Agriculture is the country's most important source of foreign exchange followed by animal products.
Currently, cotton is its biggest export. Since livestock is an important resource, the government plans to create a Ministry of Animal Resources and plans to develop grazing and livestock zones. Recently, Burkina Faso has been experiencing droughts that have hampered the water supply and its agricultural activities. Desertification, soil degredation, overgrazing, and deforestation are also key environmental issues. Soil degredation is mainly caused by erosion, which is exacerbated by bare soil surfaces, mechanized farming, trampling by livestock, and poor soil structure.