Impacts of a digital credit-insurance bundle for landless farmers: Evidence from a cluster randomized trial in Odisha, India

Smallholder farmers often lack documented land rights to serve as collateral for formal loans, and their livelihoods are inextricably linked to increasingly variable weather conditions. Resulting credit and risk constraints prevent them from making potentially profitable investments in their farms....

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Pattnaik, Subhransu, Kramer, Berber, Ward, Patrick S., Yingchen Xu, Tharakeswar, G.
Formato: Ponencia
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: International Food Policy Research Institute 2023
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/136959
_version_ 1855528782538997760
author Pattnaik, Subhransu
Kramer, Berber
Ward, Patrick S.
Yingchen Xu
Tharakeswar, G.
author_browse Kramer, Berber
Pattnaik, Subhransu
Tharakeswar, G.
Ward, Patrick S.
Yingchen Xu
author_facet Pattnaik, Subhransu
Kramer, Berber
Ward, Patrick S.
Yingchen Xu
Tharakeswar, G.
author_sort Pattnaik, Subhransu
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Smallholder farmers often lack documented land rights to serve as collateral for formal loans, and their livelihoods are inextricably linked to increasingly variable weather conditions. Resulting credit and risk constraints prevent them from making potentially profitable investments in their farms. We implemented a randomized evaluation of the impacts of KhetScore, an innovative credit scoring methodology that uses digital technologies to unlock credit and insurance for smallholders including landless farmers in Odisha, a state in eastern India. In our treatment group, where we offered loans and insurance based on the KhetScore methodology, farmers —and especially women—were more likely to purchase insurance, renew insurance coverage in subsequent years, and borrow from formal sources, without substituting formal loans for informal loans. Despite increased borrowing, households in the treatment group faced less difficulty in repaying loans, suggesting that KhetScore loans came with favorable terms that eased the burden of repayment. Moreover, the treatment increased agricultural revenues during the monsoon (Kharif) season and reduced costs in the dry (Rabi) season, enhancing profitability across both seasons. Finally, women in the treatment group reported significantly higher levels of empowerment and mental health, specifically reduced feelings of stress, than women in the control group. In conclusion, digital technologies can contribute substantially to agricultural risk management, resilience, and well-being among marginalized landless farmers.
format Ponencia
id CGSpace136959
institution CGIAR Consortium
language Inglés
publishDate 2023
publishDateRange 2023
publishDateSort 2023
publisher International Food Policy Research Institute
publisherStr International Food Policy Research Institute
record_format dspace
spelling CGSpace1369592025-11-06T06:35:18Z Impacts of a digital credit-insurance bundle for landless farmers: Evidence from a cluster randomized trial in Odisha, India Pattnaik, Subhransu Kramer, Berber Ward, Patrick S. Yingchen Xu Tharakeswar, G. gender agriculture research credit financial inclusion digital technology Smallholder farmers often lack documented land rights to serve as collateral for formal loans, and their livelihoods are inextricably linked to increasingly variable weather conditions. Resulting credit and risk constraints prevent them from making potentially profitable investments in their farms. We implemented a randomized evaluation of the impacts of KhetScore, an innovative credit scoring methodology that uses digital technologies to unlock credit and insurance for smallholders including landless farmers in Odisha, a state in eastern India. In our treatment group, where we offered loans and insurance based on the KhetScore methodology, farmers —and especially women—were more likely to purchase insurance, renew insurance coverage in subsequent years, and borrow from formal sources, without substituting formal loans for informal loans. Despite increased borrowing, households in the treatment group faced less difficulty in repaying loans, suggesting that KhetScore loans came with favorable terms that eased the burden of repayment. Moreover, the treatment increased agricultural revenues during the monsoon (Kharif) season and reduced costs in the dry (Rabi) season, enhancing profitability across both seasons. Finally, women in the treatment group reported significantly higher levels of empowerment and mental health, specifically reduced feelings of stress, than women in the control group. In conclusion, digital technologies can contribute substantially to agricultural risk management, resilience, and well-being among marginalized landless farmers. 2023-10-11 2024-01-04T12:46:32Z 2024-01-04T12:46:32Z Presentation https://hdl.handle.net/10568/136959 en Open Access application/pdf International Food Policy Research Institute Pattnaik, Subhransu; Kramer, Berber; Ward, Patrick S.; Yingchen Xu; Tharakeswar, G. 2023. Impacts of a digital credit-insurance bundle for landless farmers: Evidence from a cluster randomized trial in Odisha, India. Presentation. Presented at the CGIAR GENDER Conference 'From Research to Impact: Towards just and resilient agri-food systems', New Delhi, India, 9-12 October 2023. International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/136959
spellingShingle gender
agriculture
research
credit
financial inclusion
digital technology
Pattnaik, Subhransu
Kramer, Berber
Ward, Patrick S.
Yingchen Xu
Tharakeswar, G.
Impacts of a digital credit-insurance bundle for landless farmers: Evidence from a cluster randomized trial in Odisha, India
title Impacts of a digital credit-insurance bundle for landless farmers: Evidence from a cluster randomized trial in Odisha, India
title_full Impacts of a digital credit-insurance bundle for landless farmers: Evidence from a cluster randomized trial in Odisha, India
title_fullStr Impacts of a digital credit-insurance bundle for landless farmers: Evidence from a cluster randomized trial in Odisha, India
title_full_unstemmed Impacts of a digital credit-insurance bundle for landless farmers: Evidence from a cluster randomized trial in Odisha, India
title_short Impacts of a digital credit-insurance bundle for landless farmers: Evidence from a cluster randomized trial in Odisha, India
title_sort impacts of a digital credit insurance bundle for landless farmers evidence from a cluster randomized trial in odisha india
topic gender
agriculture
research
credit
financial inclusion
digital technology
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/136959
work_keys_str_mv AT pattnaiksubhransu impactsofadigitalcreditinsurancebundleforlandlessfarmersevidencefromaclusterrandomizedtrialinodishaindia
AT kramerberber impactsofadigitalcreditinsurancebundleforlandlessfarmersevidencefromaclusterrandomizedtrialinodishaindia
AT wardpatricks impactsofadigitalcreditinsurancebundleforlandlessfarmersevidencefromaclusterrandomizedtrialinodishaindia
AT yingchenxu impactsofadigitalcreditinsurancebundleforlandlessfarmersevidencefromaclusterrandomizedtrialinodishaindia
AT tharakeswarg impactsofadigitalcreditinsurancebundleforlandlessfarmersevidencefromaclusterrandomizedtrialinodishaindia