Does the improvement of fruit characteristics through pollination meet community preferences

Pollination is an important ecosystem service provided by a large array of biotic agents. This service improves the nutritional and physical characteristics of fruits. Both farmers and consumers search some characteristics on crops they grow or select for food. This study aims at identifying fruit characteristics improved through pollination that meet preferred   characteristics of consumers in southern Benin. Four crops relying on pollination services and of economic importance such as tomato, cowpea, okra and watermelon were selected for this purpose. The fruit characteristics improved by pollination were identified in 22 scientific papers published on the pollination of targeted crops. Preferred characteristics required by consumers were surveyed on 799 farmers comprising: 79 watermelon growers, 208 okra growers, 255 tomato growers and 257 cowpea growers in the southern Benin. Farmers were selected in reputed production zones. Results revealed that farmers, based on consumers` preferences, want tomato fruits that are large (82.74%), mature (43.92%) and of firm skin (38.4%). For the cowpea, they look for large number of grains per pod (57.58%), long pods (20.62%) and large seeds (13.6%). For watermelon, farmers want large or at least medium size fruits (83.54% and 55.69%), heavy or medium weight fruits (77.21% and 65.82%) and fruits of high sugar contents (59.49%). Finally for okra, short fruits (83.65%) that are not too large (medium width) (85.09%) were preferred. All these preferred characteristics in these different crops are all influenced/improved by pollination services. We concluded in the necessary of better valuing pollination services in producing these crops to ameliorate income generating for farmers as well as improving food security in Benin. All these will result in the long term conservation of pollinators in Benin.