Impacts of an innovative credit + insurance bundle for marginalized farmers: Evidence from a cluster randomized trial in Odisha, India

Smallholder farmers often lack documented land rights to serve as collateral for formal loans, with livelihoods inextricably linked to weather conditions. Resulting credit and risk constraints prevent them from investing in their farms. We implemented a randomized evaluation of KhetScore, an innovat...

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Main Authors: Kramer, Berber, Pattnaik, Subhransu, Ward, Patrick S., Xu, Yingchen
Format: Artículo preliminar
Language:Inglés
Published: International Food Policy Research Institute 2024
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/162767
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author Kramer, Berber
Pattnaik, Subhransu
Ward, Patrick S.
Xu, Yingchen
author_browse Kramer, Berber
Pattnaik, Subhransu
Ward, Patrick S.
Xu, Yingchen
author_facet Kramer, Berber
Pattnaik, Subhransu
Ward, Patrick S.
Xu, Yingchen
author_sort Kramer, Berber
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Smallholder farmers often lack documented land rights to serve as collateral for formal loans, with livelihoods inextricably linked to weather conditions. Resulting credit and risk constraints prevent them from investing in their farms. We implemented a randomized evaluation of KhetScore, an innovative credit scoring approach that uses remote sensing to unlock credit and insurance for smallholders including landless farmers in Odisha, a state in eastern India. In our treatment group, where we offered KhetScore loans and insurance, farmers - and especially women - were more likely to be insured and borrow from formal sources without substituting formal for informal loans. Despite increased borrowing, treated households faced less difficulty in repaying loans, suggesting that insured KhetScore loans transferred risk and eased the burden of repayment. Moreover, the treatment enhanced agricultural profitability by increasing revenues during the monsoon season and reducing costs in the dry season. Positive and significant effects are found among both farmers with unconstrained baseline credit access, and quantity rationed farmers, suggesting that KhetScore helps address supply-side credit constraints. Finally, the treatment significantly enhanced women’s empowerment and mental health. In conclusion, remote sensing-enabled financial products can substantially improve landless farmers’ access to agricultural credit, risk management, resilience, and well-being.
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spelling CGSpace1627672025-11-06T05:36:49Z Impacts of an innovative credit + insurance bundle for marginalized farmers: Evidence from a cluster randomized trial in Odisha, India Kramer, Berber Pattnaik, Subhransu Ward, Patrick S. Xu, Yingchen smallholders land rights loans livelihoods weather credit remote sensing access to finance gender impact assessment insurance Smallholder farmers often lack documented land rights to serve as collateral for formal loans, with livelihoods inextricably linked to weather conditions. Resulting credit and risk constraints prevent them from investing in their farms. We implemented a randomized evaluation of KhetScore, an innovative credit scoring approach that uses remote sensing to unlock credit and insurance for smallholders including landless farmers in Odisha, a state in eastern India. In our treatment group, where we offered KhetScore loans and insurance, farmers - and especially women - were more likely to be insured and borrow from formal sources without substituting formal for informal loans. Despite increased borrowing, treated households faced less difficulty in repaying loans, suggesting that insured KhetScore loans transferred risk and eased the burden of repayment. Moreover, the treatment enhanced agricultural profitability by increasing revenues during the monsoon season and reducing costs in the dry season. Positive and significant effects are found among both farmers with unconstrained baseline credit access, and quantity rationed farmers, suggesting that KhetScore helps address supply-side credit constraints. Finally, the treatment significantly enhanced women’s empowerment and mental health. In conclusion, remote sensing-enabled financial products can substantially improve landless farmers’ access to agricultural credit, risk management, resilience, and well-being. 2024-10-31 2024-11-26T18:41:52Z 2024-11-26T18:41:52Z Working Paper https://hdl.handle.net/10568/162767 en Open Access application/pdf International Food Policy Research Institute Kramer, Berber; Pattnaik, Subhransu; Ward, Patrick S.; and Xu, Yingchen. 2024. Impacts of an innovative credit + insurance bundle for marginalized farmers: Evidence from a cluster randomized trial in Odisha, India. IFPRI Discussion Paper 2288. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/162767
spellingShingle smallholders
land rights
loans
livelihoods
weather
credit
remote sensing
access to finance
gender
impact assessment
insurance
Kramer, Berber
Pattnaik, Subhransu
Ward, Patrick S.
Xu, Yingchen
Impacts of an innovative credit + insurance bundle for marginalized farmers: Evidence from a cluster randomized trial in Odisha, India
title Impacts of an innovative credit + insurance bundle for marginalized farmers: Evidence from a cluster randomized trial in Odisha, India
title_full Impacts of an innovative credit + insurance bundle for marginalized farmers: Evidence from a cluster randomized trial in Odisha, India
title_fullStr Impacts of an innovative credit + insurance bundle for marginalized farmers: Evidence from a cluster randomized trial in Odisha, India
title_full_unstemmed Impacts of an innovative credit + insurance bundle for marginalized farmers: Evidence from a cluster randomized trial in Odisha, India
title_short Impacts of an innovative credit + insurance bundle for marginalized farmers: Evidence from a cluster randomized trial in Odisha, India
title_sort impacts of an innovative credit insurance bundle for marginalized farmers evidence from a cluster randomized trial in odisha india
topic smallholders
land rights
loans
livelihoods
weather
credit
remote sensing
access to finance
gender
impact assessment
insurance
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/162767
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