Promoting rice, cassava and soybean value chains in Burkina Faso

Context

In Burkina Faso, agriculture makes up about 22 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product and serves as the primary income source for approximately 63 per cent of the working population. Despite its significant role, Burkina Faso's agriculture primarily operates on a small-scale, focusing on self-supply with limited market orientation.

Recent years have seen a continual increase in agricultural production, but this has come with negative consequences. Across much of the country, soils are fragile and lack fertility, due to improper agricultural practices such as low organic matter inputs, inappropriate use of chemical inputs, seasonal soil cover. Climate change further worsens this issue, evident in heavy rainfalls and more frequent extreme weather events.

Objective

The stakeholder’s performance in the rice, cassava and soybean sector in Burkina Faso is improved by using environmentally friendly production practices.

Approach

The programme adopts a value chain approach and executes its strategies through three key outputs:

• enhancing the foundational conditions for a long-term agricultural development
• equipping actors in the rice, cassava and soya cultivation with essential skills to improve the competences of producers, entrepreneurs, and their organisations for environmentally sound farm management
• expanding service offerings along the selected value chains and building capabilities in promoting balanced nutrition and hygienic practices.

The focus regions of the Agricultural Development Program (PDA) include the Southwest, Cascades; Hauts-Bassins, East, Central East and the Sissili province in the Center-West region.

Last update: November 2023