The landlocked West African nation of Burkina Faso has been hard hit by drought and desertification.
But gathering pebbles is all the land is good for now, desiccated through years of drought, the erosion of the top soil.
Food insecurity already affects two million people in Burkina Faso, according to the latest report from its government and aid groups.
The crisis in Burkina Faso already has displaced about 850,000 people, leaving many subsistence farmers unable to feed their families.
Some people who have stopped cultivating have tried to become traders, buying and selling food at local markets.
