Land Tenure and Rural Development in Burkina Faso: Issues and strategies

Burkina Faso’s economy is based on agriculture, livestock, and forestry. Land is the mainstay of economic activity, particularly in rural areas, and it is a determining factor in the cohesion of rural communities and vital to the country’s development. Assured access to land is the first condition for encouraging increased productivity and investment in rural activities, which is why security of tenure has been one of the main concerns of those involved in development work over the last two decades. Adverse climatic conditions and increased human activity have reduced the cultivable land area, so pressure on land has become increasingly acute in many parts of the country. This paper looks at how to integrate land tenure issues into development policy and strategy by looking at the problems raised by changing approaches to development and examining the land tenure issues which may hinder more sustainable production.