Increasing Food Security with Agrometeorological Information: Mali’s National Meteorological Service Helps Farmers Manage Climate Risk

Since 1982, Mali's Direction Nationale de la Météorologie (DNM) has implemented a government-sponsored agrometeorological project to help farmers manage climate variability. By providing weather forecasts, rainfall gauges, and 10-day bulletins via radio and television, the project has trained over 2,500 farmers to make informed decisions on sowing and input application. Evidence indicates that farmers using this information achieve higher yields and incomes compared to those relying on traditional indicators. The project's success is attributed to its multidisciplinary approach and community-level focus, though challenges remain regarding the reliability of local-scale forecasts and the needs of herding families.

• The agrometeorological project has trained more than 2,500 farmers since 1982, enabling them to use climate information for better management decisions, which has led to higher yields and incomes compared to farmers not using such information.
• In the 2010 season, farmers using agrometeorological information saw average yield increases over national averages of 36% for millet, 37% for sorghum, and 48% for maize.
• The project utilizes a multidisciplinary working group that acts as a "boundary organization," translating technical climate data into practical agricultural advice for farmers.
• Radio is the most effective dissemination tool due to high illiteracy rates; a 2003 survey found that 80% of radio audiences in project areas follow the agrometeorological bulletins.
• Access to climate information has increased farmers' confidence to invest in new technologies and inputs, such as improved seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides, because they feel exposed to lower levels of risk.
• Despite its success, the project faces ongoing challenges, including the difficulty of providing reliable local-scale forecasts for the onset of the rainy season and dry spells, and a lack of services for herding families.

APA

HELLMUTH, M., DIARRA, D. Z., VAUGHAN, C., & COUSIN, R. (n.d.). Increasing Food Security with Agrometeorological Information: Mali’s National Meteorological Service Helps Farmers Manage Climate Risk. World Resources Institute. https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/wrr_case_study_increasing_food_security_mali_.pdf

Chicago

HELLMUTH, MOLLY, DAOUDA ZAN DIARRA, CATHERINE VAUGHAN, and REMI COUSIN. Increasing Food Security with Agrometeorological Information: Mali’s National Meteorological Service Helps Farmers Manage Climate Risk. World Resources Institute, n.d. https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/wrr_case_study_increasing_food_security_mali_.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=HELLMUTH |first1=MOLLY |last2=DIARRA |first2=DAOUDA ZAN |last3=VAUGHAN |first3=CATHERINE |last4=COUSIN |first4=REMI |title=Increasing Food Security with Agrometeorological Information: Mali’s National Meteorological Service Helps Farmers Manage Climate Risk |publisher=World Resources Institute |url=https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/wrr_case_study_increasing_food_security_mali_.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{hellmuthndincreasing, author = {HELLMUTH, MOLLY and DIARRA, DAOUDA ZAN and VAUGHAN, CATHERINE and COUSIN, REMI}, title = {{Increasing Food Security with Agrometeorological Information: Mali’s National Meteorological Service Helps Farmers Manage Climate Risk}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/wrr_case_study_increasing_food_security_mali_.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }