Développement de l’agriculture BIO au Burkina Faso

The commune of Toécé, in Burkina Faso, is located 70 km from Ouagadougou, in a Sahelian zone where agriculture is the main economic activity. The low level of investment, technical expertise, and equipment among producers forces them to be heavily dependent on natural conditions and results in low productivity. Due to these significant constraints, food insecurity remains a major problem in Toécé. At the national level, the vegetable sector is emerging as a source of employment, primarily during the dry season, and a means of combating poverty.

In Goumsé, one hectare of land is available to the women of the Action for the Promotion of Entrepreneurship and Irrigation Systems (APESI) association, where they cultivate beans and peanuts during the rainy season, which they use for their own consumption or sell. Due to the lack of a nearby water source, they cannot use this plot. The absence of a fence also hinders their market gardening activities. Furthermore, they are unfamiliar with organic farming techniques, which they would like to learn, especially since they are aware of the advantages of this type of agriculture.

In 2020, the French association Via Sahel Muret established a demonstration plot in the village of Timboué to develop market gardening. The goal was to encourage neighboring farms to change their agricultural practices in order to maximize their profits and better protect the environment and their health. This project was visited by women from the village of Goumsé, who then approached the Toécé town hall to request similar improvements on a plot in their village. To achieve this, Via Sahel Muret partnered with APESI, and together they plan to develop the plot and train the women in market gardening.