With a population density of over 516 people per Km2 (1,335 people per mi2), agriculture represents 40% of Burundi’s GDP and employs approximately 90% of the population, especially in small-scale farming. The country's main commodities and export products include coffee, tea, cassava, bananas, sweet potato, beans, maize, nuts and livestock products, as well as minerals. However, Burundi is at increasing risk of landscape degradation due to steep slopes and population pressure. Burundi loses almost 38 million tons of soil each year, and land degradation costs an estimated $120 million USD annually, according to World Bank estimates. Landscape restoration and agricultural intensification are therefore significant priority areas for the Alliance in Burundi. The Alliance addressed the issue of inadequate nutrition by introducing bananas with higher levels of vitamin A, and by building the capacity of communities to produce seeds. Production has increased through community nursery management, where farmers were given FHIA plantlets to grow on their farms. Burundi faces several challenges in its food system that compromise food security and agricultural productivity. These include: limited crop diversity; climate change; soil degradation; post-harvest loss; and limited access to clean seeds, technology and markets.
