Setting-up

In November 2019, PARM has engaged with the Government of Burkina Faso through the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Resources and Fisheries (MARAH) to strengthen the country’s capacity to manage agricultural risks.

Risk assessment

In 2021, PARM conducted a risk assessment study (RAS), which was validated by the government in October of that year.

This RAS provided modelling-based  estimates of the economic impact of the main risks to the sector and a prioritisation of the risks at the national level.  This revealed three high priority risks: (i) security; (ii) climate-related risks; and (iii) price volatility risks. The RAS also integrated a gender analysis, which made it the first PARM RAS to be gender-responsive.

On this basis, the results of the RAS prompted the Government of Burkina Faso (GOBF) to request PARM’s support to enable the integration of a holistic approach to ARM into policy, planning, institutional capacity and investment in its Agro-Sylvo-Pastoral and Fisheries sector, in order to move from disaster response to integrated risk management and the strengthening of the resilience of its farmers, livestock and aquaculture producers

Burkina Faso is in the process of finalizing and approving the National Strategic Investment Plan for the agro-sylvo-pastoral sector to guide the development of the country’s agriculture over the next five years. PARM RAS analytics have informed several sections of the national guiding document

Design of project/programme

Following analytics and evidence from the RAS, the GOBF provided PARM with guidance on the government’s priorities in selecting risk management instruments for an agricultural risk management investment programme. Subsequently, PARM, in constant dialogue with the GOBF, and with wide consultation of internal and external experts, produced a concept note setting out the basis for the ARM investment programme. The concept note has been validated by the GOBF.

With an inclusive and participatory approach involving public, private, technical and financial partners, civil society as well as an interministerial technical secretariat dedicated to setting up the project, the content of the project has benefited the contributions from local knowledge and expertise to bring the project content closer to the reality.

Learning

In 2022, PARM launched the new approach of Capacity Development in Burkina Faso.
In April, PARM organised in close collaboration with MARAH, the 1st Capacity Development workshop (CD1), to raise awareness about Agricultural Risk Management (ARM) and engage academics to integrate ARM into their curricula.The workshop, that trained over 40 participants facilitated the concept of risks, its evaluation, prioritization as well as the identification of tools to address it and fostered the dialogue between Technical and Financial Partners (TFPs) –), French Development Agency  (AFD) Proparco, Dutch Cooperation, among others – academics and Producers Organizations (POs) about ARM as a tool – among others – for reducing the investment risk.

A second capacity development workshop (training for trainers) is taking place from September 12 to 16, 2022, still in Ouagadougou, with the purpose of (i) improving understanding, assessment, prioritization of agricultural risks and of risk tools; (ii) discussing elements of the action plan and budget for the institutionalization of ARM in university curricula as well as in private sector practices, from a gender perspective.  24 women out of 50 overall participants took part in the activity.

The workshop kicked off with the opening remarks by the MARAH Secretary General, M. Victor Bonogo, and the MARAH, Director-General of Studies and Sectorial Statistics, Yves Gerard Bazie. Other major stakeholders attended, including representatives from CIRAD, IFAD, CILSS, Confédération Paysanne du Faso Issoufou Porgo, Ecobank, REPAFER (Réseaux des femmes entrepreneurs rurales).

With the aim of guaranteeing a sustainable impact of Capacity Development (CD) and a substantial transfer of competencies in ARM, PARM has kicked off its Institutionalization (INST) pilot project in Burkina Faso. In that context, a capacity development workshop is planned to be held online from 16 to 18 April 2024 for the benefit of the: (i) the Institute of Rural Development of the Nazi-Bo University (UNB); (ii) Rural Promotion Center Fada (CPR – Centre de Promotion Rurale); (iii) Tin Buaba (women producers’ association); and (iv) the Professional Association of Decentralized Financial Systems (AP/SFD – Association Professionnelle des Systèmes Financiers Décentralisés), alongside PARM’s focal points from the ministries of the respective countries.

Sharing

PARM and the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal and Fishery Resources (MARAH) organized the first cycle of knowledge sharing and learning workshop in July 2021 in Ouagadougou, where the Government, advisory committee, and other TFPs, participated actively. Over 50 participants from technical invited institutions benefited from knowledge on the basic concepts of ARM, which was useful in an inclusive and participatory exercise of selecting tools/instruments to manage prioritized agricultural risks that emerged from the preliminary results of the RAS Burkina Faso.

The preliminary results of the study were also presented and validated during a technical workshop with the study’s TC.

In June 2022, PARM in close collaboration with MARAH organized a second sharing and learning Workshop on 7 June, engaging participants from relevant institutions and TFPs to identify innovative and solution-oriented initiatives on ARM to support the project design phase. The workshop facilitated the sharing of lessons learned on managing risks according to sector’s needs.
Following the co-creation workshop, a technical workshop was organized on 8 June, to consolidate inputs and inform the development of the Project Design, by further enhancing national ownership, notably within MARAH, and a stronger involvement of these actors in the roll-out of the Project.

Download PARM Burkina Faso Factsheet