Driving Sustainable Livestock Value Chain and Youth Empowerment in Burkina Faso

In the thriving rural community of Diebougou, Burkina-Faso, SCOOPS BCD, the agricultural cooperative SCOOPS BCD is proving how local initiative and smart partnerships can transform lives. With support from the Agri-Business Facility for Africa (ABF) through its Matching Grant Fund (MGF), the cooperative is boosting productivity, strengthening climate resilience, and driving inclusive economic growth at the grassroots level.

Building Skills and Local Capacity
Backed by the MGF, SCOOPS BCD has trained 45 youth and women in Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), climate-smart livestock production, and livestock-fattening techniques. These hands-on trainings have elevated both the quality and quantity of farm output, equipping members with the knowledge to adapt to climate challenges and seize new market opportunities.

Expanding a Thriving Livestock Enterprise
Livestock management is at the heart of SCOOPS BCD’s growth. The cooperative now tends 150 cows and 40 sheep with impressive efficiency. A key innovation is a locally produced organic fodder mix: a blend of groundnut, cowpea and maize leaves, cottonseed cake, and salt, that improves animal nutrition while cutting costs. Healthier animals mean higher yields and reduced dependence on expensive commercial feed.

Creating Jobs and Sustaining Livelihoods
Perhaps the most tangible impact is in employment and income generation. SCOOPS BCD has created 18 new jobs,10 for young people and 8 for women, across maize and cowpea farms, livestock operations, and a community meat market. These jobs provide steady incomes and valuable experience, allowing families to build a more secure future.

Sie Houmpa Juste  Kam (L), Project Accountant of SCOOPS BCD on the maize field with Dr.Bernard Agbo (R) Technical Advisor from GIZ-ABF

“The cooperative society has benefited from financing for the sustainable intensification of livestock and meat production in Diébougou. This project has strengthened the capacities of local actors and created numerous jobs. We had to employ many people,”- Sie Houmpa Juste Kam, Project Accountant of SCOOPS BCD

Personal Stories of Change
Behind the numbers are real people making real progress. A young farmer, Somè, now supports herself and her younger siblings with income earned from the cooperative’s cowpea fields.

“Working with the SCOOPS BCD farm allows me to support my younger brothers and sisters, since our parents cannot provide for us. I’ve gained more than my income. I’ve learned practical farming skills, like how to properly space bean seedlings and plant three seeds per hole so they grow strong together.” Ms. Somè

For Malick, it’s the chance to stay in school, funding his education through his work on the maize farm.

“While continuing my studies, I work on the farm to pay for my education and daily needs. Beyond the earnings, I’m gaining valuable agricultural knowledge that will serve me well into the future.” - Traore Malick

Innovation at the Core: Clean Energy from Cow Dung
SCOOPS BCD is also turning agricultural waste into opportunity. The cooperative converts cow dung into biogas, providing clean cooking fuel for its community restaurant. This circular solution reduces firewood use, lowers emissions, and showcases how rural enterprises can embrace sustainable energy.

A Scalable Model for Rural Transformation
What’s unfolding in Diébougou is more than a local success. It’s a replicable model of how targeted investment, skills development, and grassroots leadership can reshape rural economies. SCOOPS BCD demonstrates that, with the right support, local cooperatives can become engines of innovation, resilience, and inclusive growth.

The Power of Partnership
The achievements of SCOOPS BCD are made possible through the Matching Grant Fund (MGF), part of the Joint Action “Business Support Facility for Resilient Agricultural Value Chains.” The initiative is co-funded by the European Union under the Samoa Agreement with the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by GIZ.