Forging paths towards climate-smart livestock in Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso's livestock industry encompasses a wide range of activities, including cattle, poultry, and small ruminant farming. Despite its importance, this sector faces challenges, particularly in contributing to greenhouse gas emissions, notably enteric methane from the large ruminant population. In a commitment to combat these challenges, Burkina Faso, as a signatory of the Paris Agreement, is dedicated to robust climate action. The nation aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while simultaneously enhancing community resilience to climate change impacts.

To advance these goals, Burkina Faso is preparing to host a practical training and multi-stakeholder consultative workshop. The focus will be on elevating national climate actions by increasing the ambitions of livestock-related commitments outlined in its nationally determined contributions.

Objectives

These events aim to kickstart the implementation of recommendations from a recent report on livestock climate actions in Burkina Faso. This report, a collaboration between the FAO and the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal, and Fisheries Resources, provides recommendations on enhancing the country's nationally determined contributions. The suggestions include improving carbon sequestration in pastoral areas, reducing enteric methane through advancements in livestock feeding, animal health, and genetic performance, and building the capacities of livestock stakeholders in adopting and transferring green technologies to minimize emissions across various stages of the animal sector.

The objective is also to facilitate knowledge-sharing and collaboration among stakeholders in the livestock sectors. This includes government representatives, research institutions, civil society organizations, and the private sector. These events are scheduled to take place from November 13 to 16, 2023, in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, under the FAO Flexible Voluntary Contributions (FVC) subprogramme on "Scaling up climate actions to enhance nationally determined contributions, climate, and livestock."

About the training

The hands-on training will equip participants with a comprehensive understanding of the intersection between livestock and climate change. It will cover policy considerations, sources of greenhouse gas emissions, best mitigation practices, and climate-smart approaches. Participants will learn how to utilize practical tools to assess greenhouse gas emissions, enabling evidence-based decision-making.

About the workshop

The workshop aims to bring together a diverse array of national stakeholders to explore innovative approaches and collaborative strategies for reducing methane and other greenhouse gas emissions from livestock activities. Simultaneously, the workshop will serve as a dynamic forum for dialogue, with the goal of identifying challenges, opportunities, and actionable solutions to address climate change in Burkina Faso's livestock sector. This workshop intends to foster exchange, nurture partnerships, and develop a shared vision for a sustainable and climate-resilient livestock sector.