Sustainable Farming Practices and Household Food Security in Rural Burundi

Abstract

Sustainable agriculture is broadly acknowledged as essential for tackling food insecurity, climate 
change, and rural poverty in developing nations. Nevertheless, in Burundi, smallholder farming 
continues to be heavily reliant on rainfall, which makes households susceptible to climate 
variabilities and ongoing vulnerability, thus hindering the efficacy of current agricultural methods 
in providing resilient, stable food systems. This systematic review synthesizes empirical evidence 
on the effects of sustainable farming practices on household food security outcomes in rural 
Burundi. Specifically, it assesses practices like integrated soil fertility management (ISFM), 
agroforestry, conservation agriculture, climate-smart agriculture, irrigation, and rainwater 
harvesting, among others, against key food security dimensions such as availability, access, 
utilisation, and stability. Following PRISMA guidelines for literature identification, screening, 
inclusion, and quality appraisal, 16 peer-reviewed empirical studies published between 2015 and 
2025, comprising six nationwide studies and ten sub-national studies covering six provinces, were 
included. The findings reveal that ISFM, including fertiliser use, improved seeds, composting, crop 
diversification, and soil conservation, is the most widely adopted approach and demonstrates 
consistent short-term positive effects on food security, mainly by boosting crop yields and farm 
income, often supplemented by pesticide use. However, other practices with recognised potential 
for enhancing long-term resilience, like agroforestry, conservation agriculture, and water 
management techniques, remain limited in adoption and scale. Additionally, persistent structural 
constraints like land scarcity, weak intensification, limited diversification, and poor market 
integration undermine sustainability, leaving food security gains vulnerable to climatic and 
economic shocks. ISFM by itself is insufficient to ensure food security in Burundi because of 
environmental risks. Consequently, it is essential for policies to transition towards integrated, 
climate-resilient strategies that address structural limitations as well as constraints related to land 
and credit; enhance local institutions; promote gender equality; and finance agricultural 
innovations tailored to specific contexts. Practice requires combining these actions to build lasting 
resilience.