MAFAP study on agriculture investment in Burkina Faso featured on BBC Focus on Africa

27 Oct 2020
The BBC's World Service interviewed MAFAP Manager Christian Derlagen on spending and investment priorities for agriculture in Burkina Faso. How much does the West African country spend on agriculture and what difference would greater investment more bring to the sector and society?

 

 

The BBC's World Service has featured a new report on investment in agriculture in Burkina Faso by the MAFAP programme.

Focus on Africa, the BBC's current affairs radio programme for Africa, interviewed MAFAP’s Christian Derlagen to discuss investment in agriculture in Burkina Faso and the benefits of allocating more public funds to strategic areas to transform the agriculture sector and fight hunger. 

“Just as important as the level of spending…is the composition [of spending]. Governments wonder how they can best spend their money to transform their agricultural sector, make the sector an engine of growth, raise people out of poverty and end hunger”, said Derlagen, a Senior Economist and MAFAP Programme Manager at FAO. 

Currently, Burkina Faso allocates around 8% of total government spending on agriculture. This amount is “quite good, given the circumstances facing Burkina Faso”, according to Derlagen. 

The study and policy brief, a joint collaboration between MAFAP and the Ministry of Agriculture, looked at the outcome of a 2% increase in spending on agriculture. It found that the West African country could:

  •  Produce 36% more maize and 40% more rice.
  •  Raise agricultural value added by almost 10%. 
  • Boost household incomes could be 2.5% higher.
  • Diversifying spending on millet, sorghum, beans and sesame production and rural infrastructure expenditures would have the highest potential for agricultural transformation. 

Earmarking a further 2% to the sector and to certain subsectors would also bring Burkina Faso in line with long-standing regional commitments under the African Union. 

“The Maputo Declaration [on Agriculture and Food Security in Africa] was signed in 2003 by African Heads of State or Government back in 2003 and there was a re-commitment in 2014 with the Malabo Declaration to spend 10% of national budget on agriculture”, noted Delargen. 

“Overall there are few countries that meet the 10%...with the exception of Malawi. In nearly all other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, expenditure levels are below or far below 10%”, added Derlagen. 

You can listen to the full interview with the BBC’s Bola Masuro and Christian Delargen (from minute 44.35) here 

Retweet Christian’s interview here