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As part of its mission to strengthen institutional and technical collaborations, a CORAF delegation, led by its Executive Director, Dr Moumini SAVADOGO, made a working visit to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, from March 18 to 22, 2025. The mission provided an opportunity to exchange views with a number of institutional players, as well as technical and financial partners, with the aim of consolidating commitments to sustainable agricultural development.

Strengthening collaboration with Burkinabe institutions

During discussions with the Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, Pr Adjima THIOMBIANO, CORAF stressed the need to strengthen synergies between national research institutions and CORAF to accelerate the adoption of agricultural innovations, particularly in the training of young researchers.

"Agricultural development depends on dynamic, innovative research that is accessible to all. We need to pool our efforts and strengthen our synergies in order to remove bottlenecks and accelerate the adoption of solutions adapted to the realities on the ground". .

Together with the Minister Delegate for Agriculture, Animal Resources and Fisheries, Dr Amadou DICKO, the delegation discussed agricultural challenges and actions underway as part of the World Bank-funded Food Systems Resilience Program (FSRP). CORAF coordinates component 2 of the FSRP, which aims to strengthen regional agricultural research and advisory systems to generate sustainable technological innovations, including climate-smart technologies, integrating nutrition, gender and youth. The Minister expressed his support for CORAF's efforts and reaffirmed his commitment to promoting agricultural innovations adapted to local realities.

"Agricultural innovation is an essential pillar for guaranteeing food security and self-sufficiency. It is imperative to promote solutions adapted to our local realities in order to build a more resilient and sustainable agriculture. By focusing on agricultural innovations, we are strengthening our path towards true food sovereignty", declared Dr Dicko during the discussions.

The delegation also met with the National Commission of the Confederation of Sahel States (AES), which praised CORAF's commitment to the region and expressed its willingness to call on its services for agricultural research and development and youth employment.

Strengthening regional and international cooperation

During the meeting with the UEMOA Commission, represented by Mr. Mahamadou GADO, Commissioner of the UEMOA Department of Economic Policies and Internal Taxation, possible synergies between CORAF initiatives and regional agricultural development strategies were explored. It was agreed to organize an early meeting between UEMOA and CORAF experts to define concrete short-term actions.

Representatives of the Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC) also reaffirmed their support for CORAF's sustainable agricultural initiatives, stressing the importance of aligning CORAF's interventions with SDC priorities, particularly in terms of agricultural resilience and food security.

Consolidating relations with agricultural players 

Exchanges with the Institut de l'Environnement et de Recherches Agricoles (INERA) and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique et Technologique (CNRST) have identified avenues of collaboration for the implementation of applied research in support of agricultural innovation. These institutions play an essential role in adapting innovations to the needs of local producers.

CORAF also met with officials from Joseph Ki-Zerbo University to strengthen the training of young researchers and integrate agricultural innovations into academic programs.

Discussions with the Permanent Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (Comité Permanent Inter-États de Lutte contre la Sécheresse dans le Sahel - CILSS) helped define areas of collaboration to improve resilience in the face of climate change and natural resource management. Similarly, exchanges with the German NGO WELT HUNGER HILFE focused on the implementation of joint projects to improve food security and access to agricultural technologies for small-scale producers.

Lastly, CORAF and the Réseau des Organisations Paysannes et de Producteurs d'Afrique de l'Ouest (ROPPA) discussed collaborative strategies to facilitate the scaling-up of agricultural innovations.

Outlook and Commitments

This mission enabled CORAF to strengthen its links with Burkinabe institutions and regional and international partners. A number of commitments were made, including

• The development of joint actions for capacity building and applied research;
• Facilitating the adoption of agricultural innovations by producers;
• Mobilizing funding to support research and innovation initiatives.

CORAF thus reaffirms its determination to support the countries of the region in implementing innovative solutions for more productive, sustainable and resilient agriculture.