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Research Paper #27 provides a legal analysis of the contractual vulnerability of microinsurance consumers and studies mechanisms that effectively protect them. While consumer protection is essential to address contractual vulnerability issues, it should be based on a legal framework and should place obligations on states, insurers, reinsurers and intermediaries who participate in the value chain of microinsurance.

This case study focuses on L’Occitane’s involvement with the shea sector in Burkina Faso. The report explores the inclusive business model of L’Occitane, which includes the sourcing of shea butter from rural cooperatives and the provision of capacity development for the supplying communities. The study presents constraints and the solutions adopted by the company in Burkina Faso as well as its results, including economic, social and environmental impacts.

This study sought to enable SNV-Zimbabwe identify and understand the groundnuts value chain dynamics regarding actors (from farmers to firms), channels, markets trends, viability and production and consumption trends. 

Such an understanding would inform SNV’s overall exploration of ways to support groundnuts production and productivity through, inter alia, enhancing private sector participation and increasing the number of smallholder farmers pursuing groundnuts production on a commercial basis under the RARP CSF Oilseeds component and for the benefit of other agencies and actors who wish to intervene in this sub-sector.
 

Research Paper #24 evaluates the impact of introducing a new health insurance product in rural Kenya. Health insurance was found to reduce net health expenditure and informal borrowing for medical costs, and to increase non-food and overall consumption. However, the study observed no significant differences in health outcomes between the control and treatment groups.
Demand for the product proved sensitive to price discounts, but not to training in financial and risk literacy. The main determinants of renewal were positive or negative experiences, rather than hospital use or price.

Research Paper #25 looks into the social context within which risk attitudes are formed and participation decisions are made, using microdata from rural households in Gujarat, India. Both caste affiliation and social interaction are found to significantly affect the risk attitudes of farmers. Furthermore, social interaction seems to have a significant influence on the adoption of rainfall insurance.

Based on the experiences of innovative microfinance institutions (MFIs), it is clear that they can provide risk-management services that are valuable for clients and MFIs alike. Microinsurance Paper #18 provides a comprehensive review of the challenges and successes of microfinance institutions and offers ten key recommendations.

Adequate recruitment, training, incentives, and monitoring of a sales force are indispensable for selling microinsurance effectively. Briefing Note #14 summarizes lessons to improve performance throughout these four areas.

Why are demand and renewal rates for microinsurance so low despite the important protection it may offer? To address the puzzle, Research Paper #26 provides a selective overview of the current state of research on demand for microinsurance. It first looks at the theoretical research and then reviews the empirical evidence on the factors influencing demand for insurance.

The Zimbabwean dairy subsector currently remains strained by a serious shortage of skilled and experienced technical staff as well as by other constraints. This study makes recommendations to address these issues.

Research Paper #23 examines how uninsured risk constrains farmers in Northern Ghana. It shows that when provided with insurance against the primary catastrophic risk they face, farmers are able to increase expenditure on their farms and make riskier choices. The study finds a strong demand for insurance among these farmers. Insurance payouts further increase this demand in subsequent years both among recipients and among their social networks.