The Programme agroalimentaire pour la résilience intégrée et le développement économique du Sahel (Pro-ARIDES) has reported significant achievements in its first phase, which ran from 2021 to 2025. The program has successfully recovered approximately 60,000 hectares of degraded land and supported over 50,000 agricultural households in improving their production. This was achieved through the provision of inputs, equipment, and capacity-building initiatives.
The program, funded by the Netherlands and Denmark to the tune of €125.4 million, with €32.8 million allocated to Burkina Faso, is implemented by a consortium led by SNV in partnership with CARE Netherlands, Wageningen University & Research, and the Royal Tropical Institute (KIT). Pro-ARIDES operates in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, with the goal of strengthening the resilience of populations, food and nutrition security, land governance, and local economic development.
In addition to land recovery and agricultural support, Pro-ARIDES has contributed to the training and installation of over 250 women and young people in various professions, providing them with starter kits. The program has also supported over 400 small and medium-sized enterprises, facilitating their access to financing and enhancing their technical and managerial capacities. Furthermore, the program has made progress in securing land tenure, with 21 land titles obtained and over 150 rural land possession certificates issued.
The program's achievements were presented at the first 2026 session of the National Consultative Committee, held on October 29, 2026, in Ouagadougou. The committee, presided over by Blaise Yoda, Director General of Rural World Organization and Development, brings together institutional actors and program partners to review results, identify implementation constraints, and define necessary orientations for consolidating the achievements of the first phase.
As Pro-ARIDES enters its second phase, the focus shifts to sustaining its achievements and ensuring long-term impact. According to Nadine Bonkoungou/Koné, Deputy Country Director of SNV, the program aims to transform its achievements into sustainable changes that can be maintained beyond the program's intervention period. This involves strengthening national and local leadership, consolidating governance mechanisms, supporting promising economic sectors, and promoting solutions adapted to local realities.
The second phase of Pro-ARIDES will also prioritize the articulation of program interventions with public policies and national priorities, particularly in the areas of food sovereignty, endogenous resource valorization, and population resilience. The program's impact is also appreciated at the local level, with commune authorities expressing satisfaction with the achievements recorded during the first phase.
The sustainability of Pro-ARIDES' achievements will be ensured through the National Consultative Committee, which provides a platform for dialogue, accountability, and strategic orientation. The committee enables representatives of the administration, territorial collectivities, producer organizations, and other stakeholders to review results, identify challenges, and formulate recommendations for improving program implementation.
Key points
- Pro-ARIDES has recovered approximately 60,000 hectares of degraded land and supported over 50,000 agricultural households in Burkina Faso during its first phase.
