SSNUP project completion: Organic certification for farmers and cooperatives in Burkina Faso
In January 2025, smallholder farmers in Burkina Faso faced a new EU regulatory requirement for organic certification to be held directly by farmer cooperatives rather than by processing or exporting companies. While intended to empower producers, many risked losing access to organic markets due to limited organisation and resources, potentially reducing income and threatening sustainable farming practices.
To address this, SSNUP sponsored a project by the Food Securities Fund, a fund that the impact investor Clarmondial advises, to assist supplying farmers’ cooperatives and mango-drying units of the mango and cashew nut processor gebana Burkina Faso in obtaining organic certification between September 2024 and April 2025. In addition, the farmers and cooperatives received training in internal control, good agricultural practices and organic production. As few women participate in decision-making or leadership of the farmers’ cooperatives, the project also strengthened their role by providing leadership and gender training.
The project helped three farmers’ cooperatives and three mango-drying units to obtain organic certification in compliance with the EU rules, thereby securing market access for nearly 4,000 smallholder farmers and their families while strengthening their autonomy and resilience. By reducing their reliance on external traders for certification, the cooperatives and processing units gained greater control over product quality and market access which in turn improved their economic independence and resilience.