I’m only quoting a few small snippets with numbers below. There’s much, much more in the article worth reading.
Currently, about 80% of the population of the Sahelian nation is involved in agricultural activity, which accounts for a third of the GDP. Even so, the country still imports more than 200,000 tons of rice per year.
In response to this challenge, President Ibrahim Traoré’s government launched the so-called Agricultural Offensive in 2023, which has been revolutionizing the rural environment and serving as a model for the continent. The central objective is to end dependence on imports of widely consumed food products.
The current government’s offensive has been marked by strong direct support for rural producers and unprecedented investments in mechanization. The strategy focuses on substantially increasing production in eight priority areas: rice, corn, potatoes, wheat, fish, livestock, poultry, and mangoes.
Financing for the purchase of machinery in the country, much of it from China, relies on two main sources: the nationalization of gold and the creation of a patriotic fund financed by the population itself.
According to the government’s announcement, the differentiated mechanization includes draft animals for small producers, and, on the other hand, tillers and tractors for large enterprises. Initially, more than 400 tractors were distributed, in addition to subsidized fertilizers. For the 2025-2026 campaign, the package should include the delivery of 608 tractors and 1,102 tillers.
The country’s first tomato processing plant, inaugurated in 2024 in Bobo Dioulasso, has 20% state participation and 80% community capital, organized by APEC, the Agency for the Promotion of Community Entrepreneurship. The organization, founded in 2022, is primarily supported by the small and medium-sized national bourgeoisie.
Also the role of the small national bourgeoisie in decolonial economic development is perfectly exemplified in BF’s ongoing revolution. If you’re looking to understand the way the national bourgeoisie can be a progressive and revolutionary force, BF is the best place to look. At extremely low levels of economic development, the entrepreneurial small capitalists (many of whom are returning diaspora bringing some modest western monetary capital) are key partners in building up industry beyond what a small, underdeveloped state can achieve. This always poses a long term threat to a socialist project (which I think BF aims to build), but still, national bourgeoisie are a key ally against comprador bourgeoisie.
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This is a really important move. Yields in the Sahel are pretty low, but climate change is having a positive impact by bringing increased rainfall. Solid agricultural policy could catapult Burkina from a net importer to a net exporter at a time when it’s larger southern neighbors are going to face increased pressure from floods and high humidity in the tropical zones.
In the 20teens, Burkina Faso adopted GM Bt cotton to help deal with chronic pest issues. Unexpected genetic breakdown causes the plants to start producing low-quality lint, leading to massive losses among farmers who adopted. Everyone switched back to local varieties, but that means the pest problems continued. Funding research programs and IPM could bring substantial benefits.
When trying to feed your own people is an offensive act.
It’s offensive to people who want them dependent.
I’m a big fan of this. The massive ag conglomerates like Cargill have a near chokehold on the global south. Getting out from underneath that
bootplow is crucial.:antifa-soil-builders:
BF has a long way to go in some respects of its social development but watching them build up their productive forces and take control of their destiny has been truly inspiring
Agricultural offensive: how Burkina Faso is moving towards self-sufficiency in food production
In other words: Burkina Faso is genociding food dependency onto the west / s
Anyways, congrats on their progress!
At least local bourgeoisie can be controlled and if necessary expropriated
expropriated
national bourgeoisie are a key ally against comprador bourgeoisie.
"Enrich yourselves!"
不管黑猫白猫，能捉到老鼠就是好猫 
But at what cost?
In the country, the creation of processing units has generated jobs and even allowed farmers to become shareholders in some of the factories that have been opened.
Although “community capital” and small entrepreneurs are basically capitalism, a country that hasn’t even undergone industrialisation yet has few options for development.
You cannot centrally mobilise the labor of a people (socialism) that are not centralised to begin with. That’s why decentralised means such as “community capital” (mobilising labor in exchange for granting private ownership) is done.
Thank God, last year this government allocated 78 billion CFA francs for the purchase of agricultural equipment, making it available to farmers,” celebrates Gansonré.
Not to be negative (this is a great achievement and I hope Ivory Coast will follow suit), but is there any plan to abandon CFA francs? Even just reading the name of the currency makes me sad lol. I also asume that there is, but just to be sure.
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