Benin: Successful return to the land after school

After leaving agricultural school in early 2000’s, Roland could have become a veterinarian or a forestry officer, like his parents wanted. But he had other plans, to become an agricultural entrepreneur.

Today, Roland Vignonfodo is 37 years old and is an accomplished agricultural entrepreneur. With a lot of patience and self-sacrifice, he has been able to do something despite the multiple challenges that came on his way. He has named his farm “Patience Agribusiness Farm”, located at 70 km from Cotonou, in the south of Benin.

As if to remind the extent to which “Patience” has been one of the most important ingredient of his path. In his farm, Roland employs around 100 people (permanent, seasonal and occasional included). He has installed a transformation unit of palm seeds into palm oil, on which the local economy relies. In this transformation unit, he processes his own production, as well as those of other farmers who in the past had to transport their palm seeds to Cotonou for transformation.