Control of vegetable pests in Benin – Farmers' preferences for eco-friendly nets as an alternative to insecticides

•Eco-friendly nets can be a viable alternative to insecticides for vegetable pest control in Benin.•Farmers prefer eco-friendly nets for their persistence, effectiveness and environmental benefits.•Farmers dislike the two-fold labor requirements of eco-friendly nets.•The purchase costs of eco-friendly nets are covered after two production cycles.•We recommend a credit and warranty scheme along with the eco-friendly nets.

We investigated if eco-friendly nets (EFNs) are a viable and acceptable alternative to extremely high levels of insecticide use in vegetable production. Using a choice experiment, we found that vegetable producing farmers in Benin preferred all of the characteristics of EFNs except the higher labor requirements. The nets had been distributed in a trial phase for free but in the long run farmers would need to purchase the EFNs. The break-even point for investing in nets was found to vary with the lifespan of EFNs, their purchase price and potential health benefits from avoiding large quantities of insecticides. To break even the nets need to be used for at least two production cycles. To overcome risk-averse farmer's reluctance to adopt EFNs we propose a credit and warranty scheme along with the purchase of the nets. The study's findings can guide the implementation of EFNs in other African countries as part of integrated pest management with global benefits for the environment and human health.