External food environment, market availability, and price dynamics dataset for fonio and jute mallow in Boukombé and Natitingou, Northern Benin (2025)

This dataset documents the external food environment for fonio and jute mallow in the communes of Boukombé and Natitingou in the Atacora Department of Benin. It captures information on the availability, pricing, seasonality, and marketing conditions of these crops across different food acquisition points. Data include vendor characteristics, types of food environments, crop availability at the time of visit, high and low price periods, price fluctuations, and alternative crops commonly traded or consumed. The dataset also covers marketing modalities such as units of measurement, preservation methods, storage and display practices, procurement strategies, and challenges faced by vendors. The data are intended to support analyses of food access, market dynamics, and price variability for underutilized crops within local food systems. Methodology:Data were collected through interviewer-administered individual surveys using digital questionnaires deployed on tablets via the Open Data Kit (ODK) platform. Targeted, purposive sampling was applied to identify food acquisition points where fonio and jute mallow are commonly accessed. Data collection focused on multiple dimensions of the external food environment, including availability, price, seasonality, product characteristics, and vendor practices. GPS coordinates were recorded for each acquisition point. Interviews were conducted with vendors or responsible individuals at each site, and data entry was validated in real time to minimize errors.