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The impact of index-based insurance on informal risk-sharing arrangement

Author

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  • BOUCHER Steve
  • DELPIERRE Matthieu

Abstract

Moral hazard and adverse selection impede the development of formal crop insurance markets in developing countries. Besides, the risk mitigation provided by informal risk-sharing arrangements is restricted by their inability to protect against covariate shocks. In this context, index-based insurance is seen as a promising scheme as it is immune to moral hazard and adverse selection and may offer effective protection against covariate shocks. It would thus seem that the two institutions are ideal complements. Unfortunately, this intuition ignores the potential effects on incentives and behavior generated by the interaction between both schemes. This paper explores this interaction in a model with moral hazard and shows that the formal contract may crowd out informal risk-sharing if it is offered to individuals. Second, we find that both risk-taking and welfare may be reduced by the introduction of index insurance if the premium is set too high. If the formal insurance is offered to the group instead of the individual, the impact on moral hazard is internalized and welfare increases.

Suggested Citation

  • BOUCHER Steve & DELPIERRE Matthieu, 2014. "The impact of index-based insurance on informal risk-sharing arrangement," LISER Working Paper Series 2014-13, Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER).
    • Handle: RePEc:irs:cepswp:2014-13
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Shah, Anand, 2016. "Pricing and Risk Mitigation Analysis of a Cyber Liability Insurance using Gaussian, t and Gumbel Copulas – A case for Cyber Risk Index," MPRA Paper 111968, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Bene, Tizié & Bramoullé, Yann & Deroïan, Frédéric, 2024. "Formal insurance and altruism networks," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    3. Berg, Erlend & Blake, Michael & Morsink, Karlijn, 2022. "Risk sharing and the demand for insurance: Theory and experimental evidence from Ethiopia," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 195(C), pages 236-256.
    4. Kathryn Vasilaky & Sofía Martínez Sáenz & Radost Stanimirova & Daniel Osgood, 2020. "Perceptions of Farm Size Heterogeneity and Demand for Group Index Insurance," Games, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-21, March.
    5. Nigus, Halefom & Nillesen, Eleonora & Mohnen, Pierre, 2018. "The effect of weather index insurance on social capital: Experimental evidence from Ethiopia," MERIT Working Papers 2018-007, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    6. Putman, Daniel S., 2020. "The Scope of Risk Pooling," 2020 Annual Meeting, July 26-28, Kansas City, Missouri 304480, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    7. Lenel, Friederike & Steiner, Susan, 2017. "Insurance and Solidarity: Evidence from a Lab-in-the-Field Experiment in Cambodia," IZA Discussion Papers 10986, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Index insurance; Informal risk-sharing; Moral hazard;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty
    • G22 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Insurance; Insurance Companies; Actuarial Studies
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products

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