Brève description de la meilleure pratique

The "Projet Aménagement de Terroirs et Conservation des Ressources dans le plateau
central" (PATECORE), is a project born out of the development cooperation between
Germany (KfW, GTZ, DED) and Burkina Faso (Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Fishery). Since 1988, the project has been developing and assisting sustainable land management as a contribution to desertification control in the central part of Burkina Faso. In the course of its existence, PATECORE has tested and applied various approaches and methods (forestry, land use planning "gestion de terroir", village planning) but emphasized Soil and Water Conservation (SWC) and soil fertility management in view of the high demand by the population for these techniques. In the last phase, PATECORE has grown accordingly in terms of achievements (notably construction of stone bunds) but is reduced in terms of the range of activities and personnel.|

Site

Burkina Faso, almost the entire three provinces of Bam, l'Oubritenga and the Kourwéogo

Si le lieu a des limites clairement définies, spécifier son extension en hectare:

6281.0

Estimation de la population vivant sur le site:

300000.0

Brève description de l’environnement naturel du site

aride, low rain region|

Conditions socio-économiques dominantes des personnes vivant sur ou à proximité du site

agriculture, stock farming|

Sur la base de quel critère/indicateur(s) (sans relation avec la stratégie) la pratique proposée et technologie correspondante ont-elles été considérées comme « meilleures »?

Example for soil and water conservation practice, positive impact on food security and livelihood, high potential for outscaling|

Principaux problèmes abordés par la meilleure pratique

gradual degradation of the environment and the decline in agricultural productivity (including: loss of plant cover, degradation of arable land, decrease of groundwater)
|poverty food insecurity, migration

Décrivez les principaux problèmes liés à la dégradation des terres abordés par la meilleure pratique

The traditional  methods of production are not sufficient anymore to supply the population with ecological sustainable food and to raise the living standard on its own.

Précisez les objectifs de la meilleure pratique

Soil and Water Conservation (SWC) and soil fertility management
|improve food security

Brève description des principales activités, par objectif

Rules of use for sustainable management of Community resources  (forest, pasture, water) are developed and implemented.
|The awareness for the urgency of the introduction of improved systems of collective use of resources is raised with concerted actions in  politicians and competent technical authorities.
The current legal and administrative framework for decentralized systems of collective use of resources checks for gaps and new proposals for improvement are worked out together with other projects and competent authorities..
The transition to a more intensive farming system is effectively strengthened through participatory technology development and  a farmer supported advisory system. (Quelle: Angebot für 2001.2123.6, Ressourcenerhaltende Bewirtschaftung auf dem Zentralplateau)
|Identificaton of areas with strong pressure to adapt and develop appropriate advice content with innovative contact farmers.  
Demonstrate good advice content through demonstration models and support it demand-driven.
Agree and describe for each advisory recommendation to the objectives and planned effects and their indicators together with the target groups.
"The basic needs (food, wood, water) of the rural population on the central plateau of Burkina Faso are met by the sustainable management of the natural
resources"
|Soil and Water Conservation (SWC)
soil fertility management
The rural producers have improved the management of natural resources in the project area (see GTZ offer regarding project 2001.2123.6).

Brève description et caractéristiques techniques de la technologie

Soil fertility management techniques: zaï (sowing holes, approx. 15 cm deep and 30 wide, in which the seed and organic fertilizer or compost are put), use of organic fertilisers, especially in the form of compost, usage of improved or imported varieties of cereals and leguminosae, crop rotation and the fight against the parasite Striga hermonthica
stone works that slow the runoff of rainwater (cords and stone bunds)

La technologie a-t-elle été développée en partenariat ?

Oui

Dressez la liste des partenaires :

l’INERA (Institut de l’Environnement et de Recherches Agricoles)

Précisez le cadre de promotion de la technologie

• Initiative nationale – non gouvernementale

La participation des parties prenantes locales, y compris des OSC, a-t-elle été recherchée au cours du développement de la technologie ?

Oui

Dressez la liste des parties prenantes locales:

local communities

La population vivant sur ou à proximité du site a-t-elle été impliquée dans le développement de la technologie?

Oui

Par quels moyens?

• Approches participatives

Décrivez les impacts sur site (les deux principaux impacts par catégorie)

The project facilitates the birth of a peasant network.
SWC-measures also provide an enrichment of the groundwater, which causes a better supply of drinking water wells and in many cases allows formerly dry hollows and river banks to grow vegetables again. About 6,000 tons of grain are produced additionally thanks to soil and water conservation.|
The project has a positive impact on employment: many no longer emigrate, but pursue a market-oriented, intensive management of their land.
The projects generate additional income which inures to the benefit of the whole household and partly remains in the hands of the women.
Along with a better regulated use of community resources, the regeneration of the entire re-vegetation will be improved significantly.|
"The improved absorption of rain by the soil facilitates in years with unfavourable rainfall full maturity of corn or an increase in yield per unit area in average rainfall years (average, 40%). |
The distribution of the SWC-measures on households and fields for women is uniform. Experience shows that no specific women fields are needed in this area, as traditional rules ensure the participation of women in the benefits and the shaping of the measures.
Through the SWC-measures, the project makes a significant direct contribution to stabilizing the subsahelian ecosystem. The soil erosion is reduced and the risk of flooding, erosion and landslide decreased. The better penetration of rainwater into the soil enriches the water table. |

Une analyse coût-avantage a-t-elle été réalisée?

Une analyse coût-avantage a-t-elle été réalisée? :

Oui

Précisez:

The micro-and macroeconomic analyses of the costs that mainly consist of subsidies for the creation of contour stone walls, show that after a few years, the benefits outweigh the costs. This was revealed by the microeconomic calculation that the average annual surplus in cereal production was around 250 kg per ha. This result applies to all findings of a study by Kunze (1998) and corresponds to an additional income of about FCFA 25,000 per hectare and year. Considered in macroeconomic terms, the subsidies of a total of EUR 9 million generate a return after only four years, as the annual value of EUR 2.5 million exceeds the imput from that date. Complemented by a total of 1.5 million days worked per year it is an investment subsidy that increases the production in total. The combat of desertification therefore also helps make development action sustainable on a local scale.

Pouvez-vous identifier les trois principales conditions ayant favorisé la réussite de la meilleure pratique/technologie présentée?

The Participatory Technology Development approach is logical and just, already able to integrate local knowledge and products of research and experiments in other areas or countries
"To find, encourage and develop initiatives,
innovations and ideas native to the area of intervention"

Réplication

Selon vous, la meilleure pratique/technologie proposée peut-elle reproduite, y compris avec un certain degré d’adaptation?

Oui

Si oui, à quel niveau?

• Local
• Sous-national
• National

Liées aux ressources humaines

There is a need for capacity building for local communities and technical staff.

Liées aux aspects financiers

The PATECORE project shows how  sustainable land use can produce an enduring impact in an economic view.

Liées aux aspects techniques

1. The most important instrument for the dissemination of techniques is the farmer network, which has taken on the transfer of knowledge and skills from farmer to farmer.
|2. The large-scale dissemination was made relatively easy due to the decentralised structure of the project and due to the farmers' organisation and taking of responsibility for their soil and water conservation work.