This survey aims to collect data on farmers in the Niger basin of Benin. The data collected are relative to:
(i) demographic information;
(ii) crop production;
(iii) livestock production;
(iv) off-farm activities, and wages;
(v) Access to extension, markets, credit, food consumption and social capital;
(vi) climate change perception and shocks;
(vii) adaptation strategies;
(viii) household assets, and basic services.
Three-stage sampling was used. First, municipalities were randomly selected within each agro-ecological zone (AEZ) based on their number of agricultural households. Second, villages were randomly selected within selected
municipalities. Finally, random farm households were selected within selected villages. Therefore, the municipalities were randomly selected within each AEZ (AEZ I: one municipality, AEZ II: two municipalities, AEZ III: three municipalities, and AEZ IV: one municipality). The choice of the number of municipalities per AEZ is linked to the number of
municipalities covered by AEZs I and IV (they covered two municipalities, and it has been decided to select one of the two). The number of municipalities for the AEZs II and III was determined proportionally to their size, referring to the size of AEZ I as a reference. Only
four out of the five AEZs covered by the basin are considered, namely AEZ I (totally), AEZ II (totally), AEZ III (partially), and AEZ IV (partially). AEZ V was disregarded because only one of its municipalities is located within the Niger basin and it is a small part of the municipality that is included in the basin. Moreover, Pèrèrè was disregarded, because this municipality is partially covered by the basin (just a small part). Similarly, two municipalities that are partially included in the basin within AEZ III were avoided (Kouandé was maintained because its major part is within the basin). The municipalities were selected within each AEZ by the means of probability-proportional-to-size (PPS).
Finally the municipalities that were chosen are: Malanville in AEZ I, Banikoara and Kandi in
AEZ II, Bembèrèkè, Kouandé, and Nikki in AEZ III, and Natitingou in AEZ IV. The sample size was 545 agricultural households allocated across selected municipalities by the means of N-proportional allocation . Moreover, some adjustments have been made due to logistical constraints.
Based on the allocation of the sample size across municipalities, it has been decided to allocate twenty households per villages, meaning four villages should be surveyed in each municipality, except Natitingou (three villages) and Kandi (due to the fact that one village of Kandi was already randomly selected for the pilot survey). At the end of the process, 28 villages had been surveyed. Due to
logistical constraints, twenty agricultural households were not surveyed in every village.