Agricultural Opportunities for Farmers
In the West African nation of Burkina Faso, where ninety percent of the population are smallholders and subsistence farmers, the destruction of harvests can be a matter of life and death. However, the German non-profit organisation Welthungerhilfe is working tirelessly to change this narrative.
The main objective of Welthungerhilfe in Burkina Faso is to help farmers become more self-sufficient and less reliant on subsistence farming. This is achieved through a variety of measures aimed at improving crop yields, food security, and entrepreneurship.
Over 80% of farmers in Burkina Faso struggle to produce enough food to feed their own families. To address this issue, Welthungerhilfe provides smallholder families with high-quality seeds for their use. This, coupled with training in sustainable farming techniques, has led to improved crop yields for thousands of local farmers.
In addition to agricultural support, Welthungerhilfe also focuses on food security and nutrition improvement. By supporting farmers to harvest more and diversify their diets, they strengthen local food security. This includes initiatives such as the cultivation of vegetables with short growing cycles, like onions, tomatoes, and eggplant, ensuring a varied menu rich in vitamins and nutrients.
The organisation also places a strong emphasis on entrepreneurship and private sector development. In cooperation with partners like the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), they foster the development of local private sectors. This includes helping farmers access markets, promoting small-scale entrepreneurship, and building resilience through economic diversification to reduce poverty.
Resilience building is another key focus area. By addressing the root causes of instability, conflict, and poverty, their projects also strengthen the resilience of communities to shocks such as climate change or economic crisis, ensuring sustainable improvements in livelihoods.
In Burkina Faso, the provinces of Kourweogo, Oubritenga, Sanmatenga, and Bam experience alternating periods of extreme dryness and torrential rain and flooding, which are attributed to climate change. To combat these challenges, Welthungerhilfe aims to transmit agricultural know-how to locals to better protect harvests from extreme weather and increase yields.
Measuring systems in villages record current weather data, which can then be transmitted by radio. This information is crucial for farmers to make informed decisions about their farming practices.
Moreover, profits from the sales can be saved for hard times and be invested in agricultural technology or education. This economic resilience is key to ensuring the sustainability of the improvements made.
Welthungerhilfe's efforts in Burkina Faso have had a significant impact. Around 630,000 locals benefit from the measures implemented by Welthungerhilfe, leading to a decrease in dependency on grain and a rise in surplus produce being sold. Food and nutrition security has significantly improved, and chronic undernutrition among children has been reduced.
In a country where the specter of hunger is always looming due to the destruction of harvests and the impact of pests and disease, Welthungerhilfe's work is a beacon of hope. Their comprehensive approach, which includes agricultural support, capacity building, food security and nutrition improvement, entrepreneurship and private sector development, and resilience building, is helping to secure sustainable livelihoods for millions of people in Burkina Faso and around the world.
- Through education and self-development, Welthungerhilfe aims to equip farmers in Burkina Faso with the knowledge and skills needed to protect their harvests from the effects of climate change, which is a critical aspect of personal growth.
- By promoting entrepreneurship and private sector development, Welthungerhilfe is helping farmers in Burkina Faso achieve greater financial independence, which is an essential component of their lifestyle and food-and-drink choices.
- In the realm of environmental science and climate-change, Welthungerhilfe is actively working to increase agricultural resilience, ensuring that the nutrition provided by food and drink is not compromised by extreme weather conditions.
- By improving nutrition through sustainable farming methods and diversified diets, Welthungerhilfe is contributing to the field of science and its understanding of the relationship between agriculture, health, and the environment in Burkina Faso.
