SUMBALA: Sustainable Women's Entrepreneurship to Build Innovative Local Food Systems

Detailed project description:

Réseau MARP Burkina (RM) is a non-profit organization established in 1992, recognized by Burkinabe law in 1998, and re-registered in 2017. RM has over 25 years of experience working across all 45 provinces of Burkina Faso, focusing on sustainable natural resource management, rural entrepreneurship, and poverty reduction. The organization collaborates with 632 farmer groups, including 378 women's groups, impacting 22,100 farmers. RM's mission is to promote participatory approaches to enhance community resilience. A key area of focus is supporting women’s cooperatives in the production and marketing of non-timber forest products (NTFPs), a sustainable farming practice that helps combat food insecurity. Despite their potential, these cooperatives face challenges in entrepreneurship, market access, and networking. To address these issues, RM, in collaboration with VU Amsterdam, implemented a project to improve market access and entrepreneurial skills for rural women. Building on this, RM aims to further develop these skills, enhance partnerships, and leverage digital technologies to support women's organizations in NTFP commercialization.