ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the particular technological changes set in motion by Gestion des Terroirs Villageois (GTV) initiatives, in particular PATECORE, one of the largest projects in Bam Province. The Central Plateau of Burkina Faso is one of the largest rockpools of persistent development interventions, and the author discusses two major features of its experience in the chapter: efforts by the region's farmers to plan their own agricultural systems, and the role of development in this process. Paul Richards's critique suggests that significant problems will accrue from externally planned development interventions. Rather, the author's intention is to highlight the need to consider the structured and planned elements of dryland farming alongside the myriad performances, and processes of experimentation, enacted by farmers. But the challenge is to allow farmers to identify and create space for their own interests, and to leave decision-making where it really belongs firmly in the village.
