Bilateral meeting with H.E. Fatouma Bako, Minister Delegate to the Minister for Economy of Burkina Faso

Rome - The FAO Director-General of FAO met with Hon ​​Fatouma Bako, Minister Delegate to the Minister for Economy of Burkina Faso.

The Director-General welcomed the Minister and congratulated Burkina Faso on the positive strides made in the agriculture sector, although acknowledging the financial challenges faced by the Ministry of Agriculture in improving food security in the country. 

The Minister thanked the Director-General for the warm welcome and appreciated the positive results achieved as head of the Organization. She acknowledged the financial constraints faced by the country despite the government's quest to improve food security through empowerment of small holder farmers in rural areas. 

The Minister informed of the agropastoral initiative launched by the President in 2023 to achieve food security for Burkina Faso, noting it was aligned with the objectives of FAO. She stated that Burkina Faso had achieved 26 million tonnes of cereal in 2024 and that had allowed them to meet 110 percent of their food needs as a country. The Minister further informed that the country was able to provide inputs for farmers under the framework of the Agropastoral offensive. The Minister stated that despite the achievements, the government needed additional technical and financial support to scale up all the projects, particularly with 80 percent of the population living in rural areas and relying on agriculture for their livelihood. 

The Director-General reaffirmed FAO's commitment to continue to support Burkina Faso and recognized its huge potential to develop its agricultural sector. He acknowledged that it was pivotal for FAO and other development partners to provide technical assistance to Burkina Faso to facilitate rural and agricultural development, with strategic support directed to farmers in rural areas.