This document summarizes research on linking migration, forests, and gender in Burkina Faso. It discusses two case studies, the first on internal migration and its impact on women's access to the African locust bean tree, an important resource. The study found migrant women had less access and resorted to riskier harvesting practices. The second case study, still in progress, examines international migration's effects on household labor patterns and gender roles as well as remittances and forest use. The researchers conclude by calling for more consideration of migration systems in natural resource management programs and its links to food security and rights.

1. Linking migration, forest and gender in Burkina Faso
Houria Djoudi (CIFOR), Catherine Pehou (CIFOR), Mathurin Zida (CIFOR)

2. Introduction
 Migration as an emerging issue
 In the context of remittances and
development
 Migration and environment,
particularly the impact on natural
resources (land use changes,
forests,..etc) is less considered

3. Migratory systems
• Human fluxes (1 or 2 ways
movements, circular
movements)
• Fluxes in goods and/or in
services, knowledge
and/or institutions
• Leads to new exchanges in
different entities
• Social networks (reciprocity
principals)
• Focusses not only monetary
fluxes
• Embedded into cultural
identities in some areas like
the Sahel

4. First case study
Linking gender, rights and
internal migration

5. Kassol
o
W 002°06’59,3" N
11°31’36,0"
Strong presence of former
migrants who have obtained
access to land (higher
integration)
Pien W 001°58’16,0" N
11°04’23,2«
Strong presence of migrants;
without access (low levels of
integration)
Nebou W 001°52’07,0 "N 11°19’00,6"
Strong presence of migrants
and new forms of access
Study Area
The main ethnic groups:
 Gurunsi/Nuni (indigenous, less than 50% of population)
 Mossi and Fulani (migrants, 50-90% of population)

6. The context
• Agriculture related migration
(intensification, cotton..etc)
• Drought related migration
• Livestock related mobility
(transhumance)
Sedentarisation in the central
part of Burkina Faso

7. The food tree based agroforestry
system (parklands, Parkia and
Shea butter trees)
 Mosaic landscapes to fulfil
multiple livelihood
objectives
 Food trees in agriculture
fields, fallows to restore soil
fertility
 Complex access rules
according to gender, class
and ethnical affiliation (tree
tenure versus land tenure)

8. Objective, Methods, Study Area
• Qualitative and quantitative
methods
• Direct observations of
harvesting practices and
participation in the harvest
period
• Survey with 180 women
(migrant and non migrant)
• Gurunsi/Nuni (indigenous)
• Mossi and Fulani (migrants,
over 30 years)

9. African locust been tree (Parkia Biglobosa)
• Safety net role (women)
• Food security,
• Regulating services (soil
fertility)
• Cultural services

10. Results: Access rightsAccessrightSecurity
78% migrant
women

11. Strategies to cope with the lack of
access
 «Illegal» harvesting
(54%)
 Secondary harvesters
(32%)
 Harvesters in the
protected forest areas
(7%)
 Provider of harvest
services (7%)

12. Results
• Shifts in the harvest practices

13. Results
• Quality/quantity issues
• Nutritional value
• Increasing the workload
of women (wood fuel )
• Substitution with
artificial condiments
(Maggi cubes)
• Conflicts

14. Second case study
Linking gender, and international
migration

15. Understand pattern of international migration and
linkgage to gender and the use of forest
 Target groups: households affected by migration
and the returnees
Mitiéridougou Sanmatenga Camp Mossi TOTAL
Migrants internes 0 50 54 104
Migrants
internationaux
0 50 46
96
Autochtones 100 0 0 100
TOTAL 100 100 100 300
Objectives and methods

17. For the second study we are in the
process of finalising data analysis
regarding
• Demography of migration
• Changes in Households labour
pattern (gender)
• Remittences flows

18.  Mobility and migration systems in
policies, interventions and
programms related to natural
ressource management?
 In a more general way linking food
security and rights?
 Migration as a livelihood and
adaptive strategy.
Conclusions