Stone lines against desertification - a success story from Burkina Faso

In Burkina Faso the supply of potentially usable farmland has been exhausted. The only way to feed the rapidly growing population in future is by increasing yields on existing farmland. The construction of stone contour lines enables rainwater to be better used and curbs erosion.

The construction of stone lines combined with organic fertiliser use has doubled cereal yields. The farmers invest a great deal of unpaid labour but still need support to transport the stones. The activities of successful projects should not be terminated but rather continued and scaled up.

Melchior Landolt
Agro-economist
Terra-Verde e.V.
Kirchheim/Teck, Germany
kontakt@terra-verde.de

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