Jan Chipchase

Sarah Fathallah

Grace Su Lei Naing

When It Rains, It Pours is the third publication from Proximity Designs, a Yangon-based social business and one of Myanmar’s largest providers of agricultural products and services. The book provides a panoramic view of the sesame ecosystem in Myanmar, with a deep dive from the perspective of small farmers, and offers tangible opportunities to address the challenges they face. Known as the forgotten crop for its tendency to be overshadowed by the more established paddy, sesame is grown in Myanmar’s Central Dry Zone by an estimated 500,000 farmers. Myanmar is also one of the top exporters of sesame in the world, with even greater export potential, but many factors threaten the livelihood of sesame farmers, such as climate change, labor shortages and pests and diseases. The publications is the output of eight weeks of intensive research conducted in Myanmar’s main sesame growing areas by a team of ten design researchers, seven from Proximity’s own team and three from world-renowned design firm Studio D Radiodurans. Using a design research approach, the team sought to deliver a deep, human understanding of the problems sesame farmers face and opportunities to overcome them.

Grace Su Lei Naing

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