Bringing more improved vegetable seeds to more smallholders in Burkina Faso

The campaign to distribute improved vegetable seed kits to farmers in Burkina Faso was officially launched on 1 July 2024, at the CREAF / KAMBOISSIN research station. The ceremony was very well attended by players in the agricultural sector, giving it a very high profile.

Symbolic handover of a seed kits to beneficiaries, by the Deputy Director of CNRST (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique et Technologique) and the SafeVeg Project Coordinator (left), and representative of the the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (right).

Two technical advisors from the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, conveyed a message from the Minister. “We’ve come a long way. And what’s happening here today is just the beginning of our march towards overcoming the major challenges facing our market gardeners in accessing quality seeds. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the World Vegetable Center team and all those who have worked and continue to work on the SafeVeg project for the immensity of the task accomplished, the fruits of which can be found in these improved seed kits. Thanks to this highly innovative sub-regional project and the know-how of all the research teams in Benin, Burkina Faso and Mali, strengthening our seed systems is no longer a figment of the imagination, but a tangible, even palpable, reality.” The Minister’s remarks also made it clear that seeds are about culture, tradition, spirituality, cooperation and diversity, that they represent centuries of know-how, and last but not least, that seeds are a matter of survival in order to produce diverse and healthy foods on a daily basis.

Mark de Leeuw, Socio-Economic Affairs Advisor at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, praised the efforts of all project stakeholders who, despite the constraints, were able to achieve this level of results. He encouraged beneficiaries to make these seeds germinate so that in the near future, Burkina Faso will no longer have to source its vegetable seeds from outside the country.

One of the highlights was the testimonial by FAO representative Souleymane Traore, who described how the seeds given to internally displaced people in 2022 had helped to change their lives. In addition to changing their diet, these people have set up small businesses that have helped to empower them. A representative of the beneficiaries also took the floor to say thank you, and to promise that they will use these seeds with great care.

At the same time, from 31 June 31 to 2 July 2024, the national environment and agriculture research institute (INERA, Institut de l’Environnement et des Recherches Agricole) organized its 15th seed fair. And as in the previous two years, the WorldVeg team was invited through the SafeVeg project.

This fair is an important annual event for all seed producers in Burkina Faso, and the place to stock up on quality seeds. Over 500 visitors registered and received a seed kit of their choice, and for four days, the SafeVeg stand was packed with visitors, as it is the only one with a sole focus on vegetable crops. Expectations were high, because up to now, market gardeners have come from the provinces in the hope of obtaining quality seeds, but their needs have not yet been met. A date has been set for next year’s event, and many are looking forward to an increased availability of vegetable seeds thanks to the SafeVeg project.

These activities were carried out with funding from the European Union and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands through the project “Safe locally produced vegetables for West Africa’s consumers (SAFE VEG)” – ID-4000003936, part of the DeSIRA program and implemented by the World Vegetable Center, Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement CIRAD and Wageningen University & Research (WUR), and national partners, the Institut National des Recherches Agricoles du Bénin (INRAB, Benin), Institut de l’Environnement et de Recherches Agricoles (INERA, Burkina Faso), and Institut d’Economie Rurale (IER, Mali).