La Générale Poisson (LGP) The project will develop a fish farm with a capacity of 120 tonnes tilapia per year for sale on the local market. The local production will reduce fish imports into Burkina Faso, a land locked country in the Sahelian zone of West Africa. It will also contribute to the repopulation of open water bodies by the production and sales of fingerlings to local fishermen. For these purposes, a joint venture between Hesy B.V., a Dutch producer of turn-key fish farms, and LGO, a Burkinabe company, involved in general trade, is foreseen. The services and products to be delivered in this project include hardware (adapted equipment for reproduction and breeding infrastructure, water reuse and recycling technology, biological control) and know how (breeding techniques, low energy use and waste generation, reuse of production waste, hygiene and improved marketability). The project will be located at the industrial zone of Ziniaré, at 50 km from the capital Ouagadougou. This project will be the first intensive, sustainable fish farm in Burkina Faso. As fish is mainly imported from at least 1,200 km it is expensive and the quality and availability is not guaranteed. This project will assure both availability and quality of fish to the Burkinabe population.Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)Salaries are planned to be minimally 35% above official minimum wages. The personnel will be encouraged to form an independent association to defend their interests but also to run a social fund gradually made available by the company. Partners attach great importance to motivation of their personnel through income and career perspectives because of the large (training) investment they will put into these people. In this same rationale, a HIV/AIDS training will be offered to the personnel executed by a local hospital department. Child labour will not be tolerated. The working hours will comply with national laws and will not be in excess of 40 hours per week. Overtime will be voluntary and will not exceed 12 hours per week and will be always compensated at the legal premium rate.HACPP certification is not asked for in Burkina Faso, but the local company insists on getting this certificate because it is determined to set the example on food standards with the company.Impact•	Employment and working conditionsThe project will employ 15 direct employees (of whom 4 on a high- or medium-level) during the project period. Two years after the pilot the joint venture will consist of 26 employees, of whom 6 on high- or medium-level. Salaries are planned to be minimally 35% above official minimum wages. Working conditions include a safe and hygienic working environment with first aid Medicare. Adequate steps shall be taken to prevent accidents and injury. Clothes, gloves and adapted shoes will be provided to the workers. Workers will receive regular health and safety training. Access to clean toilet facilities, potable water and sanitary facilities for food storage will be provided.•	Innovation/Transfer of knowledgeAll knowledge transferred during training sessions and on the job training is new for Burkina Faso. Some government researchers do have a, mainly theoretical, idea about fish farming, but the scale and technology proposed in this project is completely new to Burkina Faso.•	Chain effectsThree subcontractors are foreseen to be associated with this project on the long run. This includes transport and other logistic support as no cars are foreseen in the budget. A vast group of wholesalers and resellers will also profit from this project as well as numerous artisanal farmers who will have access to a constant supply of fingerlings.•	EnvironmentAn Environmental Impact Assessment will be requested by the Government of Burkina Faso before delivering the permits to build the farm. The project will put into place efficient water recycling systems to avoid water table pollution. The breeding technology that will be introduced will be clean. Tilapia is one of the few species cultivated that can be grown on pure vegetative produced protein. Most other fish farm species need fish meal and the production of those species could lead to depletion of natural fish stocks. The proposed Tilapia has no negative effect in this respect.•	Position of womenThe project will specially benefit women in the sense that women are the traditional fish traders. By providing enough fish for the markets, the project will enhance their economic activities. The joint venture will favour employment of women. 60% of the project personnel will consist of women; especially for the de-multiplication process, breeding and harvest, women will be contracted. The director herself serves as a role model for Burkinabe women as a successful businesswoman, and that position will even be enhanced by this project. This project aims at starting up fish production (100 tons per year) in Burkina Faso in a modern, sustainable way and to provide the artisanal fishermen community with fingerlings (300,000 per year).