Vulnerability of onion production and producer adaptation strategies to climate change in the municipality of malanville in north-east benin.

Abstract

In the Municipality of Malanville, vegetable production is not spared from the effects of increasingly marked climatic disturbances.  This research aims in particular to analyze the vulnerability of onion production and the adaptation measures implemented by producers in the face of the adverse effects of climate change in the Municipality of Malanville.

The rainfall and temperature data for the period 1960-2020 added to the onion production statistics are used. They are supplemented by socio-anthropological information obtained from the production actors. For this purpose, a sample of 384 actors, mainly composed of producers, was formed. The diagnostic method and the ‘Vulnerability and Adaptive Capacity Analysis" approach are used for data and information processing.

The major climatic risks to which onion producers are exposed are excessive heat (88 %) and droughts/pockets of droughts (80 %). The most vulnerable actors are: Small producers, medium producers and large producers are the most exposed with a respective index of 80 %, 76.66 % and 70 %, unlike wholesalers and retailers who are the least exposed with an index of 60% and 56.66 %. In response, Malanville onion producers are implementing adaptation measures such as the creation of water retention basins, readjusting the activity calendar, changing production techniques, etc. Producers deserve to be accompanied by complementary actions by decision-makers in order to ensure a good resilience of onion production in the context of climate change.