The vast majority of Burkina Faso’s population relies on subsistence agriculture, and the country is increasingly plagued with drought, floods and climate-related pest invasions and diseases, often creating a need for humanitarian response.

Homegrown practices in water conservation and other improvements in agriculture such as offseason production are enabling the country to avoid major crises caused by recurrent climatic shocks. Nevertheless, more than 3.5 million people, or roughly 20 percent of the population, remain food insecure. Although there has not been a full scale crisis since the 2012 drought, USAID is partnering with the Government of Burkina Faso (GoBF) and other donors to prime rural populations with the means to withstand future expected climatic and other shocks.