OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso — A four-day training workshop initiated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), in collaboration with Sol Vert and ASUDEC, began on Tuesday, focusing on the management of agrosilvopastoral cooperative societies. The workshop targets approximately forty women and young people from the Center-South and Center-East regions, who are members of rural development associations.

According to Burkina Information Agency, a session moderator representing Sol Vert, the workshop, running from July 23 to 26, 2024, will cover various aspects of cooperative management. Participants will explore the fundamentals of cooperatives, common management challenges, tools for managing a production cooperative, and strategies for connecting cooperatives to the market. Jacques Somda, the IUCN program manager in Burkina Faso, emphasized that the training aims to enhance the efficiency of cooperative managers and improve the operational effectiveness of their organizations.

Somda highlighted the ongoing challenges faced by these cooperatives in becoming more efficient, attributed to the lack of proper management tools. “Providing these tools was a crucial missing element in our system, and by equipping managers with these capabilities, we hope to motivate members to actively contribute to the cooperative’s success and profitability,” he said.

The workshop also ties into the broader objectives of the “Lands of Opportunity in the Sahel” (LOGMe) project, which aims to restore landscapes in the Sahel while fostering income-generating activities for local communities. This project has led to the creation of infrastructure such as market gardens and product processing units, and has provided support in honey and shea butter production, along with technical training.

Martine Koutiangba, representing the Gnoanitoua-miel beekeeping cooperative in Tiébélé, expressed the timely nature of the training. She noted that the knowledge gained would empower cooperative managers to improve management practices and ensure the sustainability of their operations.

The workshop also offers an opportunity for participants to disseminate their newly acquired skills to their community members, enhancing the overall efficiency and future readiness of the cooperatives. The LOGMe project’s impacts extend across seven municipalities in the Center-East and Center-South regions and is supported by the Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Security through the Global Mechanism of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. This initiative is part of a tri-national effort that includes Ghana and Niger.