Author(s)

Anissou Bawa^1,2*, Kouyadega Djalna¹, Hodabalo Kamou², Komlan Batawila², Jacques Imbernon³, Koffi Akpagana²

¹Higher Institute of Agricultural Trades, University of Kara, Kara, Togo.
²Laboratory of Botany and Plant Ecology, University of Lomé, Lomé, Togo.
³International Center for Agronomic Research and Cooperation for Development (CIRAD), Montpellier, France.

The preservation of suburban agricultural land in the face of rapid urbanization in the West African region has been a major problem in recent decades. This paper examines the land tenure strategies used by farmers in relation to their assessments of the impact of urban growth. It is based on individual surveys conducted among farmers and landowners on the outskirts of the city of Lomé in Togo. This study reveals that perceptions differ according to gender and that women—although marginalized by customary land tenure—play an important role in maintaining suburban agricultural land. These women perceive the urbanization process as an opportunity for suburban agriculture, unlike men, and develop two local land tenure strategies that are favorable to the maintenance of suburban agriculture land.

Suburban Agricultural, Land Use, Women, Urbanization, Togo, West Africa

Bawa, A. , Djalna, K. , Kamou, H. , Batawila, K. , Imbernon, J. and Akpagana, K. (2021) Role of Women in Maintaining Suburban Agricultural Land in Togo (West Africa). Open Access Library Journal, 8, 1-11. doi: 10.4236/oalib.1108182.