Benin Project Finds Solar Energy May Ease Hunger During Dry Seasons

A year-old project in Benin has shown that harnessing the power of sunlight could provide long-term solutions to hunger in underdeveloped nations. A six-month dry season in the Kalale District of Benin used to wreak havoc on farming villages. Now, with solar technology, according to those working on the project, it brings flourishing crops.
A centerpiece of the project will be focused on agriculture because from November to April every year, there is essentially no food production whatsoever,” he explained. ” It is a serious problem in Benin and elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa. And so we have decided to address this problem by providing solar water pumping and drip irrigation to help farmers grow food during the dry season.”

According to SELF, 95 percent of the population in the Kalale district of Benin rely on subsistence farming to survive. During the dry season, people trying to grow food had to transport water manually from rivers and lakes.

Now, with the new solar irrigation systems, water moves through piping systems.

The project relies on photovoltaic technology, where sunlight is converted directly to electricity.

Voice of America