Title: Climate and migration of agricultural producers of Banikoara cotton zones in Benin

Authors: Ichaou Mounirou

Addresses: Department of Economy, Faculty of Economics and Management, Centre de Recherche en Entrepreneuriat Croissance et Innovation (CRECI), University of Parakou, BP 123 Parakou, Benin

Abstract: Rural migration is an important bottleneck for rural development due to the labour force from rural to urban areas in developing countries. This paper aims to examine the effects of climate factors on rural migration using data surveys conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture of Livestock and Fisheries (APRM) from 2016 to 2017 in the cotton zones of Benin involving more than 623 farmers. In this survey, endogenous switching probit technique (ESP) is used to investigate the drivers of climate factors exposure and its impact on rural migration in Benin. The results indicate that factors relating to climate change as well as socio demographic factors reduce rural migration in Banikoara cotton zone. The results also show that exposure to climate factors increases the probability of rural migration by 15.2% on average. Thus, we suggest that policymakers should design and implement efficient mitigation strategies through the use of climate-resilient seeds and other climate adaptation strategies.

Keywords: rural migration; climate change; climate shocks; endogenous multinomial; Benin; environmental migration; Sub-Saharan Africa; Benin cotton region; cotton farmers; climate factors; migration decision.

DOI: 10.1504/IJARGE.2022.128250

International Journal of Agricultural Resources, Governance and Ecology, 2022 Vol.18 No.4, pp.309 - 330

Accepted: 12 May 2022
Published online: 13 Jan 2023 *

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