Understanding Government Policies on Climate-Smart Agriculture in West Africa: Insights from Burkina Faso

Résumé fourni par la source

Integrating climate-smart agriculture (CSA) - understood both as a strategic framework and a set of context-specific practices - into national policies remains a critical challenge in West Africa, where agriculture is a cornerstone of rural livelihoods. Achieving sustainable development goals in this region requires addressing a complex mix of political priorities, institutional roles, and socioeconomic realities. This study focuses on Burkina Faso, looking at its policy approaches to CSA and providing insights into the political and institutional contexts that shape CSA strategies at a national level. It also offers lessons for improving policy coherence and scaling such strategies nationally. We examine government policies, programs, strategies, frameworks, and action plans using the National Innovation System framework. Additionally, the research incorporates insights from 27 expert interviews conducted between 2022 and 2023. The findings reveal a strong awareness of climate change impacts and the importance of CSA but also highlight fragmented policies and weak institutional collaboration, which hinder effective implementation. Advocacy and outreach efforts face challenges due to resource constraints, limited coordination, and a lack of locally adapted implementation strategies. In Burkina Faso, the term CSA is mostly not used explicitly but is reflected through CSA-aligned practices and strategic goals. Despite these challenges, certain programs, such as agroforestry initiatives, have shown potential for broader adoption. However, stakeholders frequently cited barriers such as inadequate funding, limited access to technology, and insufficient farmer training. Moreover, CSA represents one approach to climate-resilient agriculture alongside alternatives such as agroecology. Experts highlighted the need for a more integrated policy approach combining multiple concepts to effectively address national priorities.

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