This report would not have been possible without the financial support received from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. It came about with the help of people willing to share their knowledge, network, and stories on pastoralism in Burkina Faso. The authors wish to thank all the people whose assistance was a milestone in the completion of this project.

The majority of work was done by Ine Cottyn and Loïc Bisson. Ine was responsible for the first phase of the study and the data collection and did fieldwork in various regions. Loïc Bisson managed the second part data collection, analyzed all the data and drafted substantial parts of the report. Ine Cottyn then finalized the drafting and the overall report. Dr. Fransje Molenaar designed the study and the methodology and was together with Dr. Kars de Bruijne responsible for quality control. Kars de Bruijne finally, wrote the executive summary and parts of the introduction and conclusions.

We thank our research partners Mahamoudou Savadogo, Mohamadoun Amadou Diallo (Comité permanent inter-État de lutte contre la sécheresse au Sahel: CILSS) and their respective colleagues for their unceasing efforts to support the execution of our key informant interviews, focus group discussions and value chain analysis. Special thanks also go out to the Dutch representation in Burkina Faso, Maarten Rusch and Bayili Octave, who received us graciously and agreed to be interviewed as well as providing their logistical support during our fieldwork and their valuable comments on earlier drafts of the report.

We could not have written this study without the help of our colleagues at the Conflict Research Unit (CRU). This report was developed as part of both our politics and crime and business and peace lines of work. A special word of thanks goes to Jos Meester who invested time in providing comments and suggestions throughout the production of this report. We are grateful for the help of Anna van der Meulen, who was so generous with her time coding, analyzing and organizing over 120 interviews and focusing group discussions, and Anna Schmauder who provided valuable input and suggestions for this study by acting as a sounding board.

Florent Geel and Jos Meester reviewed the report, their help in improving and ensuring the quality of this study is greatly appreciated. It remains without saying that any errors or omissions are our own. Finally, we are especially grateful to the Burkinabe respondents who made themselves available for an interview, participated in focus group discussions, and generally demonstrated a willingness to share insights on such a complex topics at a time during which their country remains embroiled in serious conflict.