Burkina Faso commits to integrate livestock interventions to accelerate climate actions

Burkina Faso has committed to integrate livestock specific interventions to accelerate climate action and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from livestock systems. “It is necessary to identify opportunities to integrate specific objectives for the livestock sub-sector in our climate action, especially when it comes to agro-pastoral and pastoral systems”, said Victor Bonogo, Secretary General of the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal and Fisheries Resources of Burkina Faso during the national stakeholder consultation in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

In July 2022, Burkina Faso organized a national workshop to validate the results and recommendations of a policy analysis conducted with FAO’s support to facilitate the inclusion of livestock interventions in Burkina Faso’s nationally determined contributions (NDC). The study of Burkina Faso’s existing policies and regulations demonstrated that the last country’s NDC did not include climate targets specifically related to the livestock sector. Yet, there is a lot of potential to enhance the adaptation and resilience of the livestock sub-sector and limit greenhouse gas emissions from livestock systems in the country.

Actions aiming at reducing enteric methane, improving manure management practices and promoting small-scale biogas systems can be part of the solution to tackle climate change in Burkina Faso. This is particularly true considering that enteric fermentation and manure management are the most significant sources of greenhouse gas emissions from the Burkina Faso’s livestock sub-sector. In addition, technology transfers, the reduction of fossil energy use, and capacity building can all raise Burkina Faso’s climate ambition with concrete livestock related objectives.

The national workshop brought together representatives from different livestock and climate stakeholder groups, including the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal and Fisheries Resources, the Ministry of Environment and other government institutions, the private sector, non-governmental organizations, and associations of farmers and producers. The FAO Animal Production and Health Division and the country office for Burkina Faso facilitated the implementation of the activities and validation of the policy analysis’s results.

Participants stressed the importance of the livestock sub-sector in the country, especially for its contribution to Burkina Faso’s socio-economic development. However, the effects of global warming in the Sahel have negative consequences on agriculture and it becomes crucial to take concrete actions in all sectors to tackle climate change. Burkina Faso’s decision to target livestock and integrate specific mitigation and adaptation measures to make livestock systems more climate friendly and resilient is a concrete steps ahead and more countries are willing to do so in the future.