In Benin, a significant portion of children under five are affected by stunting, a form of impaired growth and development primarily caused by malnutrition. According to the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, over 30% of children younger than five in Benin suffer from stunting, a condition that experts say is largely irreversible if it occurs during the first 1,000 days of life and can lead to long-term issues with brain development and overall health.
Despite the nation's abundance of natural resources and widespread subsistence agriculture, stunting remains a critical public health challenge. This issue is compounded by a lack of awareness and misinformed views within communities about proper nutrition. Some parents, like farmer Sabi Bera Zakari, express more concern about their children's weight than their height, failing to recognize stunting as a serious problem.
Development sociologist Boris Gloni noted that some individuals wrongly believe that regular consumption of nutrient-rich foods like milk and eggs by children could foster an excessive appetite. In many households, animals such as goats and chickens are primarily kept for commercial purposes to be sold during emergencies, rather than for direct consumption to improve child nutrition.
Beninese authorities aim to reduce the prevalence of stunting to below 30% by 2030. To achieve this, local volunteers, such as nutrition support member Douro Wonkourou Idrissou, conduct house-to-house visits using measuring tapes to assess the nutritional status of children, identifying those who are likely not growing to their full potential. Idrissou stated that while some parents seek help when concerned, many others are indifferent to their children's growth. He attributes the problem partly to diets heavy in starchy foods like yams and cassava, and to mothers who spend long hours away from home tending to farms, leaving children exposed to hunger.
Stunting rates are particularly high in the northern regions of Benin, which face arid conditions and sporadic droughts, sometimes forcing migration in search of pasture for livestock. In challenging times, families may rely on foraging for wild vegetables. Rolland Essou from The Hunger Project reported that efforts to combat stunting in northern Benin have largely stagnated, with some statistics indicating an overall increase in stunting rates across the country, despite initiatives like the World Bank-funded “1,000 Days” program.
Launched in 2024, the “1,000 Days” program, managed by the National Agency for Food and Nutrition, aims to support children in their early years by providing micronutrient supplements to mothers and infants and establishing school canteens that serve hot meals. However, Essou highlighted that factors such as young, uneducated household heads and large family sizes contribute to persistent malnutrition challenges.
Razak Kotchoni, a project manager with CASCADE Benin, an NGO, emphasized that interventions must begin even before a child is born. He pointed out that cultural norms discourage the consumption of eggs and nutrient-rich porridges by pregnant women, fearing it may lead to an insatiable appetite, thereby contributing to malnutrition. His organization engages in dialogues with community elders and mothers to challenge such traditional practices, often highlighting exemplary mothers to raise awareness.
Many families struggle with the economic realities of improving their children's diet. Aboudou, the wife of farmer Sabi Bera Zakari, explained that her family lacks the means to provide better food, often selling eggs and livestock for cash to invest in farming, health, or other pressing needs. For them, like many others, varying their diet is not an option due to financial constraints.