During the rainy season in Dodougou, a village about 30 km from Bobo-Dioulasso in western Burkina Faso, Marthe Toé is already at work on her 40-hectare farm. The Lawataan Centre, which means “God is here” in the local language, is where the 54-year-old widow dedicates her time. She heads to the moringa nursery to check on the young plants. They don’t tolerate excess water well, she says, and it rained heavily recently.
Moringa is just one of the plants she grows on her farmland, which is 58% wooded savannah, 21% bushy savannah, and 21% agroforestry park.
In 2015, Mrs. Toé left her accounting job to establish the Lawataan Centre with the support of her late husband, after completing an 18-month permaculture training in Bobo-Dioulasso and Ghana. She transformed her farm into an assisted natural regeneration site, using permaculture practices to restore biodiversity, prevent land degradation, and increase productivity. A key part of this effort is her work with moringa, a plant known for its resilience and nutritional value. By cultivating moringa, Mrs. Toé promotes biodiversity and helps her land thrive in a sustainable way.
Mrs. Toé explains that she follows the three core principles of permaculture: caring for the earth, caring for people, and sharing resources equitably. Her efforts have revitalized her land with diverse flora and fauna. She reports that the site now hosts at least 24 plant families, 54 animal species, and 59 types of woody plants, many of which had previously vanished. The site also holds scientific significance for vocational schools and research.
To restore the soil, Mrs. Toé mulches and uses compost to improve soil fertility. She also constructs stone bunds and plants andropogon hedges to prevent erosion and trap moisture. Additionally, she harvests rainwater in storage basins, ensuring that both her plants and animals have access to water during the dry season. These practices, combined, contribute to healthier soil and a more resilient ecosystem.
In her agroforestry park, she cultivates trees, introducing species valued for their economic benefits, such as baobab and moringa, as well as those that enhance soil fertility, like gliricidia. Some of her trees also serve medicinal purposes, including turmeric, Securidaca longipedunculata, Fagara zanthoxyloides, and Trichilia emetica. These groves provide habitats for wildlife, such as birds, insects, and small mammals, supporting biodiversity in the area.
These practices have helped to transform the area. She says, “A few years ago, this area was a barren, rocky hill. Today, it has become a thriving sanctuary for biodiversity.”
Mrs. Toé produces various cereal and vegetable crops organically. She makes solid and liquid compost enriched with gliricidia sepium leaves for crop growth and practices beekeeping for honey and plant pollination. Mrs. Toé also engages in food and cosmetic processing using products from the centre. She says, “We have oil, moringa-based cosmetics, baobab leaf powder…” Mrs. Toé believes her initiative has generated employment opportunities for the local community. She notes that her center employs 15 permanent staff, including 8 women, and engages over 200 contractors.
Germain Simboro is the centre’s supervisor and recalls feeling hesitant about working there after completing his high school diploma. He says, “Honestly, I don’t regret it. I earn more than the minimum wage, and my salary is consistent.”
Cédric Kambiré is the regional director of the Institute of Applied Science and Technology Research (IRSAT) in Bobo-Dioulasso. He says permaculture allows a farmer to produce food while protecting biodiversity. Mr. Kambiré explains that the concept emerged in the 1970s to find resilient production solutions in the face of climate change.
Mr. Kambiré explains that effective permaculture practices involve allowing nature to regenerate naturally, with the option to support this process through the creation of groves and hedges, as Mrs. Toé does. He emphasizes that chemicals like pesticides and insecticides should be strictly avoided on a permaculture site. He says, “In a permaculture centre, nothing is wasted, everything is transformed.”
Mrs. Toé is pleased with the accomplishments of the Lawataan Centre after nine years of dedicated work. She now plans to venture into the field of green finance. Mrs. Toé concludes, “By combining permaculture with green finance solutions, we could amplify our environmental impact and create new economic opportunities for local communities.”
Photo: Mrs. Toé in the field, Burkina Faso, 2024
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