I study the effects of income uncertainty on household schooling decisions. Households with more volatile incomes have a greater incentive to build a buffer stock to insure against unforeseen adverse shocks, and non-enrollment can be part of such a strategy. I use data from rural Burkina Faso,...

Africa has been hesitant to adopt agricultural biotechnology, lagging behind global trends over the past decade. One exception is Burkina Faso, a West African country that commercially released 125,000 ha of Bt cotton in 2009. Bt cotton may serve as a working example of how African countries can...

This 2011 Article IV Consultation and the Third Review Under the Extended Credit Facility for Burkina Faso highlights that the authorities have maintained fiscal consolidation efforts while mitigating the impact of exogenous shocks. Executive Directors have welcomed the authorities’...

The number of Malian refugees in Burkina Faso has increased, but the government’s contribution remains in line with earlier estimates. Growth for 2012 has been revised upward to 8 percent. The overall fiscal deficit is significantly lower than anticipated. The current account is expected...

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Growth remains robust, despite slight downward revisions. Growth estimates for 2013 and projections for 2014 were revised to 6.6 and 6.8 percent, respectively, reflecting weather and weaker terms of trade. Inflation is around zero, partly due to subsidized food prices. The...

This paper presents findings of the Fourth Review Under the Extended Credit Facility Arrangement for Burkina Faso. Near-term policy discussions focused on specifying 2012 financing needs arising from the shocks to help prevent crowding out the authorities’ development program–Strategy for...

This paper discusses Burkina Faso’s ex-post assessment of longer-term program engagement. Economic growth has fluctuated above regional standards, averaging 5.3 percent between 2007 and 2012. The improvements in the agricultural sector, as a result of authorities’ strong push for...

This paper focuses on Burkina Faso’s Seventh Review Under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) Arrangement and Request for a new three-year ECF arrangement. Economic activity in Burkina Faso continued to grow at a brisk pace in 2013. Growth projections have been revised slightly downwards...

This paper discusses Burkina Faso’s Sixth Review Under the Three-Year Arrangement under the Extended Credit Facility and Requests for Extension of the Arrangement, Modification of Continuous Performance Criterion, and Rephasing of Disbursement. Domestic revenue collection over performed...