From March 5 to 6, 2018, Inades-Formation Burkina organized a workshop to identify and document by-products and dishes based on sovereignty food. This activity, which brought together some thirty local agricultural product processors from the Boucle du Mouhoun region, took place in the conference room of the Dédougou Diocese Welcome Centre. Objective of this workshop: Produce, in a participatory way, a capitalization document on by-products and dishes based on sovereignty food.
In 2017, Inades-Formation Burkina embarked on the implementation of the Program for the valorization of sovereignty food for sufficient, healthy and sustainable food for the populations of African countries south of the Sahara. This three-year program is implemented by eight member countries of the Inades-Formation network. It aims to promote food systems based on family farming for a decent life for all. In Burkina Faso, the Program, financed by the German NGO MISEREOR through the Inades-Formation General Secretariat, is implemented by Inades-Formation Burkina in the Boucle du Mouhoun region. This program aims to help promote the production, processing and consumption of three food crops: millet, cowpea and fonio. The organization of the workshop for the identification and documentation of the by-products and dishes based on sovereignty food is part of this dynamics.
Sovereignty food, food products historically anchored in the life of a given population
For Inades-Formation, the notion of sovereignty food refers to food products of plant and animal origin, historically anchored in the eating habits of the populations of a given region, in trade, in cultural practices. These products are known for their resistance to climate change, their nutritional quality and their low dependence on synthetic inputs. They play an important role in boosting the local economy. These are products for which the populations have developed a cumulative knowledge and know-how in terms of production and diversification of uses. Pascaline TAMBOURA/KIEMDE, Program Officer for Food Systems based on family farming at Inades-Formation Burkina, talks about the importance of promoting sovereignty food. “As far as food is concerned, we must and we can be independent from the outside world. We must put all the means necessary to be sovereign ». Pascaline TAMBOURA/KIEMDE was the main facilitator of the Dédougou workshop.
At this workshop for the identification and documentation of the by-products and dishes based on sovereignty food, guests, mainly women, came from two provinces of the Boucle du Mouhoun region. These are the Mouhoun and Kossi provinces. For two days, these women contributed to the identification and description of the various preparation stages of the different by-products and dishes based on sovereignty food. “From the information gathered from the workshop participants, I believe that we will be able to produce a very rich document on by-products and dishes based on sovereignty food, » says Pascaline TAMBOURA/KIEMDE.
Pascaline TAMBOURA/KIEMDE, Program Officer for Food Systems based on family farming facilitating the workshop
70 by-products and dishes identified and described
The first stage of the workshop consisted, after a brainstorming session, in the identification of by-products and dishes based on sovereignty food. Nearly 70 by-products and dishes were identified and grouped by category.
The by-products selected included, among other products: lumps of dèguè, couscous of millet, biscuits of small millet, bread of small millet, dèguè of fonio, cake of fonio, etc.
As far as the dishes are concerned, one can note the following: millet pancakes, small millet fritters, small millet porridge, small millet balls, etc.
« We can derive some satisfaction from the results of this workshop. We learned about the multitude and diversity of by-products and dishes based on sovereignty food that the participants revealed to us, » asserted Adama SOULAMA, Community Microfinance Program Officer at Inades-Formation Burkina and co-facilitator of the workshop.
In the second stage of the workshop, participants were asked to describe, in accordance with a framework, the various stages for the preparation of the identified dishes and by- products. The framework called for the following information to be collected for each by-products or dishes based on sovereignty food: the name of the knowledge holder, the equipment to be used, the different preparation steps, the time required for each step, ideas for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the product.
Targeted interviews with knowledge and know-how bearers on by-products and dishes based on sovereignty food
At the end of the workshop, Dakio Edith, one of the participants from Bonborokuy expressed her appreciation: « This workshop was a great opportunity to share knowledge about local dishes and it is a source of pride for us to talk about our dishes. As a women’s fonio processing organization, we were able to share our experience in the preparation of various dishes based on that food”. She added: « There are also fonio-based recipes that we did not know and that we discovered with other participants in this workshop”.
Cookies and cowpea croquettes produced by the processors of the Benkadi Lomé Group of Dédougou
A regional workshop is planned for April for the representatives of the eight countries implementing the Program for the valorization of sovereignty food for sufficient, healthy and sustainable food for the populations of African countries south of the Sahara. During this workshop, a summary document of the various by-products and dishes identified in the eight countries will be produced for distribution to a wide public.
