Généalogies de l’aide et pratiques de la coopération : l’Italie au Burkina Faso entre développement, crises et acteurs de la société civile

This article examines the evolution of Italian development cooperation in Burkina Faso within the broader transformations of international aid regimes, Italian institutional reforms, and changing agricultural policies in the Sahel. From the 1980s onward, Burkina Faso progressively emerged as a priority partner in Italy’s engagement in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly as the Sahel gained strategic relevance in Italian development policy. The study traces the interaction between global development paradigms and local political dynamics, from Thomas Sankara’s critique of aid dependency to nowadays. Adopting a historical-institutional perspective, the article highlights the hybrid configuration of Italian cooperation, implemented through bilateral, multilateral, and civil society channels. Special attention is devoted to the growing role of Italian NGOs in rural development, food security, and resilience-building initiatives.