Socio-economic benefit review report: Agricultural sector

Weather and climate affect in some measure all economic sectors as well as public and private activities. As government and other funding institutions continue to receive requests for funding for earth observation, weather and climate and other research hence there is increasing need to assess the societal benefits or value of such information and products. The contingent valuation method was used in this study to assess the socioeconomic benefits of weather, climate information and services from the South African Weather Service (SAWS) to stakeholders in the agriculture sector. The agriculture sector is one of the climate sensitive sectors but has been identified in national and subnational strategic planning documents to be a key driver for economic growth. This report comprises findings of a socioeconomic benefit study for the agriculture sector undertaken at SAWS. The results indicate the different platforms used to access weather and climate information, SAWS products which are used by farmers in different specialisations, as well as the willingness to pay for climate services information for farmers and non-farmers