Passor©: Ousmane Dicko, the communications officer for the Association for Environmental Protection and Rural Development (APEDR) in Yako, successfully defended his Master's thesis in Communication for Development on Friday, July 24, 2026, at the Free University of Burkina Faso (ULB) in Ouagadougou. In his presentation, he demonstrated that community-based communication is a key factor in the adoption of agroecological practices by farmers.
According to Burkina Information Agency, the study conducted with producers in the commune of Yako and entitled "APEDR's communication approaches for the promotion of agroecology in Yako" analyzes the communication strategies deployed by APEDR to support farmers in the transition to sustainable agricultural practices in Passor©.
The results reveal that the effectiveness of agroecology promotion actions relies as much on technical innovations as on participatory approaches that prioritize dialogue, listening, proximity, practical demonstrations and the valorization of local knowledge.
According to the study data, 96.1% of the producers surveyed stated that they had changed their agricultural practices thanks to this support.
The applicant also stressed that the obstacles to the adoption of agroecology in Yako are not cultural but mainly related to the economic and climatic context, hence the need to adopt a communication approach linked to the specific realities of the communities.
For Ousmane Dicko, "communication is not simply an information tool. It is a strategic lever for social transformation, capable of creating trust, fostering community participation, and sustainably supporting behavioral change."
The conclusions of his research work offer avenues for action to local development organizations, local authorities, state technical services and partners involved in the implementation of the National Strategy for the Development of Agroecology, by suggesting a strengthening of local communication and the promotion of national languages.
At the end of the defense, the work of the person in charge of APEDR was awarded a grade of 17/20, with the distinction of "very good".