sustainable and lasting food sovereignty.

Max Euclid KANFANY