The emergence and spreading of an improved traditional soil and water conservation practice in Burkina Faso
2004
D. Kaboré | C. Reij
This paper examines the advantages, disadvantages and impacts of improved traditional planting pits (zaï) in Burkina Faso from the early 1980s.The zaï emerged in a context of recurrent droughts and frequent harvest failures, which triggered farmers to start improving this local practice. These processes were supported and complemented by external intervention and substantial public investment.The paper concludes that although the socio-economic and environmental situation is still precarious for many farming families, the predicted environmental collapse has not occurred and in many villages indications show both environmental recovery and poverty reduction.Main findings of impacts include:gains in yields due to the concentration of water and nutrients in the planting pits. However, the sustainability of higher yields is uncertainimprovement in household food securitysubstantial regeneration of woody and herbaceous speciesfarmers are able to invest more in livestockestimates of poverty reduction show that the number of poor families decreased by 50 percent between 1980 and 2001farmers are re-capitalizing their soils without the use of mineral fertilizers, which are often considered too risky and too expensive.[adapted from author]
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