An experiment on the impact of weather shocks and insurance on risky investment

We conduct a framed field experiment in rural Ethiopia to test the seminal hypothesis that insurance provision induces farmers to take greater, yet profitable, risks. Farmers participated in a game protocol in which they were asked to make a simple decision: whether to purchase fertilizer, and if so...

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Autores principales: Hill, Ruth Vargas, Viceisza, Angelino
Formato: Artículo preliminar
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: International Food Policy Research Institute 2010
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/152659
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author Hill, Ruth Vargas
Viceisza, Angelino
author_browse Hill, Ruth Vargas
Viceisza, Angelino
author_facet Hill, Ruth Vargas
Viceisza, Angelino
author_sort Hill, Ruth Vargas
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description We conduct a framed field experiment in rural Ethiopia to test the seminal hypothesis that insurance provision induces farmers to take greater, yet profitable, risks. Farmers participated in a game protocol in which they were asked to make a simple decision: whether to purchase fertilizer, and if so, how many bags. The return to fertilizer was dependent on a stochastic weather draw made in each round of the game protocol. In later rounds of the game protocol, a random selection of farmers made this decision in the presence of a stylized weather-index insurance contract. Insurance was found to have some positive effect on fertilizer purchases. Purchases were also found to depend on the realization of the weather in the previous round. We explore the mechanisms of this relationship and find that it may be the result of both changes in wealth weather brings about and changes in perceptions of the costs and benefits of fertilizer purchases.
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spelling CGSpace1526592025-11-06T06:26:29Z An experiment on the impact of weather shocks and insurance on risky investment Hill, Ruth Vargas Viceisza, Angelino insurance inputs field experimentation uncertainty investment We conduct a framed field experiment in rural Ethiopia to test the seminal hypothesis that insurance provision induces farmers to take greater, yet profitable, risks. Farmers participated in a game protocol in which they were asked to make a simple decision: whether to purchase fertilizer, and if so, how many bags. The return to fertilizer was dependent on a stochastic weather draw made in each round of the game protocol. In later rounds of the game protocol, a random selection of farmers made this decision in the presence of a stylized weather-index insurance contract. Insurance was found to have some positive effect on fertilizer purchases. Purchases were also found to depend on the realization of the weather in the previous round. We explore the mechanisms of this relationship and find that it may be the result of both changes in wealth weather brings about and changes in perceptions of the costs and benefits of fertilizer purchases. 2010 2024-10-01T13:55:05Z 2024-10-01T13:55:05Z Working Paper https://hdl.handle.net/10568/152659 en https://doi.org/10.1007/s10683-011-9303-7 Open Access application/pdf International Food Policy Research Institute Hill, Ruth Vargas; Viceisza, Angelino. 2010. An experiment on the impact of weather shocks and insurance on risky investment. IFPRI Discussion Paper 974. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/152659
spellingShingle insurance
inputs
field experimentation
uncertainty
investment
Hill, Ruth Vargas
Viceisza, Angelino
An experiment on the impact of weather shocks and insurance on risky investment
title An experiment on the impact of weather shocks and insurance on risky investment
title_full An experiment on the impact of weather shocks and insurance on risky investment
title_fullStr An experiment on the impact of weather shocks and insurance on risky investment
title_full_unstemmed An experiment on the impact of weather shocks and insurance on risky investment
title_short An experiment on the impact of weather shocks and insurance on risky investment
title_sort experiment on the impact of weather shocks and insurance on risky investment
topic insurance
inputs
field experimentation
uncertainty
investment
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/152659
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