IAMGOLD’s Vice President, West Africa and General Manager of our Essakane Mine in Burkina Faso, Tidiane Barry, recently participated in the first edition of the International Forum on Leadership and Innovation in Agriculture (FILIA) in Ouagadougou, the country’s capital city.

This event provided an opportunity for our local staff to showcase IAMGOLD’s efforts to support local agriculture through the mine’s Community Development Program.

Our community participation was highlighted during a panel focused on agricultural production and job creation, where Tidiane Barry emphasized our Essakane Mine’s active role in assisting local growers.

In 2023, for example, the mine supported more than 1,500 local producers through several agricultural projects, including:

🌱 Market Gardens: Support for six market gardens, five located near villages where mining activities are taking place, and one in the surrounding commune of Markoye.

🌱 The Rice Project: Support for 635 farmers to plant 163 tonnes of rice.

🌱The Sesame Project: To strengthen food diversification in the region, IAMGOLD provided sesame seeds to 730 producers, resulting in 178 tonnes of cereals being harvested.

🌱Strengthening Farmers’ Capacity: Ongoing support through donations to increase local farmers’ capacity. In 2023, this included the donation of 30 motorized cultivators and 15 tonnes of rice.

As a major economic player and responsible mining company in Burkina Faso, this initiative is just one of the many ways we strive to support our host communities and leave a positive, lasting impact, either directly through our mining activities or indirectly through projects like these.