Overview

This study aims at analyzing the impacts of socio-institutional factors on the adoption and diffusion of improved rice parboiling equipment in Benin. The analysis of this influence is based on the use of Enterprise Web as comprehensive analysis tools of socio-organizational interventions in rural areas. In order to ensure a local supply of efficient and sustainable system, the Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice) trained local artisans for duplication and sale of the improved parboiling equipment. Four local NGOs and two local government programs are involved in its dissemination in some localities of Benin where traditional parboiling already exists. The data collection took place from August to October 2006. The results of the study identified four factors like training of millers, provision of credit to processors, involvement of collectors-processors, wholesalers-processors in the training and creation of relationship between local artisans trained for the duplication of the parboiler and the processor as the major influential factors which can increase the extent of adoption of the improved rice parboiling equipment by small-scale processors.