Project to Support Food Security in Eastern Burkina Faso (PROJET D’APPUI À LA SÉCURITÉ ALIMENTAIRE À L’EST DU BURKINA FASO, PSAE)
Bringing together a multitude of stakeholders under the leadership of the Burkina Faso Ministry of Agriculture and Hydro-agricultural Development, the PSAE project organises a wide range of activities. Its goal? To improve the living conditions of rural populations in the eastern region by increasing the productivity of agro-pastoral facilities and strengthening food security. By building and upgrading infrastructure and supporting farmer training, the project contributes to increasing the yield of agricultural and livestock production systems. 33 km of rural roads under labour intensive works and 42 km of conventional roads have been built, opening up access to remote areas. In addition, 18 lowlands have been developed to support rain-fed agriculture and storehouses for related storage. A side effect of these activities is the increase in the income of the populations and the stimulation of the local economy. In order to provide specific support for the creation of youth employment, 10 tractors and 300 tillers were distributed to cooperatives of young agricultural entrepreneurs, accompanied by targeted training.
Aimed at the eastern region of Burkina Faso – a region caught up in recent years by serious problems of insecurity -, the project encourages the peaceful coexistence of farmers and herders, by facilitating the sustainable management of space and land and by reducing conflicts over the use of resources. All the structures created under the project, such as water points for livestock or vaccination stations, are subject to land regularisation procedures. Thanks to this inclusive approach, and to this concentration of resources on a specifically defined territory, even in a degraded context, the results are tangible.
The project is a model of building partnerships to provide comprehensive solutions to the problems encountered by the agricultural sector in this region of the country that is particularly affected by malnutrition.
