Article révisé par les pairs
Résumé : Agroecological transition is essential for achieving food security in sub-Saharan Africa. However, socio-economic and politicalbarriers to this transition remain largely understudied, particularly in the context of land tenure disparities. This study aimsto assess the influence of land tenure dynamics on current agricultural practices and their role in reinforcing agrochemicallock-in of family farming during Burkina Faso’s agrarian history. Through participatory mapping and historical interviews,this study identifies land tenure inequality—shaped by agrarian policies, demographic pressures, and cash crop expansion—as the primary barrier to agroecological transition. While Boserup’s theory suggests that population growth drivesagricultural intensification, our findings show that state policies promoting mechanization and cash crops have acceleratedthis intensification process, leading to more severe soil degradation and shorter fallow periods than demographic pressurealone would have caused. As a result, both native and migrant farmers have become increasingly reliant on agrochemicalinputs to sustain yields, reinforcing a cycle of environmental degradation and economic dependency. However, land tenureinsecurity disproportionately affects migrant farmers, preventing them from making long-term investments in sustainableagroecological practices. To break this cycle, securing long-term land access—particularly for migrant farmers—is essentialfor enabling sustainable agricultural development. Without addressing land tenure disparities, the agroecological transitionin sub-Saharan Africa will remain hindered by structural constraints that reinforce dependence on agrochemical inputs andmechanization. Policy interventions must integrate tenure security with ecological intensification strategies to promoteresilient family farming systems.

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