Spodoptera frugiperda has caused significant losses of farmer income in sub-Saharan countries since 2016. This study assessed farmers’ knowledge of S. frugiperda, their perceptions and management practices in Benin. Data were collected through a national survey of 1237 maize farmers. Ninety-one point eight percent of farmers recognized S. frugiperda damage, 78.9% of them were able to identify its larvae, and 93.9% of the maize fields were infested. According to farmers, the perceived yield losses amounted to 797.2 kg/ha of maize, representing 49% of the average maize yield commonly obtained by farmers. Chi-square tests revealed that the severity of the pest attacks was significantly associated with cropping practices and types of grown maize varieties. About 16% of farmers identified francolin (Francolinus bicalcaratus), village weaver (Ploceus cucullatus), and common wasp (Vespula vulgaris) as natural enemies and 5% of them identified yellow nutsedge, chan, shea tree, neem, tamarind, and soybean as repellent plants of S. frugiperda. Most farmers (91.4%) used synthetic pesticides and 1.9% of them used botanical pesticides, which they found more effective than synthetic pesticides. Significant relationships exist between farmers’ management practices, their knowledge, organization membership, and contact with research and extension services. More research is required to further understand the effectiveness of botanical pesticides made by farmers against S. frugiperda and to refine them for scaling-up.

In the context of Africa’s farm labor scarcity, the use of mechanization is crucial for agricultural development. In Benin, technological advances, such as animal traction and motorization, are struggling to achieve the success expected by producers. The objective of this research was to analyze the drivers of mechanization in cotton production in Benin. Data collected from 482 cotton producers in three agroecological zones of the country were analyzed using a multinomial Logit model. The results revealed that 34% of cotton producers used hand tools, compared to 31% using draught animals and 35% using tractors. Variables such as education level, area cropped, access to land, access to credit and agroecological zone had a positive influence on the probability of using mechanization in the cotton production. Family labor size per household had a negative influence on the probability of using farm mechanization. Women were more likely to use farm mechanization than men. This research suggests that mechanization policies should adapt agricultural equipment to the specificities of the production systems of each agroecological zone, and strengthen land tenure security and access to credit, particularly for women cotton producers.

This research analyzes the economic effects of climate change-induced crop yield losses in Benin. As agriculture is a large sector in Benin, the climate change-induced crop yield losses are expected to affect the entire economy as well as household welfare in both rural and urban areas. The paper applies a dynamic general equilibrium model and simulates productivity shocks in the agricultural sector derived from climate change scenarios for Benin. The findings show that climate change-induced crop yield losses reduce domestic agricultural outputs by 4.4% and the nonagricultural output by 0.9% on average by 2025. While export supply decrease by 25.5%, import demand increases by 4.9% on average by 2025. As price of labour and capital decline, household income drop for all household groups by 2.5% on average. Ultimately, household welfare decline for all household groups by 2.7% on average. Rural and particularly poor households are projected to experience the worst adverse effects of climate change-induced crop yield losses. The results show that without adaptive strategies to cope with climate change, economic growth and household welfare will decline even further by 2035 and 2045. Subsequently, the paper suggests that adaptation strategies are needed not only at the national level to overcome the projected negative effects on macroeconomic indicators, but also at household level to enhance the adaptative capacity of households, especially the poor households living in rural areas.

Land degradation issues and declining fertility are driving the need for agroecological practices. This research analysed the determinants of acceptance and actual use of five main agroecological practices (contour farming techniques, organic fertiliser, crop association, improved seeds and integrated crop management practices) by farmers in Mali. The extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) was used to develop the conceptual model. Data were collected from 505 randomly selected farming households in the cotton and cereal production zones in Mali. Partial Least Square–Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to estimate technology acceptance and use. The findings revealed that behavioural intention is significantly and positively influenced by the expected performance and social influence. The expected effort is a key influential factor of the behavioural intention to adopt organic fertiliser. Experience has a mediating effect on the relationship between social influence and behavioural intention to adopt improved seeds adapted to the agroecological conditions. The actual use behaviour is directly and positively affected by the behavioural intention, facilitating conditions and expected net benefit. These findings align with the UTAUT model, have useful implications for both farmers and decision-makers and offer directions for technical approaches to agroecological practices’ development.