Rôle des ntic dans l’adaptation aux changements climatiques par les producteurs de coton du centre - Bénin

Abstract

The present study analysed the influence of the ICT use and socio-economic characteristics of agricultural households on the adaptation of smallholder farmers to climate change in Benin. A multinomial choice model, suitable to data from a quantitative survey on 121 cotton producers selected from 6 villages of central Benin has been used in this study. Twenty-three adaptation strategies from cross-sectional studies and refined in the study area through a qualitative study phase were subjected to analysis. Results indicate that ‘late sowings’, and ‘repeated sowing’ are the most effective strategies developed by cotton producers to adapt to climate variability. Collective practices are also developed as preventive and curative strategies to situations of delay, scarcity, abundance of rain and pockets of drought. It’s about strategies highly worship and
based on ‘Sacrifices to the gods’, ‘collective prayers’ and ‘village meetings to raise awareness for the respect of social taboos’. Several variables influence the adoption of different adaptation strategies. These include the producer’s level of education, his age and correlatively his experience in cotton production, the area of residence, the way of accessing to land, the area of land used for cotton cultivation and the number of ICT parks used. All actions whose purpose is to improve the resilience of African agriculture to climate change must dwell primarily on strategies for updating sowing dates and new agricultural calendar based on the disruption of crop seasons. Government policies and international adaptation programs should focus on education, facilitating farmers’ access to ICT. Different interventions should be done according to centered approaches on
actors and production systems.