IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/apecpp/v43y2021i4p1196-1220.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Can digital technologies reshape rural microfinance? Implications for savings, credit, & insurance

Author

Listed:
  • Elinor Benami
  • Michael R. Carter

Abstract

Rural microfinance must contend with the triple challenges of isolation, small‐scale transactions, and risk. These challenges result in information asymmetries and transaction costs that render markets for financial services costly or missing. This paper examines how emerging digital technologies (e.g., mobile money, digital credit scoring, and earth observation) can reshape rural markets for savings, credit, and insurance services, especially in developing countries. Although our synthesis of the literature suggests reason for hope in all three domains, the imperfections of these digital technologies require evaluation and oversight if the resulting rural financial system is to be more efficient and equitable than its predecessor. JEL CLASSIFICATION D14; F63; R51

Suggested Citation

  • Elinor Benami & Michael R. Carter, 2021. "Can digital technologies reshape rural microfinance? Implications for savings, credit, & insurance," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 43(4), pages 1196-1220, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:apecpp:v:43:y:2021:i:4:p:1196-1220
    DOI: 10.1002/aepp.13151
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/aepp.13151
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/aepp.13151?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Lori Beaman & Dean Karlan & Bram Thuysbaert, 2014. "Saving for a (not so) Rainy Day: A Ramdomized Evaluation of Savings Groups in Mali," Working Papers 1043, Economic Growth Center, Yale University.
    2. Arjuna Costa & Anamitra Deb & Michael Kubzansky, 2015. "Big Data, Small Credit: The Digital Revolution and Its Impact on Emerging Market Consumers," Innovations: Technology, Governance, Globalization, MIT Press, vol. 10(3-4), pages 49-80, Summer-Fa.
    3. Jessica Goldberg, 2014. "Products and policies to promote saving in developing countries," IZA World of Labor, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), pages 1-74, October.
    4. Flatnes, Jon Einar & Carter, Michael R., 2019. "A little skin in the game: Reducing moral hazard in joint liability lending through a mandatory collateral requirement," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 164(C), pages 199-214.
    5. Karlan, Dean & Kendall, Jake & Mann, Rebecca & Pande, Rohini & Suri, Tavneet & Zinman, Jonathan, 2016. "Research and Impacts of Digital Financial Services," Working Paper Series 16-037, Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government.
    6. Dean Karlan & Aishwarya Lakshmi Ratan & Jonathan Zinman, 2014. "Savings by and for the Poor: A Research Review and Agenda," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 60(1), pages 36-78, March.
    7. Jensen, Nathaniel D. & Mude, Andrew G. & Barrett, Christopher B., 2018. "How basis risk and spatiotemporal adverse selection influence demand for index insurance: Evidence from northern Kenya," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 172-198.
    8. Ghatak, Maitreesh & Guinnane, Timothy W., 1999. "The economics of lending with joint liability: theory and practice," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(1), pages 195-228, October.
    9. Mary Kay Gugerty, 2007. "You Can't Save Alone: Commitment in Rotating Savings and Credit Associations in Kenya," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 55, pages 251-282.
    10. William Jack & Tavneet Suri, 2014. "Risk Sharing and Transactions Costs: Evidence from Kenya's Mobile Money Revolution," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 104(1), pages 183-223, January.
    11. Daniel Bjorkegren & Darrell Grissen, 2017. "Behavior Revealed in Mobile Phone Usage Predicts Loan Repayment," Papers 1712.05840, arXiv.org, revised Dec 2019.
    12. Prashant Bharadwaj & William Jack & Tavneet Suri, 2019. "Fintech and Household Resilience to Shocks: Evidence from Digital Loans in Kenya," NBER Working Papers 25604, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    13. Ahmed Mushfiq Mobarak & Mark R. Rosenzweig, 2013. "Informal Risk Sharing, Index Insurance, and Risk Taking in Developing Countries," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 103(3), pages 375-380, May.
    14. Abhijit Banerjee & Esther Duflo & Clément Imbert & Santhosh Mathew & Rohini Pande, 2020. "E-governance, Accountability, and Leakage in Public Programs: Experimental Evidence from a Financial Management Reform in India," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 12(4), pages 39-72, October.
    15. Dean Karlan & Aishwarya Lakshmi Ratan & Jonathan Zinman, 2014. "Savings by and for the Poor: A Research Review and Agenda," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 60(1), pages 36-78, March.
    16. Pascaline Dupas & Jonathan Robinson, 2013. "Savings Constraints and Microenterprise Development: Evidence from a Field Experiment in Kenya," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 5(1), pages 163-192, January.
    17. Stephen R. Boucher & Michael R. Carter & Catherine Guirkinger, 2008. "Risk Rationing and Wealth Effects in Credit Markets: Theory and Implications for Agricultural Development," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 90(2), pages 409-423.
    18. Maximilian Auffhammer & Solomon M. Hsiang & Wolfram Schlenker & Adam Sobel, 2013. "Using Weather Data and Climate Model Output in Economic Analyses of Climate Change," Review of Environmental Economics and Policy, Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 7(2), pages 181-198, July.
    19. Michael Carter & Alain de Janvry & Elisabeth Sadoulet & Alexandros Sarris, 2017. "Index Insurance for Developing Country Agriculture: A Reassessment," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 9(1), pages 421-438, October.
    20. Daniel Björkegren & Darrell Grissen, 0. "Behavior Revealed in Mobile Phone Usage Predicts Credit Repayment," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 34(3), pages 618-634.
    21. Sommarat Chantarat & Andrew G. Mude & Christopher B. Barrett & Michael R. Carter, 2013. "Designing Index-Based Livestock Insurance for Managing Asset Risk in Northern Kenya," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 80(1), pages 205-237, March.
    22. Boucher, Stephen R. & Carter, Michael R. & Guirkinger, Catherine, 2008. "AJAE Appendix: Risk Rationing and Wealth Effects in Credit Markets: Theory and Implications for Agriculture Development," American Journal of Agricultural Economics APPENDICES, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 90(2), pages 1-6.
    23. Kimuyu, Peter Kiko, 1999. "Rotating Saving and Credit Associations in Rural East Africa," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 27(7), pages 1299-1308, July.
    24. Mude, Andrew, 2017. "The role of mobile technologies in promoting sustainable delivery of livestock insurance in the East African Drylands: Towards sustainable Index-Based Livestock Insurance (IBLI) for pastoralists," 2017: Transforming Lives and Livelihoods: The Digital Revolution in Agriculture, 7-8 August 2017 266633, Crawford Fund.
    25. Janine Aron, 2018. "Mobile Money and the Economy: A Review of the Evidence," The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank, vol. 33(2), pages 135-188.
    26. Prina, Silvia, 2015. "Banking the poor via savings accounts: Evidence from a field experiment," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 16-31.
    27. Lobell,David B. & Azzari,George & Marshall,Burke & Gourlay,Sydney & Jin,Zhenong & Kilic,Talip & Murray,Siobhan, 2018. "Eyes in the sky, boots on the ground : assessing satellite- and ground-based approaches to crop yield measurement and analysis in Uganda," Policy Research Working Paper Series 8374, The World Bank.
    28. Jenny C. Aker & Ishita Ghosh & Jenna Burrell, 2016. "The promise (and pitfalls) of ICT for agriculture initiatives," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 47(S1), pages 35-48, November.
    29. Riley, Emma, 2018. "Mobile money and risk sharing against village shocks," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 43-58.
    30. Jenny C. Aker & Rachid Boumnijel & Amanda McClelland & Niall Tierney, 2016. "Payment Mechanisms and Antipoverty Programs: Evidence from a Mobile Money Cash Transfer Experiment in Niger," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 65(1), pages 1-37.
    31. Michael Carter & Alain de Janvry & Elisabeth Sadoulet & Alexandros Sarris, 2017. "Index Insurance for Developing Country Agriculture: A Reassessment," Annual Review of Resource Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 9(1), pages 421-438, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Keiko Fukumori & Ayumi Arai & Tomoya Matsumoto, 2022. "Risk Management for Smallholder Farmers: An Empirical Study on the Adoption of Weather-Index Crop Insurance in Rural Kenya," Working Papers 230, JICA Research Institute.
    2. Thomas Reardon & Ben Belton & Lenis Saweda O. Liverpool‐Tasie & Liang Lu & Chandra S. R. Nuthalapati & Oyinkan Tasie & David Zilberman, 2021. "E‐commerce's fast‐tracking diffusion and adaptation in developing countries," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 43(4), pages 1243-1259, December.
    3. Feilong Weng & Xuan Liu & Xuexi Huo, 2023. "Impact of Internet Use on Farmers’ Organic Fertilizer Investment: A New Perspective of Access to Credit," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-13, January.
    4. Juan D. Borrero & Jesús Mariscal, 2022. "A Case Study of a Digital Data Platform for the Agricultural Sector: A Valuable Decision Support System for Small Farmers," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-15, May.
    5. Sarah A. Janzen & Michael R. Carter & Munenobu Ikegami, 2021. "Can insurance alter poverty dynamics and reduce the cost of social protection in developing countries?," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 88(2), pages 293-324, June.
    6. Abate, Gashaw T. & Abay, Kibrom A. & Chamberlin, Jordan & Kassim, Yumna & Spielman, David J. & Paul Jr Tabe-Ojong, Martin, 2023. "Digital tools and agricultural market transformation in Africa: Why are they not at scale yet, and what will it take to get there?," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    7. DunGang Zang & Krishna P. Paudel & Yan Liu & Dan Liu & Yating He, 2023. "Financial decision-making behaviors of Ethnic Tibetan Households based on mental accounting," Financial Innovation, Springer;Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, vol. 9(1), pages 1-26, December.
    8. Benson K Kenduiywo & Michael R Carter & Aniruddha Ghosh & Robert J Hijmans, 2021. "Evaluating the quality of remote sensing products for agricultural index insurance," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(10), pages 1-24, October.
    9. Alexander Karaivanov & Benoit Mojon & Luiz Awazu Pereira da Silva & Robert M Townsend, 2023. "Digital safety nets: a roadmap," BIS Papers, Bank for International Settlements, number 139.
    10. Elena Serfilippi & Daniele Giovannucci & David Ameyaw & Ankur Bansal & Thomas Asafua Nketsia Wobill & Roberta Blankson & Rashi Mishra, 2022. "Benefits and Challenges of Making Data More Agile: A Review of Recent Key Approaches in Agriculture," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-18, December.
    11. Md Aslam Mia, 2024. "Loyalty of rural microfinance borrowers: International evidence," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 76(1), pages 67-94, January.
    12. Regina Birner & Thomas Daum & Carl Pray, 2021. "Who drives the digital revolution in agriculture? A review of supply‐side trends, players and challenges," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 43(4), pages 1260-1285, December.
    13. Xiao Hu & Zhengjie Wang & Jun Liu, 2022. "The impact of digital finance on household insurance purchases: evidence from micro data in China," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance - Issues and Practice, Palgrave Macmillan;The Geneva Association, vol. 47(3), pages 538-568, July.
    14. Quentin Stoeffler & Michael Carter & Catherine Guirkinger & Wouter Gelade, 2022. "The Spillover Impact of Index Insurance on Agricultural Investment by Cotton Farmers in Burkina Faso," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 36(1), pages 114-140.
    15. Michael R. Carter, 2022. "Can digitally‐enabled financial instruments secure an inclusive agricultural transformation?," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 53(6), pages 953-967, November.
    16. Madhu Khanna, 2021. "Digital Transformation of the Agricultural Sector: Pathways, Drivers and Policy Implications," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 43(4), pages 1221-1242, December.
    17. Villalba, Roberto & Venus, Terese E. & Sauer, Johannes, 2023. "The ecosystem approach to agricultural value chain finance: A framework for rural credit," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 164(C).
    18. Anak Agung Dwi Widyani & I Nengah Suardhika & Ni Putu Yeni Astiti & Ni Wayan Rustiarini, 2022. "Triple Helix: the concept of synergy for SMEs to increase business performance," Review of Applied Socio-Economic Research, Pro Global Science Association, vol. 24(2), pages 174-191, December.
    19. Kramer, Berber & Waweru, Carol & Malacarne, Jonathan G., 2023. "Control over future payouts and willingness-to-pay for insurance: Experimental evidence from Kenyan farmers," 2023 Annual Meeting, July 23-25, Washington D.C. 335632, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    20. Wanglin Ma & Huanguang Qiu & Dil Bahadur Rahut, 2023. "Rural development in the digital age: Does information and communication technology adoption contribute to credit access and income growth in rural China?," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(3), pages 1421-1444, August.
    21. Gao Yu & Hu Xiang, 2021. "Rural E-commerce development and farmers’ digital credit behavior: Evidence from China family panel studies," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(10), pages 1-21, October.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Pierre Bachas & Paul Gertler & Sean Higgins & Enrique Seira, 2021. "How Debit Cards Enable the Poor to Save More," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 76(4), pages 1913-1957, August.
    2. Quentin Stoeffler & Michael Carter & Catherine Guirkinger & Wouter Gelade, 2022. "The Spillover Impact of Index Insurance on Agricultural Investment by Cotton Farmers in Burkina Faso," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 36(1), pages 114-140.
    3. Erwin Bulte & Rein Haagsma, 2021. "The Welfare Effects of Index-Based Livestock Insurance: Livestock Herding on Communal Lands," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 78(4), pages 587-613, April.
    4. Rigo, Roberta & Santos, Paulo & Frontuto, Vito, 2022. "Landscape heterogeneity, basis risk and the feasibility of index insurance: An analysis of rice in upland regions of Southeast Asia," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    5. Grohmann, Antonia & Klühs, Theres & Menkhoff, Lukas, 2018. "Does financial literacy improve financial inclusion? Cross country evidence," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 84-96.
    6. Steinert, Janina I. & Zenker, Juliane & Filipiak, Ute & Movsisyan, Ani & Cluver, Lucie D. & Shenderovich, Yulia, 2018. "Do saving promotion interventions increase household savings, consumption, and investments in Sub-Saharan Africa? A systematic review and meta-analysis," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 238-256.
    7. Macchiavello, Rocco & Casaburi, Lorenzo, 2015. "Firm and Market Response to Saving Constraints: Evidence from the Kenyan Dairy Industry," CEPR Discussion Papers 10952, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    8. Spantig, Lisa, 2021. "Cash in hand and savings decisions," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 188(C), pages 1206-1220.
    9. Somville, Vincent & Vandewalle, Lore, 2023. "Access to banking, savings and consumption smoothing in rural India," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 223(C).
    10. Kass-Hanna, Josephine & Lyons, Angela C. & Liu, Fan, 2022. "Building financial resilience through financial and digital literacy in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 51(PA).
    11. Ahmed, Haseeb & Cowan, Benjamin, 2021. "Mobile money and healthcare use: Evidence from East Africa," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    12. Jenny Aker & David A Carroll, 2022. "The State of Digital Financial Services in Francophone West Africa," Working Papers hal-03642499, HAL.
    13. Di Giannatale, Sonia & Roa, María José, 2016. "Formal Saving in Developing Economies: Barriers, Interventions, and Effects," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 8107, Inter-American Development Bank.
    14. Joshua Blumenstock & Michael Callen & Tarek Ghani, 2018. "Why Do Defaults Affect Behavior? Experimental Evidence from Afghanistan," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 108(10), pages 2868-2901, October.
    15. de Janvry, Alain & Sadoulet, Elisabeth, 2020. "Using agriculture for development: Supply- and demand-side approaches," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).
    16. Flory, Jeffrey A., 2018. "Formal finance and informal safety nets of the poor: Evidence from a savings field experiment," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 517-533.
    17. Sarfo, Yaw & Musshoff, Oliver & Weber, Ron & Danne, Michael, 2021. "Farmers’ Willingness to Pay for Digital Credit: Evidence from a Discrete Choice Experiment in Madagascar," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315029, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    18. Stoeffler, Quentin & Opuz, Gülce, 2022. "Price, information and product quality: Explaining index insurance demand in Burkina Faso," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    19. Callen, Michael & Blumenstock, Joshua & Ghani, Tarek, 2016. "Mobile-izing Savings with Automatic Contributions: Experimental Evidence on Present Bias and Default Effects in Afghanistan," CEPR Discussion Papers 11400, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    20. Chiara, De Gasperin & Valentina, Rotondi & Luca, Stanca, 2019. "Mobile Money and the Labor Market: Evidence from Developing Countries," Working Papers 403, University of Milano-Bicocca, Department of Economics, revised Mar 2019.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D14 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Saving; Personal Finance
    • F63 - International Economics - - Economic Impacts of Globalization - - - Economic Development
    • R51 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Regional Government Analysis - - - Finance in Urban and Rural Economies

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wly:apecpp:v:43:y:2021:i:4:p:1196-1220. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://doi.org/10.1002/(ISSN)2040-5804 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.