"Farming in Burkina can be very challenging. Uncertain weather conditions can have severely damaging impact on harvests and the ability of smallholder farmers to continue farming," says Sou Campaore, a 42-year old cotton farmer from Houndé, a farming village just outside Dedougou, a city in the western corridor of Burkina Faso. "Since the income from such an unpredictable harvest is not steady, we don’t get access to capital in order to implement more efficient farming practices and purchase better inputs. A bad season can also have a telling effect on the health and social position of...