Terrorism and Gendered Agricultural Responses in Burkina Faso

This article analyzes the gendered impact of armed conflict on agriculture in Burkina Faso, the country most affected by terrorism globally. Using plot-level data from the 2023-2024 Permanent Agricultural Survey (EPA) matched with georeferenced UCDP conflict data, we estimate fixed-effects models exploiting spatial variation in terrorism exposure across 269 communes. Results reveal significant gender disparities: a 1% increase in terrorist incidents within a 25km radius reduces cultivated area for women-managed plots by 0.12-0.15%, while men show no significant response. This effect operates exclusively on the extensive margin—conflict reduces women’s farm size without affecting per-hectare yields for either gender. Mechanism analyses using triple interactions show the reduction is amplified for bushland plots (consistent with gender-based violence constraining mobility) and for plots with insecure land tenure (consistent with conflict-induced expropriation). Conversely, men with precarious land rights expand cultivated area during conflict, revealing gendered land redistribution. Results are robust to alternative conflict indicators, spatial radii, and lagged exposure. These findings underscore the need for targeted agricultural support and land tenure security interventions for women in conflict-affected rural areas.