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Networks of innovator farmers and agro-ecological intensification

Authors
OUATTARA Do Christophe, SIGUE Hamadé, TRAORE Oumarou Mahamane, BANGALI Siaka, OUEDRAOGO M. Mathieu

The Eastern and Northern regions of Burkina Faso are characterized by a degradation of natural resources, not without inconsiderable socio-economic consequences for the populations. In an effort to cope with these difficult environmental conditions, the producers innovate a lot of strategies to restore the soil fertility and secure a sufficient production to cover their needs, particularly those related to family foods.

For this reason, the producers are seeking for adaptable solutions both individually and collectively
because of the new climate and environment conditions. They have realized the necessity to unite their strengths and be credible partners for the different supervision structures (technical services, local authorities, NGO, Associations).

The historical background of the agricultural popularization in Burkina Faso has shown that the stress had been put on the transfer of technologies, privileging the organizations of the producers in associations or groups depending on the different production industries. But with the evolution of the system, the public structures of support have started to give a particular importance to the endogenous knowledge and know-how.

Within the framework of the project Strengthening Farmer-led Research Networks for Agro-ecological Intensification in Burkina Faso and Mali (FaReNe), whose important subject is agro-ecological intensification, the reinforcement has thus concerned three networks of innovative farmers in the communes of Manni, Gourcy and Gamponsom. In Manni where there was no specific organization for the promotion of local innovations, particularly in the domain of the technologies of preservation of water and soil/defense and restoration of soil (Indigenous Soil and Water Conservation), a network of innovative farmers has been created.

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