Does artisanal mining impact the food security of agricultural households? evidence from Burkina Faso

Despite the controversies surrounding the real contribution of artisanal mining to the well-being of populations in developing countries, it remains a booming activity in Burkina Faso where it is practiced by more than 17% of agricultural households according to the 2023 Permanent Agricultural Survey data. This research assesses the impact of artisanal mining on the food security of agricultural households using an endogenous switching regression model estimated using data from the 2023 Permanent Agricultural Survey, the National Emergency Relief and Rehabilitation Council of Burkina Faso, the National Survey on the Gold Panning Sector, and the Harmonized Survey on Household Living Conditions. The results show that engagement in artisanal mining increases the food diversity and consumption scores of agricultural households for both practicing and non-practicing households. Also, the level of education of the head of household and practice of other income-generating activities have a positive effect on households’ food security while the level of insecurity in the household's area of residence affects it negatively. These results call for the strengthening of public interventions aimed at encouraging and supervising artisanal mining in order to stimulate its contribution to achieving food security in Burkina Faso. Concretely, it is appropriate to continue the formalization of artisanal mining and the establishment of support programs for artisanal mining in order to improve its profitability.