Smallholder Farmers' Perception of Climate Change and Multiple Adoption of Adaptation Strategies in Côte d'Ivoire

Innocent Daniel Gniza *

Unité de Formation et de Recherche en Sciences Economiques et Gestions (UFR-SEG), Université Jean Lorougnon Guédé (UJLoG) de Daloa, Côte d’Ivoire and Laboratoire d’Analyse et de Recherche en Economie et Gestion (LAREG), Côte d’Ivoire.

Kifory Ouattara

Université Jean Lorougnon Guédé (UJLoG) de Daloa, Côte d’Ivoire.

*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.


Abstract

Climate change is a global concern today due to its impacts on all aspects of life. This study analyzes the perceptions of smallholder cocoa farmers on climate change and their subsequent adaptation strategies in the Zanzan district of northeastern Côte d’Ivoire. Data collected from 322 randomly selected smallholder farmers were analyzed using a multivariate Probit. The results indicate that farmers perceive climate change through changes in climatic parameters such as rainfall, temperature and winds. To adapt to these changes, farmers adopt several strategies that are either complementary or substitutable from their point of view. The most widespread adaptation strategies in the study area are fallow, staking, shifting the sowing period and crop rotation. This multiple adoption is linked to several factors including the gender of the producer, his level of education, the possession of cereal crops, the presence of soil restoration programs in the locality. The study recommends strengthening meteorological and climate information systems and disseminating knowledge in order to increase awareness of climate change and integrate adaptation strategies into local management plans.

Keywords: Adaptation, climate change, perception, small cocoa farmers


How to Cite

Gniza, Innocent Daniel, and Kifory Ouattara. 2024. “Smallholder Farmers’ Perception of Climate Change and Multiple Adoption of Adaptation Strategies in Côte d’Ivoire”. International Journal of Environment and Climate Change 14 (9):833-46. https://doi.org/10.9734/ijecc/2024/v14i94460.