Publication database

This report discusses how agricultural microinsurance can be used to support smallholder farmers in developing countries helping them to cope with the effects of climate change, such as droughts, floods, or increased frequency and severity of infestations. It identifies direct mechanisms to induce disaster risk reduction 'DRR' via micro-insurance, and it analyses the existing agricultural microinsurance products where these mechanisms have been employed.

This case study showcases Solar Now and its commitment to scale up access to solar systems for more than 200,000 people in sub-Saharan Africa by 2015. It outlines how the business model works, the business and development impacts to date, and the key success factors.

This case study showcases the US food company, SAMBAZON, which joined Business Call to Action with a commitment to train indigenous communities in the Amazon Estuary region on sustainable harvesting of the Açaí berry. It outlines how the business model works, the business and development impacts to date, and the key success factors.

This case study showcases global science-based company Royal DSM, which joined the Business Call to Action with the commitment to improve childhood nutrition and create employment opportunities in poor communities in Indonesia. It outlines how the business model works, the business and development impacts to date, and the key success factors.

Research Paper #34 presents results from a randomized control trial in rural China designed to understand whether a change in the timing of the payment of a premium for swine insurance helps overcoming barriers to insurance demand and whether insurance allows farmers to increase investment in activities that expose them to more risk. Findings show that insurance take-up is three times higher among those who were given the option to pay at the end of the insured period; that insurance has a positive impact on investment; and that encouraging insurance purchases can have a positive long run effect on the income and welfare or rural households.

Mexican agriculture provides a large majority of the food consumed in the nation, but production is frequently constrained by the climate. A government agricultural insurance scheme was developed to offer protection for farmers. However, small-scale farmers struggled to access the scheme. Find out in Case Brief #4 about how an intermediary was able to extend access.

ITGI piloted radio frequency identification devices to address problems with claims. It used the introduction as an opportunity to change its processes. Find out how these changes allowed it to better serve its clients and improve the viability of the scheme in Case Brief #2.

Can insurance transfer risk in a way that reduces the need for households to rely on costly coping strategies that undermine their future productivity? That´s the central question that Research Paper #31 aims to answer based on evidence from an index-based drought insurance product available to pastoralists in northern Kenya. Results show that insured households are on average 22-36 percentage points less likely to anticipate drawing down assets and 27-36 percentage points less likely to anticipate reducing meals than their uninsured counterpart. Insurance not only smooths consumption but also improves the ability of recovering after a drought.

This article introduces the food sustainability challenge, highlights the limitations of ‘production-side’ approaches and emphasises the need to address consumption practices too. It discusses two questions: how can we define the principles of a sustainable healthy diet; and how can we persuade, enable or otherwise incentivise people to eat in this sustainable way.

This study focuses on characterising the availability, price and market penetration of electric off-grid lighting products in Kenya, based on a survey of retail vendors in three towns. It details key findings which include that LEDs continue to dominate the market, and that there are widespread quality problems for low-cost rechargeable torches.