Initiated in 2017 and concluded in 2024, the Cashew Development Support Project in the Comoé Basin for REDD+ (PADA/REDD+) served as a model for sustainable development. The initiative integrated efforts to reduce poverty, promote ecological transformation, and support the empowerment of women and youth, resulting in an impressive implementation rate of 95 percent. It has rejuvenated the cashew nut sector, which is Burkina Faso's third-largest agricultural export, following cotton and sesame.
The PADA/REDD+ initiative was backed by the African Development Bank, which provided a loan of $4 million, and the African Development Fund, the Bank Group's low-interest financing arm, offering a grant of $1.39 million, accounting for 61 percent of the overall project cost of $8.82 million. The government of Burkina Faso and the project's beneficiaries covered the rest of the funding.
The initiative gathered the required resources to support the sustainable development of the Cascades, Hauts Bassins, and South-West regions, with notable involvement from women. It allowed farmers to lower maintenance expenses, enhance soil fertility and quality, and boost cashew production and earnings in an environmentally friendly way.
Action on climate alongside farming activities
The initial part of the PADA/REDD+ initiative centered around carbon capture. This led to the establishment of seven tree parks, the generation of over 1.6 million enhanced seedlings, and the creation of roughly 27,000 hectares of agroforestry areas. One-third of these areas are managed by women, highlighting the project's dedication to fostering social inclusion. A total of 35,340 farmers, including 6,047 women, received training in sustainable farming and organic methods.
This method of capacity development for producers and handlers provided every involved party with the necessary abilities to fulfill their requirements and aspirations, especially in understanding technical production and processing techniques.
Adama Patrick Sombié, a cashew nut processor from Bérégadougou, expresses his contentment: "Prior to the project, there were no cashew tree parks in the village, just forests and some orchards. When the project provided plots to entrepreneurs, I enrolled and was allocated two hectares."
Adama Sombié, a cashew farmer, received a two-hectare forest area in Bérégadougou.
Availability of financial resources and advancement of processing techniques
The second part of the project centered on enhancing value chains. For a long time, the sector's growth was constrained by restricted access to financial resources, but it has now gained momentum through a creative collaboration with the umbrella body representing Burkina Faso's Caisses populaires banks, along with savings and loan cooperatives.
This system allowed for the issuance of investment loans using a variable interest rate structure, supporting 103 microprojects with a total amount of 888 million CFA francs, roughly $500,000. The initiative also generated 9,580 extra "green" employment opportunities, with 92.66 percent of these positions going to women through funding for small-scale investment projects.
Due to the financial support received, seven processing units were upgraded. A new unit named "Tensya" was set up in the village of Toussiana, along with three storage facilities, one of which is designated for women. The initiative also allowed for the acquisition of 12 trucks and 45 tricycles, training in best practices for 631 individuals, enhancement of environmental expertise for 477 stakeholders, and the development and outfitting of infrastructure like a cooking and shelling center for women in Diéri, fully funded by the African Development Bank.
A broad and long-lasting effect
These small-scale initiatives have impacted almost 18,000 individuals, with 61 percent being women, reinforcing the inclusive strategy of PADA/REDD+. "This project has been a gift for us. Thanks to the income we earn, we are able to send our children to school and ensure their well-being. Previously, we had to sell our products at very low prices, but now, with our own processing facilities, we manage the entire value chain," explains Aramatou Barro, a processor from Diéri.
Christiane Koné, a processor based in Toussiana, affirms this beneficial effect: "Thanks to the project, we have managed to acquire six automated shelling machines, which operate twice as quickly as our 25 manual shelling tables."
Christiane Koné, an operator in Toussiana, acquired six automated shelling devices.
At the same time, the project organized supply networks, ensuring that 96 cooperatives met OHADA (Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa) standards and introduced an environmental management plan. Working conditions have seen significant improvement. Isso Kindo, a trader based in Bobo-Dioulasso, states: "Transportation was our major challenge. Now, thanks to the truck provided by the project, I can transport up to 60 tonnes of nuts from the towns of Banfora and Mangodara."
The influence of PADA/REDD+ can also be assessed through the number of jobs created for young individuals and rural businesspeople. In Orodara, Arzouma Zougouri, a producer and entrepreneur, states, "the project's assistance has allowed me to upgrade my processing facility. I've increased my workforce from 200 to 300 employees," he mentions with pride.
Arzouma Zougouri, a producer based in Orodara, managed to enhance his processing facility.
By implementing sustainable practices in the cashew nut industry, boosting productivity, and enhancing local processing, PADA/REDD+ met its goals while establishing a basis for more robust rural development. Its role in carbon capture via agroforestry initiatives enhances its environmental influence. Long-term plantations, updated farming methods, an improved local processing system, and increased financial access formed the key elements of this achievement.
Cashew processors at work.
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Tagged: Burkina Faso, Economy, Business and Finance, Food and Agriculture, West Africa
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