Burkina Faso has been elected to the Council of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO). The West African nation will serve on the FAO Council from January 2027 to June 2028, while neighbouring Niger is set to begin its term earlier, from July 2025 to December 2026.
The head of the Burkinabe delegation, Cyril Ghanou Badolo, declared that “Burkina Faso had achieved agrarian policy and food security,” attributing this progress to years of government investment in sustainable agriculture and community-based food programmes.
Burkina Faso’s nomination and subsequent election to the FAO Council were supported by several African and international partners, acknowledging its efforts to transform its agricultural sector amid growing environmental and security challenges in the region.
The FAO Council is a key governing body that helps set priorities and oversee the implementation of global food and agriculture policies. Membership offers countries a voice in shaping international agricultural strategy and addressing urgent challenges, such as food insecurity, climate change, and sustainable development.
Niger’s upcoming term on the Council also reflects regional commitment to improving agricultural outcomes and addressing shared challenges in the Sahel region.
It will be recalled that Burkina Faso earlier launched a major agricultural campaign funded by internally generated revenues. On 22 May 2025, President Ibrahim Traoré handed over more than 104 billion CFA francs (approximately $172 million) worth of agricultural equipment and inputs to farmers in Bobo-Dioulasso.
The agricultural support is part of the government’s plan to achieve food self-sufficiency and create decent jobs in the rural sector. It falls under two major initiatives: the “Offensive agropastorale et halieutique 2023–2025” and the Presidential Initiative for Agricultural Production.
Also, the country has been making efforts to end the export of raw agricultural products by investing heavily in local processing industries. The latest move was the launch of a CFA 6.65 billion ($11.5 million) cashew processing factory in Péni, located in the Hauts-Bassins region.
President Ibrahim Traoré flagged off the construction of the facility on 22 May. Once completed in December 2025, the plant will process 5,000 tonnes of cashew nuts annually and produce derivatives, including juice, wine, vinegar, and alcohol, from cashew apples. The project is being executed by the Burkina Faso Council for Agropastoral and Fisheries Sectors (CBF).
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