In 2011 The World Bank Group launched a feasibility study on developing an Index Insurance pilot in Uruguay, funded by the Government of Japan through the Global Index Insurance Facility. The study quantified the total number of reproductive livestock units as 3.8 million countrywide, with 315 million USD total sum insured. The corresponding number of livestock producers was estimated at 38,000. The outputs of this technical and financial assistance has allowed the Government of Uruguay to start pilot testing an innovative Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) index insurance to cover

Global Index Insurance Facility has produced a report that captures the Program’s achievements and on the progress of project implementation during phase one: 2010-2015. These achievements and lessons learned are the result of joint efforts, hard work and commitment with GIIF's implementing partners on the ground as well as generous support from the donors. Prepared collaboratively by the GIIF team across the globe, this report also offers a snapshot of past and future activities, including GIIF’s roles in capacity-building, outreach and communications efforts. Available in English and in

In june 2016, over 60 participants gathered at the College of insurance in Nairobi to discuss best practices and share their knowledge and expertise on index insurance, particularly livestock insurance and agriculture insurance. The discussions were quite timely, as the Government of Kenya recently allocated US$6 million for crop and livestock insurance for smallholder producers for next year, as one of the ‘key government flagship projects to drive the transformative agenda’. This is a five-fold increase in budget from the previous years with strong allocations toward data systems and premium

Agricultural finance is crucial to support the growth of the agricultural sector. Indeed, it is essential for food security, job creation, and overall economic growth. This synthesis report presents a summary of research studies on five key areas of agricultural finance innovation prepared under the G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI), as well as the presentations and discussions of these study findings during the “G20 Roundtable on Innovations in Agricultural Finance” convened on September 9, 2015 in Antalya, Turkey by the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Finance Sub-Group

The soil that Abdoulaye Ndiaye holds in his hand is dry and dusty. A little further away in the Kaolack region the groundnut plants are already beginning to spring up in the fields, but in Paskoto village Abdoulaye and his fellow farmers have not seen a drop so far this season. "The most important challenge for us is the weather. It is God who decides. We have no choice, but are just left looking for ways to handle the situation," Abdoulaye says, now using his hand to shield his eyes against the stark sunlight.

For Jeremiah Kithaka, farming maize on his three acre farmland is the primary source of livelihood enabling him to provide for his family of four. However, with changing rainfall patterns, delayed starts to the rainy seasons and longer and more frequent dry periods, Jeremiah has seen vast volatility in his income levels over the past few years.

"Farming in Burkina can be very challenging. Uncertain weather conditions can have severely damaging impact on harvests and the ability of smallholder farmers to continue farming," says Sou Campaore, a 42-year old cotton farmer from Houndé, a farming village just outside Dedougou, a city in the western corridor of Burkina Faso. "Since the income from such an unpredictable harvest is not steady, we don’t get access to capital in order to implement more efficient farming practices and purchase better inputs. A bad season can also have a telling effect on the health and social position of

For eight years, Chandrasiri Vanasunder, a small holderfamerin the Ratnapura district of Sri Lanka, bore the lossescaused by drought and excess-rainfall on his 2-acre teaestate. But all that begun tochange in 2012, when a salesrepresentative from Sanasa told him about ‘index-basedinsurance’ for tea plants. “As soon as I heard about theproduct, I knew that this was a good product. I have sufferedsevere losses in the past, and this seemed like a smart ideato help me prepare for future uncertainty.” Vanasunder’sjudgment proved right, as approximately half -way throughthe last season, he received

Agricultural insurance plays an important role in stabilising farmers’ income and stimulating investment in agriculture. The market for these products has taken off since the Chinese government began to subsidise premiums. Challenges remain, however, and reinsurance can help support the industry with know-how and capacity.

About 65% of the cropped area in India is dependent on rains. Because most of the rains in India are received during the monsoon months, the crop growing seasons are quite short. Any aberrations in the amount of rainfall or in its distribution can adversely impact the crop yields. Yield and price uncertainties often reduce the incomes of the farm households and, consequently, their consumption levels and investments. Many of the farmers in the semi-arid tropics (SAT) of India live close to subsistence level, and shielding them from the weather-induced shocks in agricultural income is vital for their survival. The SAT accounts for 37% of the country’s geographical area as well as population, 46% of the net cultivated area, 59% of the coarse cereals area, 53% of the pulses area and 60% of the oilseeds area. Even 60% of the commercial crops are grown in the SAT. If rainfed agriculture in the SAT is to remain as a means of livelihood, ex-ante risk management is a critical first step to ex-post risk coping.