Combating Adverse Effects of Climate Change on Agricultural Production and Food Security in Benin

The fundamental objective of project PANA 1 is to contribute to reducing impacts of climate change, to intensify agriculture and food security, supply an appropriate opportunity to assess the intervention at the level of nine (9) Commonunes (Malanville, Materi, Ouaké, Savalou Aplahoué, Bopa, Adjohoun, Ounihi and Sô-ava) of the existing technologies for adaptation to climate change.

Wildfire:

By region and ecological characteristics, wildfires can be considered as a natural risk or human induced factors. Wildfires are a natural resource degradation factor and can affect the mechanisms of climate regulation. It is drafted as one of the first priority measures for the agricultural sector in Integrated Adaptation Programme to fight against the adverse effects of climate change on agricultural production and food security in Benin (PANA1). It aims at strengthening the capacity of agricultural communities to adapt to climate variability and change in four (4) vulnerable agro ecological zones in Benin.

Climate Change:

Climate change is a global problem, a problem that is complex and long term and whose effects are felt at regional and local levels. This phenomenon represents a serious threat to the survival of already vulnerable populations. Therefore, adaptation is one of the main ways recommended by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to address climate change. In the context of climate change, adaptation refers to a change of procedures, practices and structures to reduce vulnerability and increase the resilience of natural systems to the effects of climate variability and climate change, including extreme weather events.

Pepper (train gardeners growing skills):

In Benin, pepper is one of the most produced and consumed vegetable crop and undeniably occupies a prominent place in households. This sector is a source of significant revenue to potential producers, including the communes of Adjohoun, Bopa and Ouaké and others that ensure export. Some diseases (fungal, bacterial blight, anthracnose) and enemies (very harmful larvae, sucking and biting insects) however, are causing damage in the plant such as wilting abrupt or sudden, injuries, stunting and death of plants.

Integrated Problem Solving:

For decades, some communities have gained knowledge on how to adapt to the impacts of changes in weather and climate through a range of practices such as crop diversification, irrigation, water management, etc. But the climate change caused by human activities such as using fossils fuels, farming and deforestation, are placing new risks for society. To reduce the losses caused by weather and climate adverse or hostile and increase the yield and quality of production, it is important to provide farmers and other sectors actors targeted information that can be used wisely.

The adoption of adaptation measures contributes to reducing the vulnerability of human and natural systems with regard to variability and climate change, including extreme weather events.

In Africa as elsewhere in the world, the human pressures combined with climate variability, affect to varying degrees - of agricultural land in this case - the cultivated areas that can be considered as areas for exploitative use such as annual crops (corn, cotton) and perennial (forest, orchard).

Faced with this situation, the PANA1 project aims at supporting stakeholders in the agricultural sector concerned (farmers, ranchers in particular) with sustainable management techniques of cultivated areas through for example, improved crop propagation techniques and conservation of agricultural seed business planning and techniques.

For decades, some communities have gained knowledge on how to adapt to the impacts of changes in weather and climate through a range of practices such as crop diversification, irrigation, water management, etc. But the climate change caused by human activities such as using fossils fuels, farming and deforestation, are placing new risks for society. To reduce the losses caused by weather and climate adverse or hostile and increase the yield and quality of production, it is important to provide farmers and other sectors actors targeted information that can be used wisely.

The overall objective is to promote sustainable management of cultivated areas in PANA1 common beneficiaries of the project. Specifically, this will involve: support the production of forestry and agroforestry species resilient to climate change; and Train farmers in production techniques, maintenance and sustainable management the sector.

Soil Fertility:

In most tropical regions, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, issues on soil fertility is a major concern for agriculture producers at various levels of decision-making from the cultivated plot to village land through the operating level.

Soil fertility is declining in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa. Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and of a magnitude without precedent, which will only exacerbate the problems encountered at the soil fertility. This fertility is decreasing for various reasons, among which are burning crop residues, erosion, excessive or insufficient use of fertilizers, rotations, inadequate crops, etc.

The Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM) is a technological innovation aimed at managing soils by combining different methods of amendment and water and soil conservation, based on three principles: (i) maximize the use of organic fertilizers sources, (ii) minimize the loss of nutrients, (iii) use with caution inorganic fertilizer as required. From the point of view of its application, ISFM is necessary in areas where soil fertility is low and decreases rapidly. Because of the wide variety of ISFM techniques, there is no specific restriction to their application, except in arid areas where water is always a limiting factor.