In Burkina Faso, food sovereignty and industrialisation are top priorities for greater national self-determination. Two food industry sectors, tomato paste production and sugar cane processing, have become the focus of Burkina Faso’s state-owned enterprises.
Thomas Sankara (1949-87), the great revolutionary leader of Burkina Faso who was assassinated, once famously stated, ‘Where is imperialism? Look at your plates when you eat. The imported rice, maize and millet; that is imperialism.’
Today, President Ibrahim Traoré is following in Sankara’s footsteps by placing food sovereignty at the forefront of national development after helping oust a Western-aligned leader in 2022.
Video credit: @rtburkina