Strategies of Cocoa Farmers in Response to Climate Change and Income Fluctuation: The Case of Daloa Department in Côte d’Ivoire[Stratégies des cacaoculteurs face au changement climatique et à la fluctuation de leur revenu : cas du département de Daloa en Côte d’Ivoire]

Seasonal variations, induced by climate change, profoundly affect the well-being of farmers in sub-Saharan Africa by altering their production and consumption patterns as well as the structure of their income. In Côte d'Ivoire, cocoa remains the main source of export earnings, yet cocoa farmers continue to live in precarious conditions. The objective of this study is to analyze the impact of the adaptation mechanisms adopted by cocoa farmers in the Daloa department, one of the main production areas, to seasonal variations and income fluctuations on their well-being. Data were collected from 241 households across four sub-prefectures. On one hand, a resilience index (MIMIC) was constructed using a structural equation model based on the scores of resilience pillars obtained through Principal Component Analysis (PCA). On the other hand, a logistic regression was conducted to estimate the impact of resilience on household food security, measured by the Food Consumption Score (FCS). The study reveals that the adaptation strategies developed by these households significantly influence their resilience index, and that an improvement in this index has a significant and positive effect on the well-being of cocoa farmers. The authorities should therefore strengthen cocoa farmers' capacity to diversify their activities, facilitate their access to agricultural credit, and promote income-saving mechanisms.