ENB:04:11
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BENIN: Amb. Ren Valry Mongbe covered four areas:
the state of desertification in Benin, its manifestation and
consequences, commitments and experiences gained, and new
elements of the strategy aimed at promoting sustainable
development and attenuation of drought. He listed the physical,
human and economic factors that contribute to the process of
desertification. He stated that the agricultural production
system contributes to desertification and he listed some of the
outcomes of these processes as: deforestation; rural-urban
migrations and exodus to more fertile lands; and a drop in animal
and food production, among others. He also said that factories
slowed down productivity due to lack of raw materials and that
mass inputs of consumer goods and food stuffs have meant a lot in
expenditure of the country's foreign currency leading to
increased balance of payments deficits and deteriorating
standards of living.