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Stay here worldbenchmarkingalliance.orgNeema Agricole du Faso SA (NAFASO) was founded in 2008 in Burkina Faso and now employs 40 permanent staff, 1,500 seasonal workers and 1,200 temporary workers. The company is active primarily in maize, sorghum and cowpea, producing 5,000 tons of seed per season. It has a broad distribution network of 50 stores and 450 retailers in 11 index countries.
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Access to Seeds Index
Western and Central Africa
NAFASO ranks 20th in the 2019 Index for Western and Central Africa, demonstrating clear disparities across the measurement areas. A lack of disclosure, public or otherwise, on policies, activities and positions concerning Genetic Resources and Intellectual Property results in zero scores in both areas. Similarly, although the company does not have its own breeding program, it does not provide information on any collaborative research it undertakes. The best scores are primarily a result of successful partnerships, notably with West Africa Food Markets in Seed Production and the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) in Capacity Building. In Marketing & Sales, in which the company performs best, it demonstrates a broad distribution network in 11 index countries, including its home market of Burkina Faso, where it partners with agro-dealers to reach smallholder farmers across the country.
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| Sales | |
|---|---|
| bfa | |
| Field crops | |
| Cowpea | |
| Groundnut | |
| Maize | |
| Millets | |
| Potato | |
| Rice,paddy | |
| Sesame | |
| Sorghum | |
| Soybean | |
| Sunflower | |
| Vegetables | |
| Onion |
NAFASO partners with several organizations in the region, including the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF/WECARD), AGRA and West Africa Food Markets. In the case of the latter, the company is a signatory of a project to increase the production and commercialization of maize, millet and sorghum varieties to tackle food security issues in Burkina Faso, Ghana and Niger. Specifically, NAFASO works with growers to test new varieties and distribute seed through village stores.
NAFASO is encouraged to disclose its position on matters, such as the practice of farm-saved seed, related to Intellectual Property, and the activities it undertakes to conserve regional agrobiodiversity in relation to Genetic Resources.
The company is encouraged to adopt a corporate position regarding improving access to seeds for smallholder farmers, including setting corporate targets and implementing a robust tracking mechanism.
While the company performs best in Marketing & Sales, it can improve its performance by disclosing the availability of its portfolio in the index countries where it is present, outside its home market.
NAFASO’s CEO reports that the company is aiming to raise awareness of and produce seed adapted to the effects of climate change, citing climate change and demographic growth as the two major challenges facing the African continent.
The company has a corporate goal to make improved seed varieties more accessible to smallholder farmers, aiming to make 50% of smallholders in Burkina Faso aware of its seed by 2020.
The company produces certified seed, which it reports has the potential to improve local agricultural yields by 40%. Quality assurance is provided by state-approved laboratories that certify the seed. The company increased its production capacity from 100 tons to 5,000 tons per season between 2008 and 2016, using a network of 200 seed producers across eight regions in Burkina Faso (72 individuals and 18 farmer cooperatives).
The company has a broad distribution network across 11 index countries and uses demonstrations of good agricultural practices, radio advertisements and field days to increase its visibility. In its home market, NAFASO engages the Association of Agro-dealers in Burkina Faso and AGRIFARE, a large private agro-dealer, to create a sizeable network of agro-dealer shops to increase farmers’ access to quality seed and other inputs.
The company reports that consulting, training and supervision are included in its development strategy. It partners with AGRA, using extension officials to organize seed production groups, promote the importance of certified seed and provide basic financial management training, to enable smallholders to build their farms into viable businesses.
NAFASO’s CEO reported that the company is planning to establish an agricultural training center for young farmers, a key target group for regional capacity building.
Access to Seeds Index
Western and Central Africa
