Fructifera: TC History in BF

The History of TerraCottem in Burkina Faso

Late 80's

Since the late 80's, TerraCottem has been used for a variety of projects in Africa, with a concentration in Burkina Faso, mostly due to Belgium-Dutch links with various NGO's like “Committee Maastricht-Niou”.

There are several reforrestation projects on the road to YAKO, near Ouagoadougou, that are often nearby the road for logistical reasons. However, this location also creates a visibility for the new forests and especially for the technology used to give these forests a better chance of survival.

Professor Van Cotthem mentionned projects using TerraCottem in the following places:

Province Kourweogo: Niou, Napalgué, Zeguedegen
Province Passoré: Arbolle
Toudou (nabij Kombissiri)
Football fields in Bobo Dialasso and Ouagadougou
Tests in Guiè.

1992: Tests in co-operation with DAKTUIN

In July 1992, Prof. Van Cotthem organised some tests in Saaba, Niou and Dori together with a firm called DAKTUIN NV (Roof Gardens). Roof Gardens have the same problem with water as dry area's, because the water is quickly drained away, to avoid flooding or overweight, and the rest is evaporated, so water needs to be kept. DAKTUIN NV was one of the firms which used TerraCottem for commercial reasons.

To protect the gardens and the new trees planted, we were using Bekaert metal fences and Eternit tubes. This because this material was not sold in Burkina Faso , and so it was much easier to trace if stolen. This treat kept thieves away at a very low cost. (If you take out the cost of the tubes and metal fences, as they were a gift from the company that produces them….)

It was at this moment I joined the professor to do some tests with vegetables.

In Dori, North East of Burkina Faso, we had successful tests, compared with the competition, but our effort still failed to produce tomatoes. “Our” tomato plants died before any tomatoes could grow. So being the best is not good enough! These tests were done under the supervision of INERA .

What is bit strange is that no follow-up to these tests were ever put in place as the INERA responsible for the test was very positive at the time.

In Saaba we did some tests with EDPM (rubber) and TerraCottem for horticulture. EDPM was considered too expensive and worthless in this particular environment which was nearby a dam. Even TerraCottem, with its higher yield, was considered as too expensive in this neighbourhood, where (a lack of) water was not considered problematic.

Expensive as these tests were, they showed a possible positive financial businessplan in using TerraCottem for vegetable cultivation. Other NGO's which we confronted with the results reacted slighty more positive towards these results while remarking why they should use an “expensive” product like TerraCottem instead of just the pure polymer?

The result in Niou was a rise in yield from about 20 kg for 10 m² towards 50 kg. It is a pitty there was no official protocol written down of which information should be collected and how. In 1992 we were even a bit dissapointed, as Prof. Van Cotthem talked about a yield rise of 300 to 400 % instead of 200%.

At that moment, the investment was 320 CFA/m².

Price of the tomatoes: (Ministère de l'action cooperative paysanne, janvier 1989)

First crop period (Oct/Nov) : 175 CFA/kg (Expected yield: + 3 kg)

Second crop period (Feb) : 125 CFA/kg (Expected yield: + 3 kg)

Economical extra value for this test parcel: 900 CFA/m²

Investment: 320 CFA/m²

Some NGO's are using TerraCottem since then, but with no clear link to the firm TerraCottem. Loek Masthoff, a Dutch entrepreneur in Burkina Faso , and often the logistic support of Prof. Van Cotthem has played the role of distributor, without really being the official distributor.

The NGO's are Committee Maastricht-Niou, which supported Pierre Kaboré in the neighbourhood of Zorgho and AZN-Terre Verte in Guiè.

During all this period, information was not collected in a systematical way, which makes it afterwards very hard to use them as references.

Officially the Firm TerraCottem NV was launched in February 1989 by Soberalia and the university of Ghent . In early 1993, it was sold to Bernard Devos, a Belgian entrepreneur. (See article in Flemish Press - in Dutch)