Emerging rainfall risks to common bean in Sub-Saharan Africa: impacts and gender-inclusive adaptation

Abstract

Common bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.) has increasingly become an important cash crop in SSA. Africa is the second-largest producer of common bean, contributing about 25% of global output and US$3.84 billion annually in Sub-Saharan Africa. However 50% of current bean-growing areas could become unsuitable by 2050 and yield is expected to reduce by 30–40% as temperatures rise, with disproportionate impacts on women, who account for more than 60% of producers largely due to persistent social and structural barriers. This systematic review of 79 studies (2007–2026) synthesizes evidence on climate risks and adaptation pathways in common bean systems. While breeding programs have released varieties tolerant to heat, drought, and poor soils, varieties bred for excessive-rainfall tolerance and explicit spatial adaptation remain absent from research agendas. Neighboring countries have already released and traded broadly adapted varieties based on regional market potential, but the lack climate-resilient cultivars constrains scalable climate resilience. Women, who dominate production and small-scale trade, are particularly vulnerable. We therefore call for urgent realignment of agricultural research with evolving climate and market realities and propose two actionable priorities: 1. Integrate excessive rainfall adaptation into breeding and climate models. (2) Shift breeding strategies toward a more regionally coordinated approach to enhance adaptation of varieties with regional market potential; 3. Strengthen seed systems and grain markets for market-relevant varieties through a gender-responsive regional approach.