The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Government of Burkina Faso have signed a US$59.75 million financing agreement to support climate-resilient agriculture and strengthen rural livelihoods through the Strengthening Agricultural and Rural Infrastructure for Food Sovereignty Project (ORIAM-SA). The initiative aims to improve food security, agricultural productivity and resilience to climate change in vulnerable rural communities across the country.
The six-year project, running from 2026 to 2031, will have a total budget of US$157 million financed by IFAD, the Government of Burkina Faso and project participants. ORIAM-SA will focus on developing sustainable agricultural and market infrastructure in the regions of Djôrô, Guiriko and Tannounyan through a phased implementation approach.
The project is expected to directly support 60,000 rural people, including women, youth, persons with disabilities and internally displaced people. It aims to strengthen food value chains, improve household incomes and promote food and nutrition security in areas heavily affected by poverty, climate pressures and insecurity.
IFAD President Alvaro Lario stated that the project reflects IFAD’s commitment to helping Burkina Faso build resilient food systems centered on inclusion, climate adaptation and rural transformation. The programme combines climate-resilient infrastructure investments with capacity-building, social inclusion and policy support to create sustainable agricultural growth.
ORIAM-SA will focus on strengthening several important agricultural value chains, including rice, cassava, maize, vegetables, poultry and pork production. The project also places strong emphasis on inclusion, ensuring that women make up 50 percent of participants while supporting youth-led rural enterprises and cooperatives.
The programme will support farmers and rural businesses through investments in market infrastructure, improved access to financial services, business planning assistance and partnerships with the private sector. These efforts are designed to improve competitiveness, increase market access and generate higher agricultural incomes.
A contingency mechanism has also been included in the project to allow rapid responses to climate-related or security-related shocks affecting rural communities. This is particularly important in Burkina Faso, where food insecurity and displacement continue to place significant pressure on rural populations and agricultural systems.
Agriculture remains the primary source of employment for more than 80 percent of Burkina Faso’s population, yet the sector continues to face challenges including low productivity, limited market integration and inadequate access to agricultural inputs. More than half of the rural population lives in poverty, while food insecurity affects around 12 percent of the country’s population.
The ORIAM-SA project aligns with Burkina Faso’s national food self-sufficiency priorities and IFAD’s Country Strategic Opportunities Programme. It also builds on lessons learned from previous IFAD-supported programmes, particularly the importance of rural infrastructure development, inclusive rural finance and secure land access.
Since 1977, IFAD has financed 18 rural development programmes and projects in Burkina Faso, investing more than US$461 million and directly benefiting over 623,000 rural households across the country.
