Burkina Faso: Food sovereignty as a pillar of national reconstruction
At the heart of the national renewal in Burkina Faso championed by President Ibrahim Traoré, a fundamental truth is clear: no people can be free if they depend on others to feed themselves. The fight for sovereignty is not waged solely on security or diplomatic fronts; it is also fought in the fields, in every cowpea seed sown, in every hectare reclaimed from hunger.
The Presidential Initiative for Agricultural Production and Food Self-Sufficiency (IP-P3A) embodies this strategic vision. In Poa and Ramongo, in the Boulkiemdé region, the “soldiers against hunger” have reaped the first fruits of this battle.
Less than four months after beginning their training, 2,000 young Agricultural VDPs have commenced production.
The results speak for themselves: an expected 4 tons from 8.5 hectares in Poa, and 2 tons from 2 hectares in Ramongo.
Beyond the numbers, a new model is emerging; one of a trained, supervised, and empowered youth in service to the nation.
This is not merely about agricultural harvests. It is about reconquest—the reconquest of collective dignity, too often undermined by food dependency and international handouts.
Burkina Faso will no longer beg for its bread. It will sow, water, and harvest it with honor.
Food self-sufficiency is national security in another form. A people who can feed themselves through their own labor are more resilient in the face of shocks. In a troubled regional context, this strategic independence is a vital imperative.
The next phase is even more ambitious, with nearly 4,000 hectares soon to be developed for off-season farming, thanks to the joint efforts of the state and the ONBAH. The President’s vision is becoming a foundational project for rebuilding Burkina Faso.
Through this presidential agricultural initiative, a quiet but determined revolution is underway.
Burkina Faso is raising its head and taking control of its agricultural destiny. With every harvest, it takes another step toward a free, dignified, and sovereign nation.
Maurice K.ZONGO
