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The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Government of Burkina Faso have signed a US$59.75 million loan agreement to support the strengthening of Agricultural and Rural Infrastructure for Food Sovereignty Project (ORIAM-SA), aimed at empowering the country’s agricultural sector and improving food security.
The six-year project (2026–2031) has a total budget of US$157 million, funded jointly by IFAD, the Government of Burkina Faso and project participants. It will be implemented in phases across the Djôrô, Guiriko and Tannounyan regions, reaching around 60,000 rural people, including women, young people, persons with disabilities and internally displaced persons.
ORIAM-SA will invest in climate-resilient agricultural and market infrastructure, while also supporting capacity building, social inclusion and policy alignment. These interventions are expected to boost agricultural productivity, increase marketable surpluses, strengthen food value chains and reduce rural poverty. It also includes a contingency mechanism to enable a rapid response to climate-related or security shocks affecting rural communities.
In addition, the initiative will improve farmers’ access to markets and financial services through business development support and partnerships with the private sector. Priority value chains include rice, cassava, maize, vegetables, poultry and pork, with women expected to account for 50 per cent of participants and a similar proportion drawn from youth-led rural enterprises and cooperatives.
The project aligns with Burkina Faso’s national food self-sufficiency agenda and IFAD’s Country Strategic Opportunities Programme. It also builds on lessons from previous IFAD-supported initiatives, particularly in infrastructure development, land tenure security and inclusive rural finance.
Agriculture remains the backbone of Burkina Faso’s economy, employing more than 80 per cent of the population. However, the sector continues to face challenges such as low productivity, weak market integration and limited access to agricultural inputs. With more than half of the rural population living in poverty and food insecurity affecting around 12 per cent of citizens, ORIAM-SA is expected to play a significant role in strengthening rural livelihoods and enhancing resilience across the country.
May 8, 2026/Burkina Faso/
https://www.ifad.org/
