Chapter 14
Adaptation Processes in Agriculture
and Food Security: Insights from Evaluating
Behavioral Changes in West Africa
Jacques Somda, Robert Zougmore ´, Issa Sawadogo, Babou Andre ´ Bationo,
Saaka Buah, and Tougiani Abasse
Abstract This chapter focuses on the evaluation of adaptive capacities of
community-level human systems related to agriculture and food security. It highlights findings regarding approaches and domains to monitor and evaluate behavioral changes from CGIAR’s research program on climate change, agriculture and
food security (CCAFS). This program, implemented in five West African countries,
is intended to enhance adaptive capacities in agriculture management of natural
resources and food systems. In support of participatory action research on climatesmart agriculture, a monitoring and evaluation plan was designed with the participation of all stakeholders to track changes in behavior of the participating community members. Individuals’ and groups’ stories of changes were collected using
most significant change tools. The collected stories of changes were substantiated
through field visits and triangulation techniques. Frequencies of the occurrence of
characteristics of behavioral changes in the stories were estimated. The results show
that smallholder farmers in the intervention areas adopted various characteristics of
J. Somda (*)
Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning, International Union for Conservation of
Nature, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
e-mail: jacques.somda@iucn.org
R. Zougmore ´
Africa Program, CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security
(CCAFS), Bamako, Mali
e-mail: r.zougmore@cgiar.org
I. Sawadogo • B.A. Bationo
Environment and Agricultural Research Institute, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
e-mail: sawissa2001@yahoo.fr; babou.bationo@gmail.com
S. Buah
Savanna Agricultural Research Institute, 494, Wa, Ghana
e-mail: ssbuah@yahoo.com
T. Abasse
National Agricultural Research Institute of Niger, Niamey, Niger
e-mail: abasse.tougiani@gmail.com
© The Author(s) 2017
J.I. Uitto et al. (eds.), Evaluating Climate Change Action for Sustainable
Development, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-43702-6_14
255
Adaptation Processes in Agriculture
and Food Security: Insights from Evaluating
Behavioral Changes in West Africa
Jacques Somda, Robert Zougmore ´, Issa Sawadogo, Babou Andre ´ Bationo,
Saaka Buah, and Tougiani Abasse
Abstract This chapter focuses on the evaluation of adaptive capacities of
community-level human systems related to agriculture and food security. It highlights findings regarding approaches and domains to monitor and evaluate behavioral changes from CGIAR’s research program on climate change, agriculture and
food security (CCAFS). This program, implemented in five West African countries,
is intended to enhance adaptive capacities in agriculture management of natural
resources and food systems. In support of participatory action research on climatesmart agriculture, a monitoring and evaluation plan was designed with the participation of all stakeholders to track changes in behavior of the participating community members. Individuals’ and groups’ stories of changes were collected using
most significant change tools. The collected stories of changes were substantiated
through field visits and triangulation techniques. Frequencies of the occurrence of
characteristics of behavioral changes in the stories were estimated. The results show
that smallholder farmers in the intervention areas adopted various characteristics of
J. Somda (*)
Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning, International Union for Conservation of
Nature, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
e-mail: jacques.somda@iucn.org
R. Zougmore ´
Africa Program, CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security
(CCAFS), Bamako, Mali
e-mail: r.zougmore@cgiar.org
I. Sawadogo • B.A. Bationo
Environment and Agricultural Research Institute, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
e-mail: sawissa2001@yahoo.fr; babou.bationo@gmail.com
S. Buah
Savanna Agricultural Research Institute, 494, Wa, Ghana
e-mail: ssbuah@yahoo.com
T. Abasse
National Agricultural Research Institute of Niger, Niamey, Niger
e-mail: abasse.tougiani@gmail.com
© The Author(s) 2017
J.I. Uitto et al. (eds.), Evaluating Climate Change Action for Sustainable
Development, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-43702-6_14
255