TITLE:
Impacts of Climate Finance on the Resilience and Food Security of Agricultural Producers in Northern Benin
AUTHORS:
Moudachirou Ayena, Abdul-Razak Kotchoni, Mohamed Safiou Boukari, Jacob Afouda Yabi
KEYWORDS:
Climate Finance, Agricultural Resilience, Food Security, Climate Change, Northern Benin
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.14 No.6,
June
18,
2026
ABSTRACT: Following COP21 in 2015, developed countries committed to mobilizing climate finance to support mitigation and adaptation efforts in developing countries. In Benin, the National Fund for the Environment and Climate (FNEC) channels these resources, particularly toward the agricultural sector, which is highly exposed to climate hazards. This study assesses the impacts of climate finance on the resilience and food security of agricultural producers in northern Benin who benefited from FNEC-funded projects. Data were collected from 300 producers in the municipalities of Kouandé, Tchaourou, and Copargo. Propensity score matching based on inverse probability weighted regression adjustment (IPWRA), combined with multiple linear regression, was used to estimate average treatment effects (ATEs) of FNEC financing on beneficiary households. The results indicate that FNEC financing significantly improves households’ anticipatory and absorptive capacities, strengthening their ability to cope with ex post climate shocks, while the effects on adaptive capacity and overall resilience are not statistically significant at the 5% level. Regarding food security, FNEC support increased dietary diversity (HDDS; ATE = 0.401; p = 0.011) and improved food access (ATE = 0.352; p = 0.023), although its effect on recent food insecurity (HFIAS) was positive but not statistically significant at the 5% level (ATE = 0.467; p = 0.083). Overall, the findings reveal that climate finance strengthens short-term resilience mechanisms and food access, notably through the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices, the use of improved seeds, and improved access to climate information. The results also highlight the importance of complementing financial support with technical and institutional measures to sustainably enhance producers’ adaptive capacities.