Synopsis: How should rural financial cooperatives be best organized? Evidence from Ethiopia

What is the optimal size and composition of rural financial cooperatives (RFCs)? With this broad question in mind, we characterize alternative formations of RFCs and the implications of each in improving the access of rural households to financial services, including savings, credit, and insurance s...

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Autores principales: Abay, Kibrom A., Koru, Bethlehem, Abate, Gashaw T., Berhane, Guush
Formato: Brief
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: International Food Policy Research Institute 2017
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/148342
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author Abay, Kibrom A.
Koru, Bethlehem
Abate, Gashaw T.
Berhane, Guush
author_browse Abate, Gashaw T.
Abay, Kibrom A.
Berhane, Guush
Koru, Bethlehem
author_facet Abay, Kibrom A.
Koru, Bethlehem
Abate, Gashaw T.
Berhane, Guush
author_sort Abay, Kibrom A.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description What is the optimal size and composition of rural financial cooperatives (RFCs)? With this broad question in mind, we characterize alternative formations of RFCs and the implications of each in improving the access of rural households to financial services, including savings, credit, and insurance services. We find that some features of RFCs have varying implications for delivering various financial services. The size of RFCs is found to have a nonlinear relationship with the various financial services RFCs provide. We also show that compositional heterogeneity among members, including diversity in wealth, is associated with higher access to credit services, while this has limited effects on the savings behavior of members. Similarly, social cohesion among members is strongly associated with higher access to financial services. These empirical descriptions suggest that the optimal size and composition of RFCs may vary across the different domains of financial services that they are designed to facilitate. This evidence provides suggestive insights on how to ensure financial inclusion among smallholders, a priority among agricultural sector policy makers in developing countries, including Ethiopia. The results also provide some insights for the design of rural microfinance operations as they seek to satisfy members’ demand for various financial services.
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spelling CGSpace1483422025-11-06T07:15:20Z Synopsis: How should rural financial cooperatives be best organized? Evidence from Ethiopia Abay, Kibrom A. Koru, Bethlehem Abate, Gashaw T. Berhane, Guush rural communities production economic growth economic development livestock production households grain crops smallholders marketing market access livelihoods livestock What is the optimal size and composition of rural financial cooperatives (RFCs)? With this broad question in mind, we characterize alternative formations of RFCs and the implications of each in improving the access of rural households to financial services, including savings, credit, and insurance services. We find that some features of RFCs have varying implications for delivering various financial services. The size of RFCs is found to have a nonlinear relationship with the various financial services RFCs provide. We also show that compositional heterogeneity among members, including diversity in wealth, is associated with higher access to credit services, while this has limited effects on the savings behavior of members. Similarly, social cohesion among members is strongly associated with higher access to financial services. These empirical descriptions suggest that the optimal size and composition of RFCs may vary across the different domains of financial services that they are designed to facilitate. This evidence provides suggestive insights on how to ensure financial inclusion among smallholders, a priority among agricultural sector policy makers in developing countries, including Ethiopia. The results also provide some insights for the design of rural microfinance operations as they seek to satisfy members’ demand for various financial services. 2017 2024-06-21T09:24:25Z 2024-06-21T09:24:25Z Brief https://hdl.handle.net/10568/148342 en https://hdl.handle.net/10568/147768 https://doi.org/10.1111/apce.12212 application/pdf International Food Policy Research Institute Ethiopian Development Research Institute Abay, Kibrom A.; Koru, Bethlehem; Abate, Gashaw T.; and Berhane, Guush. 2017. Synopsis: How should rural financial cooperatives be best organized? Evidence from Ethiopia. ESSP II Research Note 66. Washington, DC and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and Ethiopian Development Research Institute (EDRI). https://hdl.handle.net/10568/148342
spellingShingle rural communities
production
economic growth
economic development
livestock production
households
grain crops
smallholders
marketing
market access
livelihoods
livestock
Abay, Kibrom A.
Koru, Bethlehem
Abate, Gashaw T.
Berhane, Guush
Synopsis: How should rural financial cooperatives be best organized? Evidence from Ethiopia
title Synopsis: How should rural financial cooperatives be best organized? Evidence from Ethiopia
title_full Synopsis: How should rural financial cooperatives be best organized? Evidence from Ethiopia
title_fullStr Synopsis: How should rural financial cooperatives be best organized? Evidence from Ethiopia
title_full_unstemmed Synopsis: How should rural financial cooperatives be best organized? Evidence from Ethiopia
title_short Synopsis: How should rural financial cooperatives be best organized? Evidence from Ethiopia
title_sort synopsis how should rural financial cooperatives be best organized evidence from ethiopia
topic rural communities
production
economic growth
economic development
livestock production
households
grain crops
smallholders
marketing
market access
livelihoods
livestock
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/148342
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