Drought and Retribution : Evidence from a Large-Scale Rainfall-Indexed Insurance Program in Mexico

Although weather shocks are a major source of income fluctuation, most of the world's poor lack insurance coverage against them. Absence of formal insurance contributes to poverty traps, as investment decisions are conflicted with risk managem...

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Main Authors: Fuchs, Alan, Wolff, Hendrik
Format: Working Paper
Language:English
en_US
Published: World Bank, Washington, DC 2016
Subjects:
Online Access:http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2016/02/25927053/drought-retribution-evidence-large-scale-rainfall-indexed-insurance-program-mexico
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/23902
id okr-10986-23902
recordtype oai_dc
spelling okr-10986-239022021-04-23T14:04:18Z Drought and Retribution : Evidence from a Large-Scale Rainfall-Indexed Insurance Program in Mexico Fuchs, Alan Wolff, Hendrik RISKS HOUSEHOLD SURVEY RISK SHARING ARRANGEMENTS RIGHTS POOR RURAL HOUSEHOLD CHECKS PRODUCTION RISK MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES POVERTY LEVELS ILLITERACY INCOME INTEREST AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION PROPERTY RIGHTS EXCHANGE AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT COUNTERFACTUAL PROGRAMS INFORMATION LABOR FORCE POLITICAL ECONOMY INSURANCE POLICIES EFFECTS INCENTIVES DURABLE ASSETS PRIVATE INSURANCE REAL INCOME CROP VARIETIES RURAL POPULATION BENEFICIARIES INTERNATIONAL BANK MEASURES INSURANCE MARKET INSURANCE COMPANY POLICYHOLDERS CROP INSURANCE RURAL HOUSEHOLD RURAL HOUSEHOLDS CASH CROPS TRAINING DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS MORAL HAZARD HOUSEHOLD HEAD INSURANCE PRODUCT AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY CONTRACTS PRODUCTIVITY TRANSFERS MARKETS HOUSEHOLD INCOME ORGANIZATIONS RATES INSURERS STANDARDS LABOR LOANS FARMERS RISK SHARING FAMINE REINSURANCE MARKETS CASH TRANSFERS INSURANCE COVERAGE MORTALITY EFFICIENCY COVARIATE SHOCKS MINIMUM WAGES ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS FEMALE LABOR AGRICULTURAL POLICY INVESTMENT DECISIONS EXPENDITURE INSURANCES REINSURANCE EQUITY INFANT MORTALITY PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH WAGES POVERTY INDEX POLICIES DROUGHT RUNNING WATER MARKET FAILURES PRODUCTION OF CASH CROPS VALUE LAND QUALITY LOSSES RURAL LEVEL CREDIT INSURANCE CONTRACTS AGRICULTURAL INSURANCE CLAIMS RURAL POVERTY RURAL SETTINGS RISK EXPOSURE IMPLICIT CONTRACTS AGRICULTURAL LAND MALNUTRITION RURAL LAND SIZE MARKET TRANSFER PROGRAMS RISK TRANSFER ECONOMICS MANAGEMENT INSURANCE INSURANCE PREMIUMS LOSS CONSUMPTION SMOOTHING THEORY DURABLE LACK OF INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT EXTREME POVERTY IRRIGATION RISK INCOME SMOOTHING INDEMNITY RURAL AREAS POVERTY PRIVATE INSURANCE COMPANIES FEMALE LABOR FORCE SUPPLY RISK TAKING PROFIT FINANCIAL SUPPORT AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY INVESTMENTS RISK MANAGEMENT CASH TRANSFER PROGRAMS POOR INSURANCE COMPANIES COMMUNAL LAND INDEMNITY PAYMENTS OUTCOMES BASIS RISK COVERAGE GUARANTEE ADVERSE SELECTION PREMIUMS Although weather shocks are a major source of income fluctuation, most of the world's poor lack insurance coverage against them. Absence of formal insurance contributes to poverty traps, as investment decisions are conflicted with risk management ones: risk-averse farmers tend to underinvest and produce lower yielding yet safer crops. In the past few years, weather index insurance has gained increasing attention as an effective tool to provide small-scale farmers coverage against aggregate shocks. However, there is little empirical evidence about its effectiveness. This paper studies the effect of the recently introduced rainfall-indexed insurance on farmers' productivity, risk management strategies, as well as per capita income and expenditure in Mexico. The identification strategy takes advantage of the variation across counties and across time in which the insurance was rolled-out. The analysis finds that the presence of insurance in treated counties has significant and positive effects on maize productivity. Similarly, there is a positive association between the presence of insurance in the municipality and rural households' per capita expenditure and income, although no significant relation is found between the presence of insurance and the number of hectares destined for maize production. 2016-03-09T18:26:10Z 2016-03-09T18:26:10Z 2016-02 Working Paper http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2016/02/25927053/drought-retribution-evidence-large-scale-rainfall-indexed-insurance-program-mexico http://hdl.handle.net/10986/23902 English en_US Policy Research Working Paper;No. 7565 CC BY 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/ World Bank World Bank, Washington, DC Publications & Research Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper Latin America & Caribbean Mexico
repository_type Digital Repository
institution_category Foreign Institution
institution Digital Repositories
building World Bank Open Knowledge Repository
collection World Bank
language English
en_US
topic RISKS
HOUSEHOLD SURVEY
RISK SHARING ARRANGEMENTS
RIGHTS
POOR RURAL HOUSEHOLD
CHECKS
PRODUCTION
RISK MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES
POVERTY LEVELS
ILLITERACY
INCOME
INTEREST
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION
PROPERTY RIGHTS
EXCHANGE
AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT
COUNTERFACTUAL
PROGRAMS
INFORMATION
LABOR FORCE
POLITICAL ECONOMY
INSURANCE POLICIES
EFFECTS
INCENTIVES
DURABLE ASSETS
PRIVATE INSURANCE
REAL INCOME
CROP VARIETIES
RURAL POPULATION
BENEFICIARIES
INTERNATIONAL BANK
MEASURES
INSURANCE MARKET
INSURANCE COMPANY
POLICYHOLDERS
CROP INSURANCE
RURAL HOUSEHOLD
RURAL HOUSEHOLDS
CASH CROPS
TRAINING
DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS
MORAL HAZARD
HOUSEHOLD HEAD
INSURANCE PRODUCT
AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY
CONTRACTS
PRODUCTIVITY
TRANSFERS
MARKETS
HOUSEHOLD INCOME
ORGANIZATIONS
RATES
INSURERS
STANDARDS
LABOR
LOANS
FARMERS
RISK SHARING
FAMINE
REINSURANCE MARKETS
CASH TRANSFERS
INSURANCE COVERAGE
MORTALITY
EFFICIENCY
COVARIATE SHOCKS
MINIMUM WAGES
ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS
FEMALE LABOR
AGRICULTURAL POLICY
INVESTMENT DECISIONS
EXPENDITURE
INSURANCES
REINSURANCE
EQUITY
INFANT MORTALITY
PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH
WAGES
POVERTY INDEX
POLICIES
DROUGHT
RUNNING WATER
MARKET FAILURES
PRODUCTION OF CASH CROPS
VALUE
LAND QUALITY
LOSSES
RURAL LEVEL
CREDIT
INSURANCE CONTRACTS
AGRICULTURAL INSURANCE
CLAIMS
RURAL POVERTY
RURAL SETTINGS
RISK EXPOSURE
IMPLICIT CONTRACTS
AGRICULTURAL LAND
MALNUTRITION
RURAL
LAND SIZE
MARKET
TRANSFER PROGRAMS
RISK TRANSFER
ECONOMICS
MANAGEMENT
INSURANCE
INSURANCE PREMIUMS
LOSS
CONSUMPTION SMOOTHING
THEORY
DURABLE
LACK OF INFRASTRUCTURE
INVESTMENT
EXTREME POVERTY
IRRIGATION
RISK
INCOME SMOOTHING
INDEMNITY
RURAL AREAS
POVERTY
PRIVATE INSURANCE COMPANIES
FEMALE LABOR FORCE
SUPPLY
RISK TAKING
PROFIT
FINANCIAL SUPPORT
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY
INVESTMENTS
RISK MANAGEMENT
CASH TRANSFER PROGRAMS
POOR
INSURANCE COMPANIES
COMMUNAL LAND
INDEMNITY PAYMENTS
OUTCOMES
BASIS RISK
COVERAGE
GUARANTEE
ADVERSE SELECTION
PREMIUMS
spellingShingle RISKS
HOUSEHOLD SURVEY
RISK SHARING ARRANGEMENTS
RIGHTS
POOR RURAL HOUSEHOLD
CHECKS
PRODUCTION
RISK MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES
POVERTY LEVELS
ILLITERACY
INCOME
INTEREST
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION
PROPERTY RIGHTS
EXCHANGE
AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT
COUNTERFACTUAL
PROGRAMS
INFORMATION
LABOR FORCE
POLITICAL ECONOMY
INSURANCE POLICIES
EFFECTS
INCENTIVES
DURABLE ASSETS
PRIVATE INSURANCE
REAL INCOME
CROP VARIETIES
RURAL POPULATION
BENEFICIARIES
INTERNATIONAL BANK
MEASURES
INSURANCE MARKET
INSURANCE COMPANY
POLICYHOLDERS
CROP INSURANCE
RURAL HOUSEHOLD
RURAL HOUSEHOLDS
CASH CROPS
TRAINING
DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS
MORAL HAZARD
HOUSEHOLD HEAD
INSURANCE PRODUCT
AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY
CONTRACTS
PRODUCTIVITY
TRANSFERS
MARKETS
HOUSEHOLD INCOME
ORGANIZATIONS
RATES
INSURERS
STANDARDS
LABOR
LOANS
FARMERS
RISK SHARING
FAMINE
REINSURANCE MARKETS
CASH TRANSFERS
INSURANCE COVERAGE
MORTALITY
EFFICIENCY
COVARIATE SHOCKS
MINIMUM WAGES
ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS
FEMALE LABOR
AGRICULTURAL POLICY
INVESTMENT DECISIONS
EXPENDITURE
INSURANCES
REINSURANCE
EQUITY
INFANT MORTALITY
PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH
WAGES
POVERTY INDEX
POLICIES
DROUGHT
RUNNING WATER
MARKET FAILURES
PRODUCTION OF CASH CROPS
VALUE
LAND QUALITY
LOSSES
RURAL LEVEL
CREDIT
INSURANCE CONTRACTS
AGRICULTURAL INSURANCE
CLAIMS
RURAL POVERTY
RURAL SETTINGS
RISK EXPOSURE
IMPLICIT CONTRACTS
AGRICULTURAL LAND
MALNUTRITION
RURAL
LAND SIZE
MARKET
TRANSFER PROGRAMS
RISK TRANSFER
ECONOMICS
MANAGEMENT
INSURANCE
INSURANCE PREMIUMS
LOSS
CONSUMPTION SMOOTHING
THEORY
DURABLE
LACK OF INFRASTRUCTURE
INVESTMENT
EXTREME POVERTY
IRRIGATION
RISK
INCOME SMOOTHING
INDEMNITY
RURAL AREAS
POVERTY
PRIVATE INSURANCE COMPANIES
FEMALE LABOR FORCE
SUPPLY
RISK TAKING
PROFIT
FINANCIAL SUPPORT
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY
INVESTMENTS
RISK MANAGEMENT
CASH TRANSFER PROGRAMS
POOR
INSURANCE COMPANIES
COMMUNAL LAND
INDEMNITY PAYMENTS
OUTCOMES
BASIS RISK
COVERAGE
GUARANTEE
ADVERSE SELECTION
PREMIUMS
Fuchs, Alan
Wolff, Hendrik
Drought and Retribution : Evidence from a Large-Scale Rainfall-Indexed Insurance Program in Mexico
geographic_facet Latin America & Caribbean
Mexico
relation Policy Research Working Paper;No. 7565
description Although weather shocks are a major source of income fluctuation, most of the world's poor lack insurance coverage against them. Absence of formal insurance contributes to poverty traps, as investment decisions are conflicted with risk management ones: risk-averse farmers tend to underinvest and produce lower yielding yet safer crops. In the past few years, weather index insurance has gained increasing attention as an effective tool to provide small-scale farmers coverage against aggregate shocks. However, there is little empirical evidence about its effectiveness. This paper studies the effect of the recently introduced rainfall-indexed insurance on farmers' productivity, risk management strategies, as well as per capita income and expenditure in Mexico. The identification strategy takes advantage of the variation across counties and across time in which the insurance was rolled-out. The analysis finds that the presence of insurance in treated counties has significant and positive effects on maize productivity. Similarly, there is a positive association between the presence of insurance in the municipality and rural households' per capita expenditure and income, although no significant relation is found between the presence of insurance and the number of hectares destined for maize production.
format Working Paper
author Fuchs, Alan
Wolff, Hendrik
author_facet Fuchs, Alan
Wolff, Hendrik
author_sort Fuchs, Alan
title Drought and Retribution : Evidence from a Large-Scale Rainfall-Indexed Insurance Program in Mexico
title_short Drought and Retribution : Evidence from a Large-Scale Rainfall-Indexed Insurance Program in Mexico
title_full Drought and Retribution : Evidence from a Large-Scale Rainfall-Indexed Insurance Program in Mexico
title_fullStr Drought and Retribution : Evidence from a Large-Scale Rainfall-Indexed Insurance Program in Mexico
title_full_unstemmed Drought and Retribution : Evidence from a Large-Scale Rainfall-Indexed Insurance Program in Mexico
title_sort drought and retribution : evidence from a large-scale rainfall-indexed insurance program in mexico
publisher World Bank, Washington, DC
publishDate 2016
url http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2016/02/25927053/drought-retribution-evidence-large-scale-rainfall-indexed-insurance-program-mexico
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/23902
_version_ 1764455104886341632