This document assesses options for supporting small forest enterprises in Burkina Faso that could deliver integrated and climate-smart land use. Agroforestry enterprises that improve soil fertility, NTFP enterprises like shea production, and biomass energy production were identified as high priority sectors. The Sudano-Sahelian zone was selected for intervention due to its high dependence on trees and potential for poverty reduction. Supporting these subsectors could have positive integrated impacts on gender, food security, energy security, climate change adaptation and mitigation, biodiversity, and soil fertility.

1. Prioritising support for investing in locally
controlled forest in Burkina Faso
GLOBAL SHEA ALLIANCE CONFERENCE 2013
ABUJA
T. Hill, EP Tangem & B. Kabore

2. Content
1. TREEAID
2. Background
3. Objectives
4. Methodology
5. Geographical targeting
6. Overview of Sub-sectorial entrepreneurial
options

3. TREEAID
• Programme themes
• TREE AID works to improve lives
and the environment with its key
programme themes by supporting
communities in the following
areas:
• Environment
• Enterprise
• access and rights
• Food security
• Focus in the dry lands
Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali,
Niger, Ethiopia )
• http://www.treeaid.org.uk/
Mar. 2013 TREE AID

4. Background
• Locally Controlled forest constitute the main land tenure and
use system in BF
• More than 65 -80% of adjacent forest & woodland Dwellers
depends on them for income and livelihood
• Small and Medium Forest Enterprises is one of the main
income generating sector
• Deforestation, forest degradation, and land use change
contribute 8-20% of CHG emission
• Locally controlled forest provides local people with financial
incentives to sustainably manage existing forest and restore
degraded forest and agricultural land.

5. OBJECTIVE
• TREE AID is Part of the Forest Connect Initiative
• The Forest Connect project is seeking to assess
options for small forest enterprise sub-sectors that
might best deliver integrated, intensified,
climate-smart land use.
• The project is focussed on specific geographical
regions and Enterprise Subsectors
• This report presents an assessment of options for
Burkina Faso.

6. Methodology
• Selection of study area
– Impact in terms of income generation and sustainable
resource management
• Shortlisting of enterprise options
– Criteria development
– Review of current national trade strategy
– Rapid markets visit
– Interaction with concerned stakeholders

7. Methodology
• Preliminary Screening
– Industrial growth potential
• Review of market demand (trend, comparative &
competitive advantages)
• Review of enabling environment
• Review of resilience in the face of climate change
– Income potential for smallholders
– Mapping attractiveness

8. Methodology
• Final screening
– Assessment of integrated impacts
• Gender, Food security, Energy security, Climate
change mitigation and adaptation, Biodiversity,
Soil fertility and nitrogen inputs
• Framework for support options
– Detailed review of challenges
– Assessment of supports needed

9. Geographical targeting
Burkina Faso like Mali, Niger is generally
Sahelian ( 70%)
Characterised by
• Low rainfall (3 to 4 months/ an) –
typically about 300-400mm
• Specifically three climatic zones (Guinéen,
Sudanian and Sahelian)
• Southern part, Semi-deciduous tree species,
higher rains
• Further north pure Sahel , low rains,
capricious weather, ( prone to floods
&drought)

10. Overview of Sub-sectorial entrepreneurial options .
Subsector Relevance Requirement to
enhance bio capacity
1. Agro-forestry food product enterprises Extensive parklands Fallow, tree planting
for inputs
2. TREE Food Enterprises Limited in extend , local
control
3. Biomass energy enterprises Existing forest
management group
4. Construction enterprises Limited scope for
investment
5. NTFPs enterprises shea, gum, well Potential
established livelihood intensification/
options for poor tenure issues

11. III. Assessment of markets prospects for each potential
subsector
• 3.Income generating potential of good and moderate options. This
is broken down into;
• (3.1) scale of market demand for products or services derived from
enterprises in these sub-sectors.
• (3.2) Identification of markets which have the greatest potential for
expansion and income generation based on given
• (3.2.1) market trends
• (3.2.2) issues of competitive advantage
• (3.2.3) issues related to the enabling environment (e.g. product
restrictions, bureaucratic hurdles etc)
• (3.2.4) resilience in the face of likely climate change
•

12. Table 1 – Analysis of Market Prospects by Sub-Sector
N° Sub-sectors
Q Q Q Q Q TOTAL
Balanced rank
3.1 3.2.1 3.2.2 3.2.3 3.2.4 score
Agro-forestry food product enterprises, where
trees serve to improve soil fertility for
conventional agricultural crops
1. 3 4 4 3 4 20 1st
Tree-crop food enterprises – where tree fruits /
leaves / stems / or nectar products such as
honey are used directly for food
2. 3 3 4 3 3 16 5th
Biomass energy enterprises – where on-farm or
natural forest wood products are used for energy
3. 5 4 4 2 5 20 1st
Cconstruction material enterprises – where on-
farm or natural forest trees are used for sawn-
timber, carpentry, thatching
4. 4 4 4 4 4 20 1st
NTFP enterprises – where on-farm or natural
forest trees are used for medicinal, cosmetic,
craft or other purposes
5. 4 5 5 3 3 20 1st
Scores: 5 = highly likely; 4 = moderately likely; 3 = no likely effect or not applicable; 2 = unlikely or small adverse effect; 1
= strong adverse effect.

13. Integrated impact scoring
Natural Agro foresty NTFPs Biomass Construc
regeneration sector sector sector tion
parkland
Gender 4 5 4 4 4 5
Food 5 4 5 4 4 4
Energy 4 5 4 3 4 3
Climate change 4 5 4 4 4 4
Biodiversity 4 4 5 3 5 2
Soil fertility 4 4 5 4 4 3
Total 25 27 27 22 25 22

14. Priority zones for intervention in Burkina
An investment in forest
resources in the Sudano-
Sahelian zone could have a
significant impact on poverty
reduction due to higher
dependence on trees than in
other areas with more
vegetation cover

15. Selected sectors for intervention in the sudano sahelian zone
A. Agro-forestry food product
enterprises, where trees serve to
improve soil fertility for conventional
agricultural crops
B. NTFP enterprises, including
production of tree food products and
commodities traded for cash (notably
shea nuts and gum arabic)
C. Biomass energy production based
on natural forest formations
Markets for biomass energy are strong
and growing

16. References
Previous Forest Connect studies
• Etude Diagnostique sur les Petites et Moyennes Entreprises Forestieres au Burkina Faso, ICI/TREE
AID, 2008
• Rapport sur les besoins en informations des petites et moyennes entreprises forestières, ICI/TREE
AID, 2009
• Renforcement de la gouvernance et des structures des entreprises communautaires de filière
Karité au Burkina Faso: diagnostic du niveau de fonctionnement des organisations communautaires
de mini, petites et moyennes entreprises de karité au Burkina Faso, Sama, P. G., 2011
• Analyse Participative de chaines de valeurs à fortes potentialités négligées le baobab (feuilles, fruits
et huile) et balanites (fruits et huile), TREE AID, 2011