The Tree of Paradise (Moringa) in Burkina Faso

AFRICA, Burkina Faso, Stories

Map of Burkina Fasopresented by Mr Moise Sawadogo (May 2018)

Burkina Faso is a country in West Africa where Moringa has grown for many centuries. Burkina Faso (formerly the Republic of Upper Volta) literally means “Land of Men of integrity”, and is called Burkina for short.

It has an area of 274,000 km², with a population of around 18.6 million divided between 60 ethnic groups. The population density is about 68 inhabitants per square kilometer (World Bank, 2016) and the population growth rate is 2.9% .

Neighbouring countries include Mali in the north and west, Niger to the east, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south and Ivory Coast in the southwest.

The History of Moringa in Burkina Faso

Burkina faso moringa plantation 03The main two ethnic groups of Burkina call Moringa “the Tree of Paradise”. (It is “Arzantiiga” in Moré language and “Ardjana Yiri” in the Dioula language – both mean “the tree of paradise”.)

Moringa was first introduced to Burkina Faso in the colonial period and especially during the times when African Muslims made the pilgrimage to Mecca on foot. After the Hajj rites, pilgrims would be physically exhausted and many would fall on the return journey, especially in Sudan. (It should be recalled that nowadays there is a strong Burkinabe community in Sudan numbering around 2 million people.)

In Sudan they would use the leaves of the Moringa as a drink for patients and also for washing them. The Sudanese people would also include moringa leaves when cooking foufou, which they fed to the sick pilgrims. The results were remarkable!  Patients would  recover their health in record time, with strength to continue the journey home.

Hence their exclamations in Moré language “ad tiig kanga ya arzan tiiga” which means, “this tree is really a tree of paradise.” And it was the same expression in the Dioula language.

Since then, people first used the leaves, bark and seeds for traditional medicine. The leaves are the most popular being used as an ingredient in foufou.

The interest of the various uses of moringa really started in the 90s with different projects that were introduced to Burkina, such as GTZ and international sponsorship plan etc. The selling of Moringa powder and seeds did not begin until the 2000s. The main interest in moringa began in 2009.

Meet the Burkina AMH Team

Burkina AMH Team 2

We began our Hub program by asking questions of moringa producers and consumers in Burkina Faso. We needed to identify those who were already involved in the Moringa Burkina.

Next we identified producers and made them aware of the organic production of Moringa. We found that many of them were already producing organic Moringa. Some did so by conviction, and others because they could not afford chemicals.  And they lacked knowledge about organic fertilizers and pesticides.

We encouraged them to continue to produce moringa. We also offered training in composting techniques, pesticides and bio insecticides.

These are the questions our team asked:

  1. What parts of Moringa are used by Burkinabe populations?
  2. How is Moringa produced and what species are grown in Burkina? What is transformed in Burkina Faso?
  3. How is Moringa sold in Burkina Faso and what are the circuits flow of Moringa products?
  4. What Moringa products are regularly requested in Burkina Faso?
  5. Does the supply in Moringa satisfy the population’s demand?

Strengths and Weaknesses

moringa-seedlings-burkina-faso-05.jpg

Our weaknesses are:

  • Our team is young,
  • We operate with our own means which are limited,
  • Some producers are discouraged and abandoned the growing of Moringa, because they were not paid a fair price by some players, thus we need to restore their confidence;
  • We need to convert some producers into organic producers, which requires funds;
  • We already have areas identified, but currently these areas are in the insecure red (terrorist) zone.
  • Insufficient framework to communicate with some players.
  • The lack of framework structures working in the extension of Moringa plantations
  • The lack of official document of representation of AMH in Burkina Faso. This could give us the strength and legality to operate as a full NGO. (If we had such a document, it could be used in the search for financing for rural producers.)
  • The lack of a functioning agricultural bank for producers of Moringa in Burkina Faso.

Our Strengths are:

  • We have a dynamic and committed team
  • We have diversified and varied skills
  • The demand for organic Moringa products is rising and many people are committed in producing organic Moringa
  • The existence of several organic producers in several localities.
  • Many people have realized the many opportunities that can be offer to them by Moringa.
  • We have the support of the HUB members at the central level and in others country.
  • We regularly receive encouragement from the executive management of AFRICA MORINGA HUB, Trustees and the Moringa Family in Africa (Anglophone and Francophone groups).