As part of the F3PA project in Burkina Faso, we are working with our local project partner, Tiipaalga, to distribute improved three-stone cookstoves (Foyers Trois Pierres Améliorés). These more efficient cookstoves reduce the use of wood, improve living conditions for households and help conserve natural resources. In this post, you can read about the project’s activities in 2025 and the impact the project has had so far on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In 2025, the Birds, Bees & Business project in Burkina Faso took a significant step towards local ownership. The Fairtrade-certified women’s cooperative Dê Kigsina now manages the proceeds from the Fairtrade Carbon Credits and invests them entirely in climate adaptation and community development.
The cooperative represents more than 16,000 women who use improved F3PA cookstoves. Since the project began, over 35,000 cookstoves have been built and registered.
Investing in climate adaptation
Using the income from carbon credits, Dê Kigsina carried out various projects in 2025 that had been chosen by the women themselves. For example, 11 wells were repaired, an agro-ecological knowledge centre was built and 21 communal agricultural plots were established. These investments improve access to water, strengthen sustainable agriculture and make communities more resilient to climate change.
New opportunities for women
Economic development was also a key focus. Twenty-five women undertook training as soap-makers and were provided with the necessary materials to set up their own businesses. In addition, a training programme was set up for thirty women who are going into the poultry farming business.
To further increase its financial independence, the co-operative opened its own bank account in 2025. This enables it to manage the income from carbon credits and its investments in the community independently.
Outlook
A new three-year climate adaptation programme will begin in 2026. In addition, the project will be expanded to 56 new villages, enabling even more women to benefit from clean cooking stoves, sustainable agriculture and new economic opportunities.
