COUNTRY FACT SHEET ON FOOD AND AGRICULTURE POLICY TRENDS | April 2014 Socio-economic context and role of agriculture O Burkina Faso is a low-income, landlocked country in West Africa. During the past decade its economy has grown considerably, with an annual average growth rate of over 6 percent between 2000 and 2012.1 The economy depends S heavily on agriculture, forestry and livestock farming, as well as the exploitation of mineral resources. Agriculture contributed to about 30 percent of the GDP in 2012, employing over 90 percent of the workforce. The FA sector is dominated by small-scale farms of less than 5 hectares and its main products are sorghum, millet and maize (the most produced in terms of volume), and cotton (the most important in terms of value). Before the gold mining boom, cotton was the main commodity exported, accounting for about 60 percent of export revenues. In 2012 it represents less than 15 percent of export revenues. Nevertheless, Burkina Faso remains one of the leading cotton INA producer and exporter in Africa. Traditional cereals, such as sorghum and millet, dominate food consumption and expenditure of rural households, while urban households prefer rice and maize. K Despite a decade of sustained growth, poverty persists, particularly in rural areas. GDP per-capita remains one of the lowest in the world; according to the UNDP Human Development Index, and in 2012 the country ranked 183rd out UR of 186 countries. The economy is highly vulnerable to external shocks, both climatic and economic, including food and fuel price volatility and deteriorating terms of trade for cotton. B The country also suffers from the negative effects of a population growth rate averaging 3 percent, which is among the highest in the world. Food insecurity and malnutrition rates are chronically high. The number of people undernourished rose from 3.8 million in 2008-10 to 4.4 million in 2011-13, corresponding to nearly a quarter of the total population. Selected indicators 2007 2009 2012 nalysis GDP (current billion US$) * 6.755 8.348 10.441 A GDP per capita (US$) * 475 553 634 Agricultural value added (% of GDP) * 29.6 29.7 29.9 griculture Agricultural value added (annual % (average 2007-2012) 2.52 A growth) * (2012) 17.4 ecision Total population (thousand) 14 235 15 095 16 460 D Rural population (% of total) 77 75 73 SOCIO-ECONOMIC Agricultural labour force (% of total labour force) 92 92 92 olicy Human Development Index ** (2012) 0.343 (ranking 183) ood and F P Per capita cultivated land (ha) 0.35 NA 0.36 (2011) Area equipped for irrigation (ha) NA NA 30 Value of total agriculture production (current million US$) 1 725 2 606 2 996 (2011) Value of cereals production (current million US$) 695 1 110 1 292 (2012) Yield for cereals (hg/ha) 9 361 10 020 12 030 Cereal import dependency ratio (%) (2007-2009) 8.4 Top 3 commodities (2011) Production quantity (2012) Sorghum; Maize; Millet Production value (2012) Meat indigenous, Cattle; Cotton lint; Sorghum Import quantity Sugar Refined; Wheat; Flour of Wheat Import value Tobacco Products; Food Preparation; Sugar Refined Export quantity Cotton lint; Cashew nuts; Sesame seed Export value Cotton lint; Sesame seed; Cashew nuts Top 3 trade partners (2011) Import value Côte d’Ivoire; France; Brazil AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION & TRADE PRODUCTION AGRICULTURAL Export value Singapore; France; Switzerland Top 3 commodities available for consumption (2009) Sorghum; Millet; Maize Per capita food supply (kcal/capita/day) 2 618 2 647 NA General (g) and Food (f) CPI (2000=100) 118 (g), 118 (f) 135 (g), 149 (f) 140 (g), 171 (f) People undernourished (million) (2008-2010) 3.8 (2011-2013) 4.4 Proportion of undernourished (%) (2008-2010) 23.9 (2011-2013) 25 Prevalence of underweight children under 5 years of age (%) 37.6 (2006) 26.0 NA Prevalence of stunting among children under 5 years of age (%) 42.4 (2006) 35.1 NA Prevalence of wasting among children under 5 years of age (%) 24.4 (2006) 11.3 NA FOOD SECURITY & NUTRITION FOOD Global Hunger Index ^ (2013) 22.2 (Alarming) This activity is funded Access to improved water sources (% of population) * 73 76 80 (2011) by the European Union under the Sources: FAOSTAT; *WB; **MEF/IAP; ***UNDP; ^IFPRI Improved Global (accessed on 21 March 2014) Governance for Hunger Reduction Programme 1 Data provided by the Ministry of Finance (MEF/IAP, 2012). 2 FAPDA COUNTRY faCT SHEET ON FOOD AND AGRICULTURE POLICY TRENDS | BURKINA FASO 1. Government objectives in agriculture, food and nutrition security The Strategy for Accelerated Growth and Sustainable The government’s objectives and priorities for the agricultural Development (SCADD 2011-2015) represents the strategic sector over the period 2011-15 are stated in the National framework of the government’s economic and social development Programme for the Rural Sector (PNSR) which represents policies. The SCADD builds on policies and reforms undertaken the operational framework of the SCADD’s vision for rural under the previous Strategic Framework for Poverty development and the 2003 Rural Development Strategy Reduction (CSLP). Articulated in four pillars, the SCADD aims at (SDR). The PNSR overall objective is to contribute to ensuring boosting economic growth (targeting a 10 percent annual GDP food and nutrition security, sustained economic growth and growth rate) and reducing poverty to less than 35 percent by poverty reduction. It also represents the reference framework 2015, thereby reaching the first Millennium Development Goal. for all strategies, policies and plans related to agriculture, water The SCADD also foresees a significant level of contribution of the and fisheries (PISA), environment (PDA/ECV), as well as animal rural sector to the national economy, with a specific target of an resources (PAPISE)2. average 10.7 percent growth rate over five years. STRATEGIC FRAMEWORKS AND OPERATIONAL PROGRAMMES FOR AGRICULTURE IN BURKINA FASO Global Strategic Framework CLSP 2000 - 2010 SCADD 2011 - 2015 Global Agricultural Framework SDR 2003 - 2015 PNSR 2011 - 2015 Operational Frameworks PISA PDA / ECV PAPISE Source: MAFAP, 2013 2. Trends in key policy decisions (2007-2012) 2.1 Producer-oriented policy decisions government continues to provide subsidies to cotton farmers. Over the 2006 to 2010 period, input subsidies represented a Agriculture in Burkina Faso is negatively affected by poor access large share of agriculture-specific public expenditure, although to irrigation water, expensive inputs and equipment, land tenure the amount allocated to capital inputs (mainly equipment and insecurity, limited knowledge and capacity of producers, poor on-farm irrigation) exceeded the one allocated to variable inputs, transportation infrastructure and limited access to credit for such as seeds and fertilizer.4 farmers. In recent years, some of these constraints have been addressed by the government through various policy measures Price support provided to cotton farmers and programmes. Since 2003, cotton production and trade are handled by three Input subsidies accounted for a large share of agricultural major cotton companies. SOFITEX, the largest of the three, is the public expenditure key player in the sector, with more than 90 percent of cultivated After nearly two decades of state withdrawal from the agricultural land and about 80 percent of national production in 2009. In the sector, the 2007/08 food crisis pushed the government to framework of the cotton sector privatization5, the government support staple crop production by distributing improved seeds maintained a 35 percent share in SOFITEX until 2008 when, as and subsidizing half the cost of fertilizers. This measure was a consequence of SOFITEX recapitalization, it became again the implemented throughout 2007-2012 and contributed to a company’s major shareholder. The government also plays a role in significant increase in rice production.3 In addition to that, the fixing the price of cottonseeds to sustain production and farmers’ income.6 In 2006, the price-setting mechanism was changed to 2 Programme d’investissment dans les secteurs de l’agriculture, de l’hydraulique et des ressources halieutiques (PISA); Plan décennal d’action du secteur de l’environnement et du cadre de vie (PDA/ECV); Plan d’action et programme d’investissment du sous-secteur de l’élevage (PAPISE). 3 Based on data provided by the Division for Prospective and Food and Agricultural Statistics (DPSAA), the self-sufficiency ratio (SSR) raised from 20 percent in 2007 to 52 percent in 2010. See Guissou R., Ilboudo F. (2012). Analyse des incitations et pénalisations pour le coton au Burkina Faso. Série notes techniques, SPAAA, FAO, Rome. 4 Yameogo S., Kienou A. (2013). Analysis of public expenditures in support of food and agriculture development in Burkina Faso, 2006-2010. Technical notes series, MAFAP, FAO, Rome. 5 In 1999, the government released its majority shareholding in the parastatal company SOFITEX which had the monopoly in the cotton sector. The sector was subsequently liberalized in 2003, with the emergence of two new cotton companies, SOCOMA and Faso Coton. 6 For more information on the price-setting mechanism, see Guissou R., Ilboudo F. (2012). Analyse des incitations et pénalisations pour le coton au Burkina Faso. Série notes techniques, SPAAA, FAO, Rome. FAPDA COUNTRY faCT SHEET ON FOOD AND AGRICULTURE POLICY TRENDS | BURKINA FASO 3 better reflect world price levels; a new smoothing fund system 2.2 Consumer-oriented policy decisions has been launched to respond to the volatility of cotton prices on Despite the substantial needs of the population, few social global markets. Additionally, the price paid to cotton producers safety net programmes are in place to assist poor and vulnerable has been continually increased since 2008. households. Most of the existing interventions are limited in Increased investments in irrigation systems scope and coverage and heavily dependent on donor funding. Irrigated agriculture in Burkina Faso is poorly developed.