Objectives

The overall objective of the PTCS is to strengthen the resilience of Sahelian populations through integrated natural resource management and the sustainable restoration of natural ecosystems. In Burkina Faso, this objective is pursued by combining land restoration with agroecological production, local organic inputs, community organization, and improved natural resource management.

The specific objectives are as follows: 

• Strengthen the sustainable and inclusive management of natural resources by local actors within their territories.  

• To restore degraded agricultural land and natural ecosystems, and return the land to productive use.  

• Increase the adoption of agroecological and agroforestry practices by producers.  

• Improve access to organic inputs through the local production of compost, biopesticides, and biofertilizers.  

• Strengthen natural resource governance and integrated water resource management.  

• Promote collaboration, knowledge sharing, and the exchange of expertise among local, national, and regional stakeholders.  

• Develop green economic opportunities through cooperatives and local businesses involved in the production of organic inputs. 

Activities

The project relies on the Rilgré Agroecological Communities of Practice (CORI) as the primary community-based mechanism for mobilizing producers and implementing activities. The CORIs create an appropriate framework that brings together exemplary producers seeking practical solutions. The CORIs provide an opportunity for farmers to learn from one another. They also promote the dissemination of agroecological practices within surrounding communities. Their work is coordinated with government technical services, implementing partners, and service providers, who provide training, advisory services, and monitoring. The approach relies on consultations within village assemblies, exchanges between villages, and gradual capacity building to strengthen local ownership and enable the groups to operate more autonomously over time.  

In terms of restoring natural lands and ecosystems, communities have demonstrated their effectiveness by rehabilitating fallow land using “zaï” techniques, half-moon patterns, stone barriers, or stone cordons. The CORIs have also distinguished themselves through water and soil conservation efforts, including reforestation and scarification using the Delfino plow, These interventions are combined with agroecological and agroforestry practices, as well as improved management of land and water resources.  

The project enhances farmers’ knowledge and access to agroecological alternatives through farmer field schools, demonstration plots, hands-on training, and awareness-raising activities on the harmful effects of chemical inputs. It also supports seed multiplication through cooperatives, thereby enabling locally organized producer groups to contribute to the availability and dissemination of plant material.  

A major component of the project focuses on developing local production of organic inputs and green enterprises. The project establishes and supports producer cooperatives and economic interest groups to produce biopesticides, biofertilizers, and compost, while providing their members with technical training in production, processing, and marketing. These activities aim both to improve farmers’ access to alternatives to chemical inputs and to create income-generating opportunities, particularly for women and youth.  

Composting is promoted through permanent producer groups and mobile “COMPOSTATERRE” units that shred locally available biomass, such as crop residues, hay, and other organic materials from farms. Instead of burning residues before the next growing season, available biomass can be collected, shredded, and incorporated into compost production. Locally manufactured mobile units can also provide biomass shredding services to farmers and livestock raisers, and process materials for compost and livestock feed.

Results

• The project has restored more than 10,000 hectares of degraded land, while more than 4,000 hectares now benefit from agroecological practices. Agricultural yields have increased by 33.4 percent, and 40 percent of women have gained access to restored land. The interventions have reached more than 150,000 indirect beneficiaries, demonstrating the impact of the community-based approach to restoration and agroecology.  

• Local production of organic inputs has also expanded. Ten cooperatives producing biopesticides and biofertilizers, comprising 200 trained members, have been established. The biopesticide cooperatives produced 6,000 liters, of which 3,500 liters were sold, generating €21,342.86 in revenue. The biofertilizer cooperatives produced 250 metric tons of bokashi compost, sold 160 metric tons, and generated €24,391.84.  

• Compost production expanded thanks to 11 economic interest groups (EIGs) dedicated to compost production and four composting sites equipped with mobile COMPOSTATERRE units, with 314 trained members. Together, they set up 184 compost windrows and produced 447.9 metric tons of compost, of which 63.6 metric tons were sold. Compost sales and shredding services generated a cumulative revenue of €16,080.32.  

• The project also established a system adapted to local conditions for processing agricultural biomass. The mobile COMPOSTATERRE technology is manufactured in Burkina Faso; it processes both dry and fresh biomass and has a shredding capacity of 1,000 kg per hour. It enables farmers and livestock raisers to convert biomass into compost and livestock feed, while creating an alternative use for agricultural residues.  

• Beyond concrete and economic results, the project has strengthened producer cooperatives, community-based agroecological structures, and local capacities for soil restoration and the production of organic inputs. The CORI model has established a locally rooted structure through which producers participate in community mobilization, training, and the dissemination of agroecological practices.  

Lessons learned

The project demonstrated that community-based engagement is essential for ensuring the sustainability of agroecological and land restoration activities. The CORI model relies on producers who are respected within their communities and capable of mobilizing and reaching other farmers. Village consultations, inter-village assemblies, and gradual capacity building have helped establish local structures capable of assuming greater responsibilities as external support is gradually phased out. 

Another lesson is that land restoration works best when linked to agricultural production and access to inputs. The restoration of degraded land through zaï, half-moons, stone barriers, and other techniques is combined with farmers’ field schools, demonstration plots, seed multiplication, and locally produced bio-inputs. This allows restored land to return to productive use while farmers have access to the practices and inputs needed to sustain production.  

This initiative also demonstrates the value of transforming locally available biomass into productive agricultural inputs. Crop residues, hay, and other agricultural materials can be turned into compost instead of being burned. Mobile COMPOSTATERRE units make this possible near farming communities, while also providing shredding services and producing materials for livestock feed.  

The development of local bio-input enterprises provides both an agroecological service and an economic opportunity. Organizing producers into cooperatives and economic interest groups has enabled the local production and sale of biopesticides, biofertilizers, and compost, while creating opportunities for women and other rural producers to participate in these activities.  

Limiting barriers

The project is being carried out under challenging land tenure and production conditions, including widespread land degradation, declining soil fertility, and limited availability of organic inputs. Across the Sahel, approximately 430,000 hectares of productive land are degrading each year, while the use of unregistered pesticides and the widespread use of herbicides remain sources of concern for agricultural production. Access to land remains difficult for women and young people, limiting their participation in agriculture and their ability to invest in land restoration and agroecological production. The project has made progress in this area, but access remains an underlying constraint in rural communities. 

The transition to locally produced organic inputs also faces supply and market constraints. Compost production requires a reliable supply of biomass, including crop residues, hay, and other agricultural materials, but some of these residues are still burned before the next growing season. At the same time, sales have not kept pace with production. Of the 6,000 liters of biopesticides produced, 3,500 liters were sold, while only 63.6 metric tons of the 447.9 metric tons of compost produced found buyers. The expansion of organic input production therefore depends not only on access to organic materials but also on stronger and sustained demand for locally produced inputs.  

Looking ahead

The next step is to consolidate and expand the community-based approaches already established through CORI, granting greater autonomy to producer groups as project support is gradually phased out. The CORI model is structured around phased support, moving from capacity building and technical assistance to greater local responsibility for agroecological and soil restoration activities. It is also possible to expand the local production and use of organic inputs by leveraging cooperatives that produce biopesticides, biofertilizers, and compost. For COMPOSTATERRE, the goal is to popularize the technology and create partnerships and synergies for scaling up, by expanding access to mobile biomass processing and composting services. Future progress will depend on strengthening collaboration and information sharing among local, national, and regional stakeholders, which is one of the portfolio’s specific objectives.  

Enabel – Burkina Faso 

Enabel – Belgian Agency for International Cooperation 

Open.Enabel – Projects and Results in Burkina Faso 

Key principles and elements highlighted in this case study: recycling, reduction of inputs, soil health, biodiversity, co-creation and knowledge sharing, participation, economic diversification

Thérèse Kondombo, Project Officer – Agroecology and Land Restoration, Enabel – “Climate in the Sahel” Thematic Portfolio (PTCS), Burkina Faso: kondombot@gmail.com  

Pictures credits: ENABEL