The data demonstrating the potential of these land recuperation activities
to improve yields is impressive. Production yields exceeded their targets
by 5 fold in a CRS 5 year Multi-Year Assistance Program in Burkina
Faso evaluated in the 2008-09 season. Farmers who had used two
or more of the promoted natural resource management practices
(half-moons, zai pockets, stone bunds, and compost, etc.) obtained
yields of 1,551 kg sorghum/ha and 1,138 kg millet/ha, compared
to 620 kg sorghum/ha and 437 kg millet/ha on plots where none of
the practices had been used. The magnitude of the increases was
corroborated by farmers visited, with testimonies of doubling of yields
or more by using these techniques7.
3. The disaster-affected population’s safe access to market goods
and services as producers, consumers and traders is protected and
promoted. (SPHERE Food security Livelihoods Standard 3: Access to
markets)
The RTE team found that certain communities are 7-10 km from a
market where they will spend their payments. For better access to
markets, EARLI (and other projects) can encourage communities to
advocate that local leaders facilitate an effective transport solution.
Some possible solutions might be a group purchase for an entire village
or group of villages that affords community members access to either
government subsidized cereals or offers a link with communities with
cereal banks who would sell to EARLI participants. The important
point here is not that the project implementer takes this on itself. In
order to effectively contribute to development efforts, it is critical to
empower project participants and their leadership to identify solutions
to gaps that may still exist in the context of an emergency intervention.
Project implementers and local leaders should rightfully see this as
an opportunity to build back better – that is, use this emergency
intervention as a chance to improve local infrastructure for the long term
as well as to respond to this immediate need.
4. Link to long-term development initiatives.
Primary production mechanisms are still very fragile given the state
of degradation in this zone, therefore EARLI might miss an important
opportunity if it doesn’t link its intervention to longer-term development
projects (whether state or INGO sponsored). This strategic approach will
more effectively contribute to sustainable solutions that address the root
causes of the crisis. The recent implementation of a regional network
of food security stocks (RESOGEST) is certainly a step in this direction.
National and regional government actors as well as private sector and
humanitarian actors agreed on the need for greater integration of long-
term strategies in emergency interventions.
7 Best, Rupert. Final Evaluation MYAP CRS / Burkina Faso; p.l. 480 Title II Development
Assistance Program; FY2004 – FY2009
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