Papers and Presentations

Using a multi-year randomised controlled trial in Tanzania and Mozambique, this paper explores whether a complementary bundle of genetic and financial technologies can boost the resilience and productivity of small-scale farmers. The analysis shows that treatment-group farmers who experienced shocks and saw the technologies in action subsequently increased their agricultural investment beyond pre-shock levels.

This paper explores the viability of an area-revenue index insurance policy and how its performance may compare to that of an area-yield index insurance policy.

This study examined the introduction of adaptively-bred maize varieties in an agro-ecological niche area in Western Kenya. The three-year randomized control trial revealed that the new seeds increased yields and revenues. The evidence suggests new ways for thinking about seed systems in agro-ecological niche areas.

A lab-in-the-field experiment in Ghana finds that inequality influences risk-sharing and insurance uptake decisions.

Finding that women in Ugandan agricultural households score low in absorptive, adaptive, and transformative capacities for resilience, the authors suggest that engagement in climate activism holds important potential for women's agency and resilience.

This briefing paper by MRR's Associate Director, Tara Chiu offers a framework for understanding smallholder farmer risks, identifying which are covered by insurance, and addressing remaining risks via "smart layering" interventions.

This study assessed the impact of bundling drought index insurance with agricultural loans on farmers’ technology adoption.

The study investigated risk perception, adoption of risk management instruments and the intensity of adoption among irrigated-rice farmers in the Upper East Region of Ghana.

Access to credit remains a significant hurdle for sub-Saharan African farmers. This study assessed credit utilization and the intensity of borrowing by irrigated rice farmers in the Upper East region of Ghana.

This study examined shocks experienced by rural Nepali households during the COVID-19 pandemic and the results include that households mostly relied on credit, asset sales and savings to protect consumption, and that beneficiaries of a livestock livelihood program were 6 percentage points less likely to take out new loans as a means to cope.