Burundi’s extreme poverty is largely due to the fact that more than 90 percent of the population on subsistence agriculture—and the agriculture sector has one of the lowest productivity rates in the world.

DAI is supporting Burundi’s efforts to respond to changes in the world agricultural market that occured in the 1990s, when Burundi was mired in crisis, and to revitalize the country’s agricultural sector. The Burundi Agribusiness Program (BAP) will develop agro-enterprises that will raise rural incomes; diversify economic opportunity; strengthen competitive, commodity-based value chains that link producers to domestic, regional, and international markets; and stabilize the country so it does not relapse into chaos and bloodshed.

The DAI team is working to:

Facilitate the state’s disengagement from the main agribusiness value chains and create a new value chain architecture that draws on the strengths of small farmers and the private sector.

Reacquaint Burundians with an international market that has evolved considerably in the past 13 years.

Defuse the potential for conflict rooted in four decades of cyclical turbulence.

Overcome serious structural and environmental challenges.

Rebuild from the decapitalization that occurred during the civil war, in terms of both rural household assets and value chain infrastructure.

To achieve these goals, DAI is focusing first on the country’s coffee value chain. Given Burundi’s existing production base and considerable agro-ecological potential, there is considerable potential to provide high-quality product and access fair trade opportunities. We will identify additional value chains that have growth potential and support them in later years. We will train producers and enterprises in collaboration, quality standards, and post-harvest handling procedures. In addition, we will examine financing options, strengthen agricultural associations, and support initiatives that resolve land disputes.