West African Resources, Nominee for Established ESG Leader for a Resources Producer, 2024 Africa Award

Above: West African Resources inspect the impressive pepper harvest

About the Nominee & their Nomination

West African Resources (ASX: WAF) is the region’s emerging mid-tier gold producer. WAF is on track to produce 4 million ounces over the next decade, with annual production set to peak at 494,000oz of gold in 2030. WAF’s unhedged resources now stand at 12.8Moz and Ore Reserves at 6.4Moz of gold.  

WAF undertakes exploration activities and gold mining operations in Burkina Faso, West Africa. The Group’s flagship project is the Sanbrado Gold Mine (‘Sanbrado’), which entered into production in March 2020. 

In 2023, major construction works commenced for the Kiaka Gold Project, with production expected to commence in the second half of 2025. In addition, WAF has a series of exploration tenements which cover 1,700km2 over the prospective Markoyé Fault region in central and southern Burkina Faso.

Above: Local women till the soil at the Market Garden in Doure Village

Initiative: West African Resources Lead Sustainable Socio-Economic Development Through Market Gardening Initiative in Burkina Faso

The Sanbrado Project is located in a rural area where subsistence agriculture is the primary economic activity, supplemented by rearing livestock and artisanal gold mining. Much of the annual crop production feeds the household, with any surplus sold in local markets. 

Food insecurity is a common issue in the area, with a 2021 survey finding that 23% of households had experienced periods of insufficient food in the past 12 months. A second survey in 2023 found that 90% of households did not have any surplus production to sell; all agricultural production was required to feed the household. 

During construction of the Sanbrado Project, 243 households were physically or economically displaced from the project development area. As part of this resettlement program, WAF developed a Livelihood Restoration Program (LRP) in consultation with project-affected communities. 

The objective of the LRP was to provide opportunities for households displaced by the project to restore their livelihoods to a level that is as good as, if not better than, prior to the project’s arrival. 

The components of the LRP were discussed and agreed with communities, with discussions led by a Burkinabe NGO. One component requested by communities was to establish a series of Market Gardens where impacted households could grow vegetables and other crops for household consumption and sale. 

The Market Gardening Initiative aims to improve the economic and social resilience of impacted households, by capitalising on their existing knowledge and skills and the natural potential of the environment. 

This initiative improves food security and nutrition for impacted households, promotes sustainable farming practices, and improves the income generating potential of households displaced by the project. 

As for all components of the LRP, the initiative was designed to be self-sustaining from its very early stages. While WAF funded the initial capital investments delivered by our partners (Burkinabe NGOs, technical services and contractors), ownership of the initiative sits with the participants and communities.

Highlights

• This Livelihood Restoration Program supports 178 households through the Market Gardening Initiative supporting an estimated 1,480 people. As part of the LRP,  five market gardens, each approx 1-2ha, were constructed between 2021 and 2023, distributed in the areas where households were resettled. 
• Strong stakeholder engagement: 
  • Community engagement was integral to the design and operation of the market garden initiative and to WAF’s operations more generally. 
  • The community engagement strategy implemented by SOMISA helps to maintain and improve the relationship between the mine and its stakeholders, while involving them in decisions which affect them – in line with one of the fundamental principles of corporate social responsibility. 
  • The strategy sets an expectation of broad and inclusive interaction with communities, including community consultation, disclosure, negotiation, and participatory monitoring and reporting. 
  • Engagement with WAF’s impacted communities has been occurring for years through the ESIA (Environmental and Social Impact Assessment) and resettlement processes, which led to the development of the LRP and associated initiatives – of which the market garden initiative is just one of 20 components.

• Training, Mentoring and Ongoing Support 
  • The Boudry Technical Department of Agriculture provided training for participants and is responsible for the ongoing technical monitoring of market gardens, which will continue following mine closure. 
  • Other external parties were involved in the development of the market gardens including: OCADES: a development-focused NGO based in Burkina Faso, which participated in the design of the LRP initiatives and ESA (Agricultural Services Company) who built the five market gardens.
• Strong outcomes, and strong stakeholder commitment to the initiative 

• • In the first year of operation, the market garden delivered a high level of production, and a significant surplus sold to generate income.
  • The following statistics are from the Noessé market garden, which had its first growing season in 2023: 
    • 1.3 ha was cultivated by 35 participants, producing more than 6,000 kg of vegetables (onions, tomatoes and cabbages) 
    • 30% of production was consumed by participating households 
    • 70% of production was sold at local markets 
    • Part of the profits have been re-invested in the market garden e.g., to finance the purchase of quality seeds 
    • Some of the participants have used profits to fund new income-generating activities e.g., purchasing young livestock to rear for sale. 
  • Similar results were seen at the other market gardens in 2023, which produced more than 26 tons of vegetables (primarily onions, cabbages and tomatoes) over a combined area of 5.2 ha, with 70% of all production sold in local markets.
  • A satisfaction survey was conducted at the Sanbrado market garden in 2023 which found that the majority of participants were satisfied with the results of the initiative and had seen improvements to household nutrition and income.