The Burkinabe government adopted three decrees on Thursday creating the Faso-Agropole Company (SOFA), a holding company that brings together five strategic, 100% state-owned
agropoles.
This is being touted as part of the food sovereignty policy championed by the ‘Popular Progressive Revolution’.
The Council of Ministers, meeting this Thursday, February 5, under the chairmanship of Captain Ibrahim Traore, made important decisions to strengthen the country’s food sovereignty, according to the government spokesperson, Pingdwende Gilbert Ouedraogo.
Under the Ministry of Agriculture, Water, Animal Resources, and Fisheries, the executive adopted three structuring decrees marking a significant step forward in national agricultural policy, stated
Commander Ismael Sombie, Minister of State.
The first decree formalizes the acquisition of private shares held in the former Sourou-pole (10%) and Bagre-pole (5%) companies, thus bringing their capital to 100% public ownership. This nationalisation aims to consolidate state control over these strategic infrastructures.
The second decree establishes the Faso-Agropole Company (SOFA), a holding company that federates five nationally important agropoles:
The Sourou Agropole (formerly Sourou-pole), the Nakambe Agropole (formerly Bagre-pole), the Samendeni Agropole, the Comoe Agropole, and the Liptako-Gourma Agropole.
These hubs incorporate a multi-sectoral approach combining agriculture, livestock farming, fishing, and tourism. For example, the Bagre ecotourism centre, also known as Toma-Ile, illustrates this vision of cross-sectoral and profitable development.
The third decree defines the statutes of SOFA and establishes the governance bodies necessary for the optimal functioning of this new entity, which is intended to manage all the agropoles in Burkina Faso.
This institutional reform is in line with the vision of the revolution and reflects the Burkinabe authorities’ commitment to strengthening public control over the levers of national agricultural production.
HO/ac/fss/as/APA