Project to improve agroecology training at the Rural Promotion Center (RPC) of Kodougou in Burkina Faso

The Kodougou RPC, like the other RPCs forming the national network for training young people in rural areas in agricultural production systems, is an initiative supported by the Ministry of Agriculture. The aim of setting up this rural training facility is to provide a skilled workforce to meet the growing needs of agricultural production.

In fact, the agricultural system remains under-performing, given the lack of training for rural stakeholders in ecologically intensive farming systems for sustainable production (in the face of declining soil fertility and erosion, for example), the inadequacy of infrastructures and markets for the collection, processing and marketing of produce, the lack of organization of agricultural sectors and the lack of resilience of agricultural practices in the face of climatic excesses.

Among the solutions proposed is the agro-ecological transition, which reduces the need to import synthetic inputs thanks to cropping systems based on permanent soil cover and integration with livestock and trees.

As a public rural development organization, the RPC of Kodougou has been working for several decades to promote new agricultural practices for sustainable, sustained agricultural production in the Boucle du Mouhoun region. The center's training curricula, which include modules related to sustainable agriculture, in particular the production and use of organic manure, sustainable land management, conservation agriculture, water and soil conservation techniques/soil defense and restoration, etc., did not allow the center to make a real commitment to the holistic and integrated approach of agroecology.

Implementation of the project will not only enable the development of activities linked to existing agroecological practices, but also the establishment of other training and educational production units.

This will involve the acquisition of teaching equipment for the practice and installation of a composting area and an agroecology demonstration site, as well as the strengthening of trainers' operational capacities. The project will also make it possible to set up certain teaching units linked to agroecological production systems.The project will also promote agroecological practices in the Boucle du Mouhoun region. At least 100 young people will receive initial training in agroecology at the center, and 200 young agro-entrepreneurs will receive on-the-job training.

En outre, la réalisation du projet permettra de promouvoir les pratiques agroécologies dans la région de la Boucle du Mouhoun. Au moins 100 jeunes seront formés en agroécologie en formation initiale au centre et 200 jeunes agripreneurs seront formés sur le terrain.