Combating rural women’s poverty through multi-stakeholder innovation platforms in Burkina Faso
Popular festivities during field days at Koupela Photo: Dr Amos Miningou, INERA
1600 producers, researchers and technical services officers from agriculture, livestock and the environment sectors participated in guided visits conducted as part of the ten field days organized in the regions of Kaya, Tenkodogo and Leo in Burkina Faso. The field days, conducted during 16-28 October 2017 took place as part of the multi-stakeholder innovation platforms on peanuts. Demonstration tests on six varieties of peanuts were conducted during the rainy season. An important crop in Africa, groundnut allows producers not only to feed themselves and their animals, but is also an important source of income for producers, especially for women. Several efforts to introduce improved varieties and increase adoption of these varieties have been made under the Tropical Legumes project, with the intent of helping smallholder farmers improve yields and ensure better incomes. As part of outreach activities, guided tours provide producers a chance to assess new varieties for themselves. Covered in popular media, both radio and print, the ten field days in Burkina Faso saw a huge turnout, with 70% of the participants being women. The varieties were classified according to productivity in seed and also in haulms by the participants themselves. The producers formed groups of 20 each for this exercise, and exchanged insights on region-specific requirements, in order choose the varieties most suitable for their area. Researchers and extension workers answered all of the farmers’ queries on the new varieties. The improved varieties are resistant to leaf spot (ELS; LLS) diseases, aflatoxin contamination and are also drought tolerant. As part of the Tropical Legumes III project, in the wake of such participatory exercises, the three varieties selected by a particular zone are then multiplied to make them accessible to producers. Producers are enthusiastic about improved varieties because of the high productivity in pods or haulms of these varieties. These varieties allow farmers to cope with drought and also aflatoxin-related illnesses.
As part of innovation platforms, researchers from several partner organizations are responsible for the introduction and dissemination of new high-yielding peanut varieties. It is therefore imperative to allow farmers to access the best peanut varieties that are suitable for their use for better adoption and the success of these interventions. The role of local partners such as INERA and extension workers in touch with producers is crucial for selection of varieties adapted to the socio-economic conditions of producers.
Innovation platforms facilitate dialog between key local players in the value chain – farmers, input suppliers, traders, transporters, processors, wholesalers, retailers, regulators and the research and development community – in order to identify and address bottlenecks and discover opportunities for collaboration. Read more about how they can prove to be an effective tool to address development challenges emerging from climate change.
Women choosing groundnut varieties at Leo, Burkina Faso. Photo: Dr Amos Miningou, INERA
To know more about ICRISAT’s work in Burkina Faso, click here.
Project: Tropical Legumes III
Partners: ICRISAT (lead), International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Institut de l’Environnement et des Recherches Agricoles (INERA) and other National Agricultural Research Systems Partners (NARS).
Funder: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
CRP: Grain Legumes
