Codex Trust Fund country story: Burkina Faso

Overview

This testimonial illustrates how support from the Codex Trust Fund’s second phase (CTF2) helped transform Burkina Faso from a passive participant in Codex activities to a dynamic contributor. The CTF2 project revitalized the National Codex Committee (NCC), expanded its membership to include laboratory, academic, and regulatory experts, and significantly raised national awareness of Codex among political and technical stakeholders. The NCC is now embedded in national food control efforts and contributes actively to Codex standard-setting, including work on dried meat, follow-up formula, ready-to-use therapeutic foods and shea butter. Burkina Faso’s journey stands as a clear example of how CTF2 can build lasting capacity, improve food safety systems, and deliver real economic and social benefits. Burkina Faso’s Codex journey demonstrates the powerful synergy between national commitment, regional collaboration (via CCAFRICA), and international support (via the CTF). It underscores how investments in standards, capacity, and governance directly translate into trade gains, food safety, and socioeconomic development—especially for marginalized groups such as women.