Socio-Economic Impacts of Access to Land in the Scattered Lowland Areas of the Kyon Commune (Burkina Faso): The Essapoun-Nebyapoun and Po Sub-Watersheds

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Résumé

The lowland farming areas of Essapoun- Nebyapoun and Po in the Kyon commune are marked by unequal access to and use of lowland ecosystems, particularly land. The aim of this study is to analyze the socio-economic impacts of land access arrangements in the scattered lowland areas of the Essapoun-Nebyapoun and Po sub-watersheds in the Kyon commune (Burkina Faso). This required the collection of primary and secondary data. The data collection methodology combines both quantitative and qualitative data collection from a target population made up of 190 lowland farmers, 04 landowners, 02 key people from each locality and 02 heads of producers’ associations. The data collected was processed and analysed using a discourse content analysis method, the interpretation of tables and pivot graphs, and the use of STRM and Google-Earth image databases. The socio-economic impacts of access to land were analyzed using the impact significance assessment method. The results of the study show unequal access to land between men and women in the research areas. Women, the majority of whom rent plots (41.11 %), are the most marginalized social strata in terms of access to land in the research area. Men generally access land through inheritance (27.75 %) and donation (24.61 %). The socio-economic impacts of access to land are more negative, long-lasting and of high intensity for women, whereas they are positive, long-lasting and of high intensity for men. Local authorities would therefore do well to put in place mechanisms to reduce land inequalities between men and women.

Mots-clés

land access, gender inequality, women farmers, land tenure, socio-economic impacts, land inheritance, land lease