Access to Land in Burkina Faso: A Guarantee of the Resilience of Local Food Systems

Abstract

The earth does not lie,” it is often said. There is all the recognition of potential to be drawn from the earth. In Burkina Faso, in addition to the security crisis that reduces access to arable land, there are many disputes related to land (agricultural and residential lands) that endanger access to land ; whereas the guarantee of a long-term enjoyment of land is only true for a recognized owner: hence the need to highlight the issue of access to land. But how can access to land be a means of resilience for local food systems ? Access to land is a guarantee of better agricultural productivity over time and therefore a means of resistance in local food systems. Indeed in the particular context of Burkina Faso, it is a means of resistance of local food systems because on the one hand, it ensures that local production primarily covers the needs of local populations by ensuring that all necessary means are available to farmers while protecting them from foreign agricultural and food products ; and on the other hand, because it allows people to participate in the choice of their agricultural policies while ensuring that their rights are recognized.