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Rural poverty in Burundi

Located at the heart of the African Great Lakes region, Burundi has weathered nearly two decades of conflict and troubles, which have contributed to widespread poverty. Burundi is ranked 185th out of 187 countries on the 2011 United Nations Development Programme’s human development index, and eight out of ten Burundians live below the poverty line. Per capita gross national income (GNI) in 2010 was US$170, about half its pre-war level some 20 years ago.

The country is now rebuilding itself after emerging from recurrent conflict and ethnic and political rivalry. Between 1993 and 2000, an estimated 300,000 civilians were killed and 1.2 million people fled from their homes to live in refugee camps or in exile. During that period, life expectancy declined from 51 to 44 years, the poverty rate doubled from 33 to 67 per cent and economic recession pushed GDP per capita down by more than 27 per cent.

The long period of fighting was extremely disruptive to agriculture, which is the main source of livelihood for nine out of ten Burundians. The destruction or looting of crops and livestock, as well as general insecurity, have put rural Burundians under serious strains. Burundi was traditionally self-sufficient in food production, but because of conflict and recurrent droughts, the country has had to rely on food imports and international food aid in some regions.

Who and where are Burundi’s rural poor people?

The vast majority of Burundi’s poor people are small-scale subsistence farmers trying to recover from the conflict and its aftermath. They face many constraints. This relatively small country has a high population growth rate, and as the population grows, the amount of fertile land available for agriculture is decreasing. According to the World Food Programme, the level of food vulnerability is extremely high: more than 60 per cent of the population is at risk of food insecurity as a result of climatic events, declining soil fertility and rising food prices.

The adverse effects of prolonged drought, the increase in crop pests and decline in land productivity are most apparent in the eastern and northern regions. In those regions an estimated 100,000 households are at permanent risk of food insecurity and fragile nutritional conditions. The extremely high population density (about 270 inhabitants per km2, and up to nearly 500 per km2 in the most densely populated areas) has contributed to greater food and resource scarcity in rural areas.

As in neighbouring countries, the large number of men killed during the conflicts and the rapid spread of HIV/AIDS have created many poorer and fragile households headed by women or minors who have little access to non-agricultural resources.

Why are they poor?

Poverty in rural areas is the result of:

• High population pressure on overcultivated, eroded land supporting farms of an average size of 0.5 ha or less
• Insecurity and displacement
• Recurrent drought
• Scarcity or poor quality of agricultural implements and technology, and limited market incentives
• Low productivity of labour
• Low cash incomes from subsistence agriculture or limited non-agricultural activities
• Inadequate basic health and education services and safe drinking water
• High rates of illiteracy.

Poor people in rural areas face an acute lack of basic social and economic infrastructure. Many lack access to safe water and health services. Much of the health care system was destroyed during the fighting. Disability and death from malaria, HIV/AIDS and other diseases increased. As a consequence, the labour force for agriculture was significantly depleted. Men’s life expectancy was down to 39 years in 2004, compared with 51 years before the conflict started. By 2009, it had risen to 49, still below the pre-war level.

Source: IFAD