Analyzing the adaptation of cotton producers to climate change in benin with social network analysis

Recent decades have seen recurrent climatic variability and volatility. It has occurred because of rainfall abnormalities and delays, temperature increases, or an abundance of floods. A scenario of this nature does not leave the producers unaffected. Thus, to maintain their activities and ensure their survival, the latter devise a variety of ways which safeguard their agricultural revenue streams. The current paper examines the coping strategies of cotton farmers in Benin through their interaction. Furthermore, the cliques formed because of climate-related information dissemination were investigated. The use of the snowball method was decisive in gathering the network data of producers. Gephi software helps to process the collected data. The data treatment has led to identifying farmers with clout for successful communication and the key players for effective dissemination of climatic information. Given the growing relevance of the social network approach, the current work provides a diagnosis that aids in understanding the current state of knowledge dissemination in terms of coping strategies in the context of cotton production and climate change. Even better, it is the first academic work in Benin that provides a clear picture of the actors involved in climate knowledge dissemination based on social network analysis.