Bénin

Extreme weather conditions in Benin due to climate change have led to devastating losses for maize crops, one of the country’s predominant agriculture. Consequently, farmers are heavily indebted to microfinance institutions. Smallholders struggle to access modern maize varieties and agricultural technologies that might boost their productivity and provide more drought-resistant crops. The China-Benin Agricultural Demonstration Centre has been making efforts to train farmers on modern farming techniques that would increase yield, but farmers are left with the significant financial burden of implementing the techniques outright. Moreover, there is no insurance or microfinance structure in Benin to cover climate-related risks in agriculture. Intervention from key stakeholders is required to conquer these challenges.