Sustainable food systems in Burkina Faso

Background

At a time when international negotiations to combat climate change are struggling to reach a conclusion, the consequences of climate change are already being felt widely in Burkina Faso. This landlocked country is subject to recurring episodes of drought, caused mainly by climate change.

This iconic Sahelian country nevertheless has extensive experience in water management and agroecology, as it has had to use its resources sparingly and creatively for many years.

As in our other countries of operation, our actions aim to reconcile nature conservation and natural resource management objectives with those of rural development in the communities concerned. The protection of Protected Areas (PAs) is closely linked to the well-being of the communities living in the surrounding areas, as well as to the development of income-generating activities.

The current climate of insecurity has plunged the country into a serious crisis, the outcome of which remains uncertain, but which only serves to increase the needs of the population, particularly young people and women. The existence of these projects is therefore crucial, and despite the difficult working conditions, our colleagues in the field and our partners are doing everything they can to achieve our objectives.

Financial partners

Location

In Burkina Faso, Ucoopia’s (formerly ULB-Coopération) projects are concentrated around Corridor No. 1 of the Pô-Nazinga-Sissili Protected Areas Complex (CAP/PONASI) located in the Centre-South Region. CAP/PONASI is the second largest continuum of protected nature reserves in Burkina Faso.

Objectives

The populations, particularly young people and women living on the outskirts of Corridor No. 1 of the PONASI protected areas complex, are sustainably improving their incomes from the sustainable exploitation of natural resources and their living conditions, while contributing to the preservation and restoration of their environment.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Activities

The program focuses on three areas of intervention: the development of agricultural value chains, environmental conservation and restoration, and inclusive knowledge management.

Development of agricultural sectors

To support the creation of income-generating activities, we assist in the development of agricultural sectors:

Support for agroecological, beekeeping, and agroforestry production techniques
Support for the extraction and processing of bee and market garden products
Strengthening associations of beekeepers and producers
Establishment of fair trade relations and contract farming, particularly for oilseeds
Launch of innovation competition to support the creation of micro and small businesses among young people and women

Environment

The environmental focus is on conserving and restoring biodiversity and natural resources in PAs and agroecosystems:

Support for the classification process for Corridor No. 1 and the implementation of a Participatory Development and Management Plan
Support for the integration of agroforestry into agroecosystems
Technical support on the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Inclusive knowledge management

As a university-based NGO, a significant part of our activities involves the production and management of knowledge:

Conducting diagnostics, studies, and research, thanks to theses, doctoral dissertations, and internal studies
Support for the Research and Development Project (PRD) funded by ARES and coordinated by Prof. de Cannière of the ULB agroecology lab on the following topics:

A spatiotemporal analysis of the evolution of PONASI landscapes in demographic, socioeconomic, political, and ecological terms, leading to simulations of the future of these landscapes.
Establishing an agricultural diagnosis of agricultural areas on the outskirts of protected areas, enabling the proposal and testing of agroecological intensification
The development of agroecological infrastructure and routes favorable to bees in order to ensure the sustainable management of non-timber forest products (NTFPs): honey and shea butter.