We’ve lost a legend

April 19, 2020

The SeedChange community mourns a huge loss, with the sudden passing of our colleague and friend Ibrahim Ouedraogo.

The SeedChange community mourns a huge loss, with the sudden passing of our colleague and friend Ibrahim Ouedraogo yesterday. Our thoughts are with Ibrahim’s family and loved ones in Burkina Faso, West Africa, and around the world.

Ibrahim was a leader in the movements for smallholder farmers and food sovereignty in West Africa. He was a founding Board member of the Coalition for the Protection of African Genetic Heritage (Copagen), and a powerful voice for farmers’ rights, farmers’ seed systems, and agroecology. He collaborated with SeedChange for many years, and joined our team in 2016 to support our programs in Mali and Burkina Faso.

Ibrahim drew people to him through his vision, optimism, pragmatism, and the mentorship he offered so many people. He was deeply connected to the agricultural communities he worked to support, and will be sorely missed by a great many people. If you knew Ibrahim and have a thought or a story to share about Ibrahim, please comment.

Our thoughts are with Ibrahim’s family and loved ones, and also the large community he built around him who we know will continue in his spirit. Thank you Ibrahim.