STRATEGIES D’ADAPTATION DE L’AGRICULTURE RURALE A LA VARIABILITE CLIMATIQUE DANS L’ARRONDISSEMENT DE BETOUMEY (COMMUNE DE DJAKOTOMEY) AU BENIN

Abstract

Adaptation to climate variability is increasingly on the agenda of researchers, policy makers and program promoters, who are aware that climate change is real and threatens to undermine social and ecological stability. The objective of this research is to analyze the adaptation strategies of rural agriculture to climate variability in the district of Betoumey (Commune of Djakotomey) in Benin. The data used were rainfall and agricultural statistics from the commune of Djakotomey. Field surveys were conducted in order to compare the realities of the field with the statistical data. The results of this research show that the years 1988, 1989 and 2010 were marked by an increase in rainfall. However, the year 2010 was marked by a high rainfall with a value of 1500 mm of the 1986-2016 series in the district of Betoumey. In addition, water stress and excess water caused enormous damage to agricultural yields in the research area. Several adaptation strategies have been developed by producers, namely, crop association, agroforestry, rearrangement of the agricultural calendar, use of chemical fertilizers, use of short-cycle varieties and hidden adaptation practices (respectively 100%, 92%, 100%, 86% and 45% according to the producers surveyed) to cope with climatic variability in the district of Betoumey