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Welfare Impacts of Index Insurance in the Presence of a Poverty Trap

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  • Sommarat Chantarat
  • Andrew G. Mude
  • Christopher B. Barrett
  • Calum G. Turvey

Abstract

This paper evaluates the welfare impacts of an index-based livestock insurance designed to compensate for satellite-based predicted livestock mortality in northern Kenya, where previous work has established the presence of poverty traps. We simulate household wealth dynamics based on rich panel and experimental data. The bifurcated livestock dynamics associated with the poverty trap gives rise to insurance valuation that is highly nonlinear in herd size. Estimated willingness to pay among vulnerable groups who most need insurance is, on average, lower than commercially viable rates. Targeted premium subsidization nonetheless appears to offer more cost-effective poverty reduction than need-based direct transfers.

Suggested Citation

  • Sommarat Chantarat & Andrew G. Mude & Christopher B. Barrett & Calum G. Turvey, 2016. "Welfare Impacts of Index Insurance in the Presence of a Poverty Trap," PIER Discussion Papers 24, Puey Ungphakorn Institute for Economic Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:pui:dpaper:24
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    Cited by:

    1. Mengmeng Qiang & Manhong Shen & Guanjun Xia, 2023. "The effectiveness of weather index insurance in managing mariculture production risk," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 67(2), pages 245-262, April.
    2. Takahashi, Kazushi & Ikegami, Munenobu & Sheahan, Megan & Barrett, Christopher B., 2014. "Quasi-experimental evidence on the drivers of index-based livestock insurance demand in Southern Ethiopia," IDE Discussion Papers 480, Institute of Developing Economies, Japan External Trade Organization(JETRO).
    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. Stoeffler, Quentin & Opuz, Gülce, 2022. "Price, information and product quality: Explaining index insurance demand in Burkina Faso," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    5. Hansen, James & Hellin, Jon & Rosenstock, Todd & Fisher, Eleanor & Cairns, Jill & Stirling, Clare & Lamanna, Christine & van Etten, Jacob & Rose, Alison & Campbell, Bruce, 2019. "Climate risk management and rural poverty reduction," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 172(C), pages 28-46.
    6. Tsvetkova, Liudmila & Okhrimenko, Igor & Belousova, Tamara & Khuzhamov, Leonid, 2022. "Relationship and mutual influence between poverty and insurance in a developing insurance market," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 36(C).
    7. Nathaniel Jensen & Munenobu Ikegami & Andrew Mude, 2017. "Integrating Social Protection Strategies for Improved Impact: A Comparative Evaluation of Cash Transfers and Index Insurance in Kenya," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance - Issues and Practice, Palgrave Macmillan;The Geneva Association, vol. 42(4), pages 675-707, October.
    8. 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.
    9. Glenn W. Harrison & Jia Min Ng, 2019. "Behavioral insurance and economic theory: A literature review," Risk Management and Insurance Review, American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 22(2), pages 133-182, July.
    10. Jensen, Nathaniel D. & Barrett, Christopher B. & Mude, Andrew G., 2017. "Cash transfers and index insurance: A comparative impact analysis from northern Kenya," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 14-28.
    11. 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.
    12. Pu Liao & Xianhua Zhou & Qingquan Fan, 2020. "Does agricultural insurance help farmers escape the poverty trap? Research based on multiple equilibrium models," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance - Issues and Practice, Palgrave Macmillan;The Geneva Association, vol. 45(1), pages 203-223, January.
    13. Qingyin Cai & Yulian Ding & Calum Tuvey & Yuehua Zhang, 2021. "The influence of past experience on farmers’ preferences for hog insurance products: a natural experiment and choice experiment in China," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance - Issues and Practice, Palgrave Macmillan;The Geneva Association, vol. 46(3), pages 399-421, July.
    14. Jensen, Nathaniel & Barrett, Christopher B. & Mude, Andrew, 2014. "Index Insurance and Cash Transfers: A Comparative Analysis from Northern Kenya," MPRA Paper 61372, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    index insurance; asset risk; nonlinear growth; poverty traps; safety net; risk preference elicitation; Africa; Kenya;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D14 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Saving; Personal Finance
    • D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • I32 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Measurement and Analysis of Poverty
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development

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