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Family farming undeniably appears as a pillar of national food security. It represents nearly 80% of farms in sub-Saharan Africa and employs 75% of assets. In the groundnut basin, family farms generally have an average size between one and five hectares, but they face the various challenges of food security, social equity and environmental sustainability. In addition, they face structural constraints of organizational and economic order in a context of climate uncertainty. Thus, this thesis seeks to understand the strategies used by family farms toward the various risks and alternative proposals from other actors in the sector's development. It is, at once, to identify the main constraints arising farms and strategies they cause to propose additional or alternative strategies in the analysis of the risk management framework. For such an aim, we arrested the concepts of family farm, risk, vulnerability and agricultural insurance to reflect the dimensions of this subject for research. This theoretical and conceptual framework was operationalized on the field within farms, giving a voice to farm managers. Several investigations have been conducted and focused on socio-demographic, structural and technical indicators, principal risks and constraints at the farm level, the perception of agricultural insurance. It appears from this study that the main risks identified are agriculture and climate. Family farms consider access to inputs (fertilizer and seed) and farm equipment as a structural constraint in the rainfall deficit. Also, it appears a significant vulnerability in its three components at farm level Basin. This reflection shows the limits of the strategies developed by the farms to improve their resilience in the context of rained groundnut basin; and justifies the need to go to new complementary strategies. One of the tracks that we have explored is the agricultural index insurance. Its coupling to credit, as collateral to financial institutions and to provide working capital is positively appreciated by the subscribers who, up to 95%, are willing to extend the use of insurance policies., L’agriculture familiale s’affiche indéniablement comme un pilier de la sécurité alimentaire nationale. Elle représente près de 80% des exploitations en Afrique sub-saharienne et emploie 75% des actifs. Dans le Bassin arachidier, les exploitations agricoles familiales ont généralement une superficie moyenne comprise entre un et cinq hectares mais, elles font face aux divers défis de sécurité alimentaire, d’équité sociale et de durabilité environnementale. En outre, elles sont confrontées à des contraintes structurelles d’ordre organisationnel et économique dans un contexte d’incertitude climatique. Ainsi, cette thèse cherche à comprendre les stratégies mises en œuvre par les exploitations familiales face aux différents risques ainsi que les propositions alternatives des autres acteurs du développement du secteur. Il s’agit, à la fois, d’identifier les principales contraintes se posant aux exploitations et les stratégies qu’elles occasionnent pour proposer des stratégies complémentaires ou alternatives dans le cadre d’analyse de la gestion du risque. Pour une telle visée, nous avons appréhendé les concepts d’exploitation agricole familiale, de risque, de vulnérabilité et d’assurance agricole pour prendre en compte les dimensions de cet objet de recherche. Ce cadre théorique et conceptuel a été opérationnalisé sur le terrain au sein d’exploitations agricoles, en donnant la parole aux chefs d’exploitation. Plusieurs enquêtes ont été réalisées et ont porté sur les indicateurs sociodémographiques, structurels et techniques, sur les principaux risques et contraintes au niveau des exploitations, sur la perception de l’assurance agricole. Les principaux risques identifiés sont agricoles et climatiques. Les exploitations agricoles familiales considèrent l’accès aux intrants (engrais et semences) et au matériel agricole comme une contrainte structurelle, en plus du déficit pluviométrique. Aussi, il ressort une vulnérabilité importante dans ses trois composantes au niveau des exploitations agricoles du Bassin. Cette réflexion montre les limites des stratégies développées par les exploitations agricoles pour améliorer leur résilience dans le contexte pluvial du Bassin arachidier ; et justifie la nécessité d’aller vers de nouvelles stratégies complémentaires. L’une des pistes que nous avons explorée est l’assurance indicielle agricole. Son couplage au crédit, comme garantie pour les institutions financières et pour disposer de fonds de roulement, est positivement apprécié par les souscripteurs qui, à hauteur de 95%, sont prêts à prolonger l’utilisation des polices d’assurance.

The variability of the rainfall pattern on the Essequibo Coast can be seen as an agricultural risk. Indigenous and other farmers who produce pineapple in the area operate using an organic methodology, having been certified with the assistance of IICA, and have been traditionally relying on rain-fed conditions to satisfy the moisture requirements of the crops. Since the Essequibo Coast normally experiences two rainy periods on an annual basis, the pineapple farmers have depended upon and used this as a source of water for their cultivation methods. Moisture availability is important to the pineapple plant at critical periods of growth of the crop and deficits or excesses can have detrimental effects on production. This situation was evident owing to the fact that pineapple yields were substandard for a two-harvest period and the crops produced were not accepted for processing by the Mainstay Pineapple Factory, as the fruit from these crops did not satisfy the criteria for processing. The Mainstay Pineapple Factory which depends on local pineapples from the area was not able to satisfy its AMCAR export market to Europe and other countries. The pineapple factory lost important revenue and if the phenomenon continues, it risks losing its market share and foreign exchange income. During the period of review, the rainfall experienced was out of sync with the normal rainfall pattern with moisture not being available at the critical periods as needed for the maturity of the crop. This abnormal pattern of rainfall was to the detriment of two successive pineapple crops. The fruits produced were smaller and cores larger, being unfit for processing by the factory’s standards. The study reveals that even though there was the production of a smaller crop, the fruits were substandard relative to processing criteria. The reasons were that the rains were not enough during the vegetative state of the pineapple growth, triggering early flowering, just after which the rains came and there was too much water available, leading to vigorous stem growth and large core development which is disadvantageous when the fruit is used for canning.

Agriculture as a business is confronted with many risks due to natural hazards such as drought, flood and windstorm as well as problems of pests and diseases. In order to pave ways for sustainable agriculture and selfsufficiency in food production, there is the need for tailored protection, hence the agricultural risk management component which is “insurance”. This paper examined insurance as a risk management option and also highlighted the sharp practices being played in agricultural insurance industry in Nigeria. The sharp practices denied genuine farmers who suffered great losses the opportunity of benefitting from the insurance claims that can bring them back to business. Measures to stem down the sharp practices such as the elimination or review of the roles of insurance agents and brokers were suggested. The paper advised that anti-corruption agencies in the country should beam their searchlights on the activities in the agricultural insurance industry with a view to curb the nefarious activities of both the clients and the operators.

La présentation porte d'abord sur une présentation de la volatilité des prix, définition et estimation pour les principaux produits agricoles. La seconde partie développe le concept d'efficience des marchés, dans les trois dimensions du marché physique (espace, forme et temps). Le marché de gré à gré, dit OTC en anglais, est décrit dans sa dimension physique puis financière. Les nouveaux instruments d'investissement sur les produits agricoles sont alors introduits pour évoquer la volatilité exogène, souvent appelée volatilité excessive ainsi que les efforts de régulation entrepris depuis le G-20 de 2009. La troisième et dernière partie présente la gestion du risque prix, grâce aux instruments financiers, dont la présentation est développée, et aux assurances agricoles. Le rôle des politiques publiques est finalement évoqué.

Building on the idea that members of religious communities insure each other against some idiosyncratic risks, we argue that religious communities should be more widespread where populations face greater common risk. Our empirical analysis exploits rainfall risk as a source of common agricultural risk in the nineteenth-century United States. We show that a greater share of the population was organized into religious communities in counties with greater rainfall risk. The link between rainfall risk and membership in religious communities is stronger among more agricultural counties and counties exposed to greater rainfall risk during the growing season.

Building on the idea that religious communities provide mutual insurance against some idiosyncratic risks, we argue that religious membership is more valuable in societies exposed to greater common risk. In our empirical analysis we exploit rainfall risk as a source of common economic risk in the nineteenth-century United States and show that religious communities were larger in counties where they faced greater rainfall risk. The link between rainfall risk and the size of religious communities is stronger in counties that were more agricultural, that had lower population densities, or that were exposed to greater rainfall risk during the growing season.

Agricultural risks threaten the poor farmers in the Third World. Based on case studies conducted in rural areas of Ecuador and the inland delta of the Niger, the present study assesses the role played by the selection of farming areas as one of the traditional measures to prevent risks. Dispersion can be used to minimise the most localised risks ; crops are planted to make the best use of natural differences ; the shape and slope of the different plots of land can be used to control damage from water. To check the damage done by animals, a variety of social and spatial measures can be adopted. The conclusions of the study call into question some of the more widely accepted models relating to both the geographic representation and development of rural areas., L'incidence géographique des risques agricoles (une formulation théorique à partir de cas andins et africains) The geographical incidence of agricultural risks (a theoretical formulation based on Andean and African case studies) Yves Poinsot Résumé : Les risques agricoles menacent les paysanneries pauvres du Tiers Monde. A partir d'études de cas empruntés aux campagnes équatoriennes et au delta intérieur du Niger, on étudie le rôle de la mise en espace parmi les mesures traditionnelles de prévention des risques. La dispersion permet de minimiser les plus localisés ; la disposition des cultures valorise les différenciations naturelles ; la composition de formes topographiques ou parcellaires adaptées permet la maîtrise de nuisances liées à l'eau. Le contrôle des dégâts animaux peut emprunter les voies très différenciées d'innovations sociales ou spatiales. Pour le développement comme pour la représentation géographique des espaces ruraux, ces conclusions entraînent une remise en cause de modèles largement diffusés., Poinsot Yves. L'incidence géographique des risques agricoles (une formulation théorique à partir de cas andins et africains). In: Revue de géographie alpine, tome 87, n°3, 1999. pp. 31-50.

The 2014 Farm Bill includes risk management tools as an integral component of national agricultural policy whereas the CAP 2014-2020 seems to include them as an afterthought. While EU principles are sound, policies remain in limbo. They suffer from a double dichotomy: two CAP pillars and two administrative levels for implementation. Ten recommendations are proposed for transforming the current state of limbo for EU agricultural risk management policy into a coherent CAP linked to world markets. They cover (1) EU coordination between public safety nets and private risk management tools, (2) flexible funding with improved reserve funds and precautionary savings, and (3) field tests to take full advantage of the creativity of private-public partnerships and to create an experience curve.

Uninsured risk constrains households in their production decisions in many developing countries. Similarly to crop insurance, employment guarantees can support farmers in managing agricultural production risks. Evidence from representative panel data of Andhra Pradesh, India, suggests that the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) reduces households' uncertainty about future income streams because it provides employment opportunities in rural areas independently of weather shocks and crop failure. Because the NREGS makes an ex-post labor supply response to agricultural shocks more efficient, households with access to the NREGS can shift their production towards riskier but also more profitable crops. The observed shifts in agricultural production do considerably raise the profitability of agricultural production and hence the incomes of smallholder farmers. The findings are not driven by changes in the labor or cost intensity of those crops, which supports the idea that the causal mechanism underlying the observed changes is indeed an insurance effect.

The economic literature showed that remittances can replace missing credit and insurance markets. As a result, it is natural to expect that higher amounts of remittances will motivate agricultural farmers to engage in riskier activities. The present study aims to verify the latter hypothesis by answering three distinct questions: do households that receive higher remittances choose to cultivate a riskier crop portfolio, to engage either in crop specialization or in crop diversification and to use riskier input such as fertilizer? I use the Living Standards Measurement Study-Integrated Surveys on Agriculture (LSMS-ISA) dataset on Uganda established by the World Bank to test these hypotheses. The results show that higher remittances induce crop specialization and higher probability of fertilizer use.

We consider a political economy where government cares about risk-averse farmers’ loss of income and yet incurs political cost if it provides monetary support to farmers. Government evaluates three options: 1) ex-post disaster aid; 2) ex-ante insurance option with perfect information; 3) ex-ante insurance with imperfect information (farmers are over-confident about their risk). It is assumed that marginal political cost is high enough so that the possibility of monetary support to farmers in the absence of economic loss is ruled out. In comparing 1) and 2), we find that government prefers farmers manage their risks through fairly priced insurance In comparing 1) and 3), if the information problems prevent risk-averse farmers to take up full insurance under actuarially fair rates, government prefers to subsidize farmers’ insurance ex-ante rather than providing disaster aid ex-post (subject to political cost) for a wide range of parameter values.

It is an undisputed fact that weather risk increases over time due to climate change. However, qualification of this statement with regard to the type of weather risk and geographical location is needed. We investigate the application of novel statistical tools for assessing changes in weather risk over time. We apply local t-test, change point tests and Mann-Kendall test as well as quantile regression to weather risk indicators that are relevant from the viewpoint of agricultural production. Our results show that weather risk follows different pattern depending on the type of risk and the location.

This report is the outcome of assessment and is intended as an advisory note to the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) and Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) to enable them to identify a strategy and potential public investments to improve current risk-management practices in the rice supply chain. This report identifies the major risks facing the rice supply chain, ranks them in terms of their potential impact and frequency, and offers a framework for improving current risk-management practices. The recommendations and findings will provide a basis for follow-up planning work by the Government of Guyana (GoG), the World Bank, and other development partners. The findings and analysis of this initial assessment are based on a methodology designed by the Agricultural Risk Management Team (ARMT) for assessing risks in agricultural supply chains. This report provides an indicative list of potential solutions to address the dominant risks in the rice supply chain; however, the assessment or evaluation of the individual solutions was beyond the scope of this exercise. To ensure the greatest return on future public investments in implementing risk management solutions, GRDB and MoA need to undertake an exhaustive cost-benefit assessment of different options. This will enable MoA to identify and implement the necessary activities to reduce the vulnerability of the rice supply chain in Guyana.

We theoretically examine a farmer’s coverage demand with area and individual insurance plans as either separate or integrated options. The individual and area losses are assumed to be imperfectly and positively correlated. With actuarially fair rates, the farmer will fully insure with the individual plan and demand no area insurance regardless of the plans being separate or integrated. Under separate plans, free area insurance and the fair rate for individual insurance, area insurance replaces a portion of individual insurance demand. Under integrated plans, free area insurance, and the fair rate for individual insurance, the farmer will over-insure with individual plan and demand additional area insurance.

El propósito de este artículo es demostrar que los derivados¹ de clima pueden ser empleados como una forma de cobertura o seguro agrícola contra eventos específicos inesperados de clima en un mercado incompleto.² La transferencia del riesgo al mercado es una manera efectiva de cubrirse frente a riesgos de diversa naturaleza. Se examina un modelo analítico, así como la valoración pricing de derivados de clima en la región j en Colombia. Se utilizarán datos históricos de la región antes mencionada, para evaluar la relación entre la productividad agrícola de los productos Pr x, Pr y, Pr z y eventos de clima específicos de clima R lluvia o precipitación y H temperatura. Posteriormente, se examinan una variedad de opciones de compra y venta call y put basados en riesgos climáticos de calor y lluvia para evaluarlos teóricamente. Este estudio profundiza específicamente sobre el modelo analítico, para escuchar reacciones de los gremios y de la academia. El presente estudio se enmarca en el campo de las finanzas sobre riesgo y clima. El primer documento se presentó en el Simposio Internacional de Costa Rica a principios de 2009, donde obtuvo premio en su sesión por mejor artículo y se incluyó los lineamientos conceptuales, para construir un modelo de valoración de un derivado de clima (Cruz, J. y Vargas, C. 2008). Aquí, como se dijo, se hace una especificación analítica y al nivel de modelo, con una innovación respecto al modelo que se presentó inicialmente. The purpose of the present article is to prove that climate by-products can be used as agricultural insurance protection against climate unexpected, particular events in an incomplete market. Transferring risk to the market is an effective way of having protection when facing risks of diverse nature. An analytical model, as well as climate by-product pricing in the j region of Colombia, has been examined. Historical data of the region above mentioned in order to evaluate the relationship between agricultural productivity of Pr x, Pr y, Prz products and specific climate events such as R -rain or atmospheric precipitation- and H -temperature. Later on, a variety of call and put options will be considered based on heat and rain climatic risks in order to evaluate them theoretically. This paper thoroughly and particularly studies the analytical model in order to listen to the response from labor federations and academic groups. The present study has been framed within the field of risk and climate. The first document was presented at the International Symposium of Costa Rica in early 2009, where it obtained first place as best article in its session. At the time, conceptual guidelines were included to build an evaluation model for a climate by-product (Cruz, J. and Vargas, C. 2008). As mentioned earlier, this paper contains an analytical specification at model level, including an innovation to the model presented initially. Le propos de cet article est de démontrer que les dérivés climatiques peuvent être utilisés comme un mécanisme, une assurance agricole, pour se prémunir contre des manifestations spécifiques inattendues du climat dans un marché incomplet. Le transfert du risque au marché est une manière effective de se protéger face aux risques de diverses natures. On étudie un modèle analytique, ainsi que le coût -pricing- des dérivés climatiques dans une région j en Colombie. On utilise des relevés historiques de la région mentionnée pour évaluer la relation entre la productivité agricole des produits Pr x, Pr y et les manifestations particulières du climat R -précipitations- et H -température. Est étudiée ensuite une variété d'options d'achat et vente -call and put- basées sur les risques climatiques de chaleur et pluies pour les évaluer théoriquement. Cette étude approfondit en particulier le modèle analytique pour écouter les réactions des corporations et de l'université. Cette présente étude se situe dans le domaine des financements sur le risque et le climat. Le premier document a été présenté au Symposium international du Costa Rica début 2009, où il a obtenu un prix comme meilleur article et a été inclus aux lignes conceptuelles, pour construire un modèle d'évaluation des coûts d'un dérivé climatique (Cruz, J. et Vargas, C., 2008). Dans le cas présent, il s'agit d'une spécification analytique et de l'introduction d'une innovation par rapport au modèle présenté initialement.

O seguro rural é um dos mais importantes instrumentos para o desenvolvimento do setor agrícola, pois, ao permitir proteção ao produtor rural contra efeitos adversos de eventos ambientais e do mercado torna-se indispensável à estabilidade da renda, à geração de emprego e ao desenvolvimento tecnológico. No setor agrícola, além do risco de mercado, existem diversas outras fontes que a tornam uma atividade eminentemente arriscada. A principal delas se refere ao fato de que a atividade agrícola é altamente dependente de condições ambientais de difícil controle pelo homem de modo que as variáveis climáticas e sua interação com fatores bióticos podem influenciar sobremaneira o resultado final da safra. A realidade histórica mostra que o seguro agrícola permite ao produtor rural manter sua renda na ocorrência de um sinistro, o que é fundamental para o do setor agrícola e a sociedade em geral. Contudo, o mercado de seguro agrícola brasileiro é insipiente e demandando reestruturação com intensa participação do setor privado e coordenado pelo do setor público.------------------------------------------------------Highly instrumental in the development of the agricultural sector insofar as it protects farmers from adverse weather and market conditions, agricultural insurance also plays a crucial role not only in income and employment generation, but also in technological advancements. Besides market risks, the agricultural sector is confronted with a wide spectrum of other risks, which makes agriculture an eminently risky enterprise. Chief among these risks is the high dependence of the agricultural activity on hard to control weather-driven events, so that natural environmental variability and its interaction with biotic factors can greatly affect crop yields. The historical reality shows that agricultural insurance allows that rural producer maintain the income level in the occurrence of a casualty, which is important to the agricultural sector and the society. However, the Brazilian agricultural insurance market is at a generally incipient stage and in urgent need of a restructuring involving intense participation of the private sector and coordination by the public sector.

O seguro rural apresenta-se com um instrumento para o desenvolvimento do setor agrícola, protegendo o produtor rural dos efeitos adversos de eventos ambientais e do mercado tornando-se indispensável à estabilidade da renda, à geração de emprego e ao desenvolvimento tecnológico. Nesse sentido, sugere-se a consideração de um conjunto de indicadores que podem influir positivamente no processo de mitigação dos riscos inerentes ao seguro rural agrícola. Dessa forma, propõe-se o desenvolvimento de um Modelo Integrado de Gestão do Risco Agrícola para o Brasil (MIGRA) para o Brasil, um país que, além da heterogeneidade setorial, tem sua economia fortemente calcada no setor agrícola, o qual também é bastante heterogêneo quanto à produção e a renda agrícola. Esse modelo deve enfatizar a mitigação do risco no setor com base em um sistema de informação disponível para todos os segmentos do setor agrícola. A ênfase do MIGRA deve ser na redução da informação imperfeita e da assimetria de informação. Ainda, o MIGRA deverá considerar a diversidade dos sistemas de produção existentes no território nacional, notadamente quanto ao tamanho (pequeno e grande produtor segundo o capital) e o modo de exploração (agricultura patronal, empresarial ou não, e agricultura familiar).----------------------------------------------Highly instrumental in the development of the agricultural sector insofar as it protects farmers from adverse weather and market conditions, agricultural insurance also plays a crucial role not only in income and employment generation, but also in technological advancements. In this way, suggests the consideration of a group of indicators to agro-insurance. Thus this work proposes the development of an Integrated Agricultural Risk Management Model for Brazil (MIGRA), a country which, in addition to its sectorial heterogeneity, has its economy strongly based on an also heterogeneous the agricultural sector, concerning production types and agricultural income levels. Such model should emphasize risk mitigation in the sector through an information system available to all segments of the agricultural sector. The major focus of the MIGRA must be on the reduction of imperfect information and information asymmetry. Also, the MIGRA shall take into consideration the diversity of production systems extant in the national territory, notably with regards to the size (small and large producers according to capital intensity) and means of exploration (employer agriculture, entrepreneurial or not, and family agriculture).

O seguro agrícola é um dos mais importantes instrumentos para o desenvolvimento do setor agrícola, pois, ao permitir proteção ao produtor rural contra efeitos adversos de eventos ambientais e do mercado torna-se indispensável à estabilidade da renda, à geração de emprego e ao desenvolvimento tecnológico. No setor agrícola, além do risco de mercado, existem diversas outras fontes que a tornam uma atividade eminentemente arriscada. A principal delas se refere ao fato de que a atividade agrícola é altamente dependente de condições ambientais de difícil controle pelo homem, de modo que as variáveis climáticas e sua interação com fatores bióticos podem influenciar sobremaneira o resultado final da safra. A realidade histórica mostra que o seguro agrícola permite ao produtor rural manter sua renda na ocorrência de um sinistro, o que é fundamental para o setor agrícola e a sociedade em geral. Made available in DSpace on 2012-02-01T00:01:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 RBRS8.pdf: 977659 bytes, checksum: 3c66c0c5192f10e9c5e933c9be3fe3c6 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-01-31

This paper investigates the relationship between weather events and agricultural risks. Specific event risks are defined by outcomes related to a specific event such as low temperature and rainfall. Using Ontario data this paper describes specific events and shows how these specific events can be insured using weather derivatives and insurance.

Risk management of crop related exposures in coastal regions can be enhanced through a program of hazards modeling and real-time forecasting. As one component in the yield distribution of selected crops, typhoon-related hazards are a critical factor. Natural typhoon occurrence rates accentuate the extreme parts of the yield distribution, causing severe and correlated financial disruptions to invested interests. This paper outlines a suite of techniques focused on building a probabilistic understanding of crop risk from tropical cyclones. Several foundational technologies are discussed, including: Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) of tropical cyclones; statistical consensus forecast models, such as the WeatherPredict Superensemble™; and the application of flood modeling techniques to typhoon landfall scenarios.

The agricultural development policy of Indonesian government has been to achieve self-sufficiency in rice. However, rice production growth is critical to increase availability, accessibility, and affordability following the impact of global climate change. The farmers have continued to face rice production risk and harvesting failure. Insurance is introduced in favor of farmers to protect rice farm from great loss caused by flood, drought and pest and diseaseinfestations. A pilot program is formulated to obtain knowledge about insurance application. Rice farm insurance scheme would successfully work with three-way coordination active roles of the government, the farmers and the insurance company.

Remarks dealing with the role of information in dealing with risk and uncertainty in agricultur