Industrial mining and rural development in the Bagassi commune, Burkina Faso

The aim of this study is to understand the repercussions of the company Roxgold’s mining production on the living conditions of inhabitants of Bagassi, a rural commune. The study was carried out using a qualitative method based on semi-structured interviews with populations affected by mining (displaced and relocated), customary and administrative authorities, leaders of civil society organizations, and village and town councilors. The relationship between the well-being of rural populations and industrial mining production has not been established. In Bagassi, despite the effective application of corporate social responsibility by the industrial mining company Roxgol, local people are not satisfied with their living conditions. Industrial mining production consumes agricultural land and has put an end to gold panning, considered more profitable by the local population, who complain of a deterioration in their living conditions and say they are vulnerable and lack resilience in the face of food insecurity. Ultimately, gold mainly benefits the mining companies and the government, and only in some cases the communes.