The Brussels Development Briefing no. 48 on “Strengthening rural livelihoods in the face of rapid urbanisation in Africa” took place on 20th March 2017 from 14:00 to 18:00, at the ACP Secretariat (Avenue Georges Henri 451, 1200 Brussels, Room C). This Briefing was co-organised by CTA, BMZ/GIZ, the ACP Secretariat, European Commission (DG DEVCO) and Concord

1. Increasing the added value of local
products for urban markets: the
experience of the FEPAB
Omar OUEDRAOGO

2. THE FEPAB AND ITS ACTION
• The FEPAB: a network of 27 member unions,
6,131 groupings and 241,261 individual members
since 1997 (see www.fapab.bf)
• Actions: production, processing and marketing of
maize, cowpea and Non-Wood Forest Products
(NWFP)
• Partners: EU, AFD, ARA, Dutch Cooperation,
WFP and the state of Burkina Faso…

3. THE FEPAB AND ITS ACTION
Improvement of the quality and
the promotion of maize for the
purchase and usage of post-
harvest equipment (shellers,
cleaners and sacks…)
Artisanal and semi-industrial
processing of maize into flour and
meal

4. THE FEPAB AND ITS ACTION
Processing of cowpea (biscuits,
cakes) to take into account the
issue of nutrition in an urban
environment
Processing of NWFP to protect
natural resources

5. METHODS USED TO SUPPLY URBAN
MARKETS
FEPAB STOCKS
(Network of 49 shops
with a capacity of more
than 12,000 tonnes
Consumers
- Traders
- Large factories
(mills and
breweries)
Provision of national
stocks to ensure food
safetyInstitutional sales

6. REASONS TO BE SATISFIED
• Gradual penetration of the urban
markers previously dominated by
imports (wheat, rice, pasta)
thereby contributing to food
sovereignty
• Increasingly secure market with
the private sector
• The quality of our products helps
to attract consumers
• More than 262 million earned in
2015
• Employment of young people and
women in the rural and urban
environments
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
2012 2013 2014 2015
Maize sales over the last four agricultural
campaigns
Processors Consumers
Institutional purchases Private sector (factories, traders)

7. DIFFICULTIES BUT ALSO PROSPECTS
Major difficulties Experimental solutions Prospects
High cost of post-harvest
equipment and processing
units
- Sharing of post-
harvesting equipment
- Usage of artisanal units,
which does have certain
consequences
Partnerships with a view
to the acquisition of more
equipment and semi-
industrial units
Marketing weaknesses
(metrology, packaging,
local sales…)
Marketing training Expand marketing
capacity

8. DIFFICULTIES BUT ALSO PROSPECTS
Major difficulties Experimental solutions Prospects
Lack of financing for actions
upstream and downstream of the
chain
Usage of micro-finance Discussions with commercial
banks and advocacy in favour
of the creation of an
agricultural bank
Problems related to storage
infrastructures and poor state of
road infrastructures
Storage in traditional granaries in
the hope that traditional
warehouses will be built
Advocacy in favour of the
development of storage,
transport and market
infrastructures
- Sale of surplus
- Obstacles to trade in cereals in
West Africa
Exploration of the potential of the
sub-regional market (Niger,
Ghana, Mali)
- Advocacy for the free
movement of goods and
people
- Taking part in ECOWAS
calls for tender

9. Thank you for your kind attention