Impact of risk-contingent credit and traditional credit on smallholders’ agricultural investment and productivity: Experimental evidence from Kenya

We use a multiyear, multi-arm randomized controlled trial implemented among 1,053 smallholders in Kenya to evaluate ex-ante investment and ex-post productivity and welfare benefits of two competing lending models: risk-contingent credit (RCC)—which embeds crop insurance with a loan product—and tradi...

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Autores principales: Ndegwa, Michael K., Shee, Apurba, Ward, Patrick S., Liu, Yanyan, Turvey, Calum G., You, Liangzhi
Formato: Artículo preliminar
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: International Food Policy Research Institute 2024
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/163758
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author Ndegwa, Michael K.
Shee, Apurba
Ward, Patrick S.
Liu, Yanyan
Turvey, Calum G.
You, Liangzhi
author_browse Liu, Yanyan
Ndegwa, Michael K.
Shee, Apurba
Turvey, Calum G.
Ward, Patrick S.
You, Liangzhi
author_facet Ndegwa, Michael K.
Shee, Apurba
Ward, Patrick S.
Liu, Yanyan
Turvey, Calum G.
You, Liangzhi
author_sort Ndegwa, Michael K.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description We use a multiyear, multi-arm randomized controlled trial implemented among 1,053 smallholders in Kenya to evaluate ex-ante investment and ex-post productivity and welfare benefits of two competing lending models: risk-contingent credit (RCC)—which embeds crop insurance with a loan product—and traditional credit (TC). We rely on local average treatment effects to demonstrate the effects of these alternative credit products on borrowers but report the intention-to-treat effects for their broader policy significance. Uptake of RCC increased treated households’ farm investments—specifically, adoption of chemical fertilizers—by up to 14 percent along the extensive margins and by more than 100 percent along the intensive margins, while TC’s effects were less in both magnitude and statistical significance. Neither type of credit product had a significant effect on the overall area cultivated under maize, hence enhancing agricultural intensification but not extensification. Ex-post, neither type of credit product had a strong direct effect on households’ productivity. We conclude that access to credit has potential to increase investment and productivity among smallholders, although improved productivity needs better measurement and extended intervention to be realized. To scale the potential effects of credit, derisking access to credit should be considered to expand access to credit.
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spelling CGSpace1637582025-11-06T06:33:29Z Impact of risk-contingent credit and traditional credit on smallholders’ agricultural investment and productivity: Experimental evidence from Kenya Ndegwa, Michael K. Shee, Apurba Ward, Patrick S. Liu, Yanyan Turvey, Calum G. You, Liangzhi credit productivity investment smallholders welfare risk We use a multiyear, multi-arm randomized controlled trial implemented among 1,053 smallholders in Kenya to evaluate ex-ante investment and ex-post productivity and welfare benefits of two competing lending models: risk-contingent credit (RCC)—which embeds crop insurance with a loan product—and traditional credit (TC). We rely on local average treatment effects to demonstrate the effects of these alternative credit products on borrowers but report the intention-to-treat effects for their broader policy significance. Uptake of RCC increased treated households’ farm investments—specifically, adoption of chemical fertilizers—by up to 14 percent along the extensive margins and by more than 100 percent along the intensive margins, while TC’s effects were less in both magnitude and statistical significance. Neither type of credit product had a significant effect on the overall area cultivated under maize, hence enhancing agricultural intensification but not extensification. Ex-post, neither type of credit product had a strong direct effect on households’ productivity. We conclude that access to credit has potential to increase investment and productivity among smallholders, although improved productivity needs better measurement and extended intervention to be realized. To scale the potential effects of credit, derisking access to credit should be considered to expand access to credit. 2024-12-18 2024-12-18T21:15:38Z 2024-12-18T21:15:38Z Working Paper https://hdl.handle.net/10568/163758 en https://doi.org/10.2499/9780896294561_12 Open Access application/pdf International Food Policy Research Institute Ndegwa, Michael K.; Shee, Apurba; Ward, Patrick S.; Liu, Yanyan; Turvey, Calum G.; and You, Liangzhi. 2024. Impact of risk-contingent credit and traditional credit on smallholders’ agricultural investment and productivity: Experimental evidence from Kenya. IFPRI Discussion Paper 2303. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/163758
spellingShingle credit
productivity
investment
smallholders
welfare
risk
Ndegwa, Michael K.
Shee, Apurba
Ward, Patrick S.
Liu, Yanyan
Turvey, Calum G.
You, Liangzhi
Impact of risk-contingent credit and traditional credit on smallholders’ agricultural investment and productivity: Experimental evidence from Kenya
title Impact of risk-contingent credit and traditional credit on smallholders’ agricultural investment and productivity: Experimental evidence from Kenya
title_full Impact of risk-contingent credit and traditional credit on smallholders’ agricultural investment and productivity: Experimental evidence from Kenya
title_fullStr Impact of risk-contingent credit and traditional credit on smallholders’ agricultural investment and productivity: Experimental evidence from Kenya
title_full_unstemmed Impact of risk-contingent credit and traditional credit on smallholders’ agricultural investment and productivity: Experimental evidence from Kenya
title_short Impact of risk-contingent credit and traditional credit on smallholders’ agricultural investment and productivity: Experimental evidence from Kenya
title_sort impact of risk contingent credit and traditional credit on smallholders agricultural investment and productivity experimental evidence from kenya
topic credit
productivity
investment
smallholders
welfare
risk
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/163758
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