New study shows 77% yield gains and strong financial returns in Burkina Faso 🇧🇫.
“We have supported nearly 89 communities in eastern Burkina Faso to organize their own Agroecology Committees, which take the lead on organizing farmers to experiment with agroecological practices and then spread them farmer-to-farmer,” said Ali Dianou, co-author of the study and Association Nourrir Sans Détruire (ANSD) Executive Director.
Farmers co-creating agroecology knowledge allows communities to create a real pathway out of rural poverty, food insecurity, and environmental degradation. The results provide promising evidence that scaling up farmer-led, community-driven agroecological innovation effectively addresses rural poverty and land degradation in Burkina Faso.
A typical and popular basket of agroecological practices are structures that prevent water runoff and soil erosion and zai pits (small holes to capture rainwater). Such an investment generates an impressive 43% annual return over 15 years. The pay-off period to reimburse implementation costs was only 5.4 years.
What if funders would change their funding practices to untap the potential this study is showing, that lies hidden within farmers communities? If financing would support communities to take up agency and leadership, to co-invest with them? Think of communities investing up-front labor and time, funders financing material costs, in stead of agricultural subsidies that are currently skewed toward inorganic inputs. This could work as a double edged sword. Let’s focus our joint investments on supporting local rural enterprises needed for agroecology; Like seed banks, biological inputs, saving and credit groups, etc.
Thanks to Groundswell International and ANSD for your leadership on this and showing new ways in which communities can thrive. Read the report here.