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.

本数据集记录了贝宁阿塔科拉省布孔贝（Boukombé）与纳蒂廷古（Natitingou）公社范围内，福尼奥米（fonio）和黄麻锦葵（jute mallow）所处的外部食品环境。该数据集收录了两类作物在各类食品采购点的可获得性、定价、季节性特征与营销状况相关信息。数据集涵盖商贩特征、食品环境类型、调研到访时的作物可获得性、价格高低周期、价格波动情况，以及常见交易或食用的替代作物信息。本数据集还覆盖了营销相关维度，包括计量单元、保鲜方式、储存与陈列规范、采购策略，以及商贩面临的各类经营挑战。本数据集旨在支撑针对本地食品系统中未充分利用作物的食品可及性、市场动态及价格波动的相关分析。研究方法：本次数据通过访谈员主导的单人访谈采集，使用搭载于平板电脑的开源数据工具包（Open Data Kit, ODK）平台部署的电子问卷开展调研。研究采用定向目的性抽样法，筛选出常可采购到福尼奥米与黄麻锦葵的食品采购点。数据采集围绕外部食品环境的多维度展开，涵盖可获得性、价格、季节性、产品特征及商贩经营行为。为每个食品采购点记录了GPS坐标信息。对各站点的商贩或负责人开展访谈，并实时对数据录入结果进行校验，以最大限度降低误差。