Born in Burkina Faso in 1946, Yacouba has experienced first-hand how the climate crisis has cause destruction of the land, turning it to desert. The rains became more and more irregular, resulting in Yacouba and others in his community having a lack of water to drink, for crops and use for cooking. The land became barren and infertile. It was becoming impossible for people to grow enough crops to feed themselves.
But all was not lost. Yacouba thought of a way to regenerate the land, making it green and able to sustain life once more. He is known across the world for his innovation. Yacouba is now involved in a Tree Aid project in Burkina Faso, helping others to regenerate their infertile land.
From dust to life
Zai is an ancient farming technique used in Burkina Faso. It involves digging pits in the soil, allowing water to flow in. While this technique had some success previously, Yacouba made it more and more successful. He began making the pits bigger and deeper than normal, as well as adding manure into the pit. This allowed more water to be stored, while also improving nutrients in the soil.
Yacouba also added stone bunding around the crops and planting pits. Previously, in the rainy season, the water would run off the soil without being absorbed and will cause soil erosion. By adding stone bunding, Yacouba trapped the water so that it slowly trickled through. This gives the soil time to absorb the water and to stop topsoil loss.
Yacouba’s innovation didn’t stop there. He also added termites to the planting pits. The termites began to aid Yacouba in his fight to restore the land. By breaking up the soil and providing more nutrients, the termites helped to improve the planting conditions for crops and trees.
This technique made him famous across the world and has helped regenerate vast areas of land.
