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Farmers experiences of climate information forecast use in Benin, West Africa

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Research Paper 08/07/2024
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Farmers experiences of climate information forecast use in Benin, West Africa

Gérard C. Zoundji, Nestor Alokpaï, Erickson L. S. Zinsou, Florent Okry
J. Bio. Env. Sci.25( 1), 119-127, July 2024.
Certificate: JBES 2024 [Generate Certificate]
Key: BeninClimate forecast informationClimate risks managementDecision-makingFarmers experiencesIgnitia

Abstract

Climate forecast information is becoming an important alternative for managing climate change. By strengthening farmers’ resilience to adapt to climate change, the program “Communal Approach for the Agricultural Market in Benin – phase 2” (ACMA2) in partnership with the company Ignitia, provided weather information to farmers by SMS. This study seeks to understand farmers’ experiences on the use of climate information forecast in the municipality of Dassa-Zoumè, which is one of the intervention areas of the ACMA2 program. Data were collected from 180 randomly selected farmers (120 Ignitia users and 60 non-Ignitia users). With the data from focus group discussions and structured questionnaire, we performed descriptive statistics and used the two-sample t-test to compare the crop yields between Ignitia users and non-Ignitia users. All respondents perceived climate change as a risk which affected crop yield (85%), crop failure (80%), soil poverty (76%), pest and disease outbreaks (64%). Farmers relied on the climate information forecast through Ignitia SMS service, informal network, local radio and extension workers to adjust their farming activities. Results also showed that Ignitia farmers recorded higher yields than non-Ignitia farmers, with a difference of 30% for peppers, 22% for maize, 20% for soybeans, 17% for peanuts and 13% for cassava. The two-sample t-test is significant (P≤0.001) and shows that the use of climate forecast information has a positive impact on the crop yields. Facilitating farmers access to climate information can help them to make informed decisions to better manage climate risks.

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