Rural Income Generating Activities: A Cross Country Comparison

This paper uses a newly constructed cross country database composed of comparable variables and aggregates from household surveys to examine the full range of income generating activities carried out by rural households in order to determine: 1) the relative importance of the gamut of income generating activities in general and across wealth categories; 2), the relative importance of diversification versus specialization at the household level; and 3) the influence of rural income generating activities on poverty and inequality. Analysis of the RIGA cross country dataset paints a clear picture of multiple activities across rural space and diversification across rural households. This is true across countries in all four continents, though less so in the African countries included in the dataset. For most countries the largest share of income stems from off farm activities, and the largest share of households have diversified sources of income. Diversification, not specialization, is the norm, although most countries show significant levels of household specialization in non-agricultural activities as well. Nevertheless, agricultural based sources of income remain critically important for rural livelihoods in all countries, both in terms of the overall share of agriculture in rural incomes as well as the large share of households that still specialize in agricultural sources of income.Community/Rural/Urban Development, Consumer/Household Economics,

Rural Household Access to Assets and Agrarian Institutions: A Cross Country Comparison

Agriculture is at the core of the livelihoods of a large share of rural households throughout the developing world. Agricultural growth is a major engine for overall economic growth and possibly the single most important pathway out of poverty in the rural space. This paper characterizes household access to assets and agrarian institutions of households engaged in agricultural activities in a sample of developing countries. The evidence presented in the paper draws from 15 nationally representative household surveys from four regions of the developing world. We find that the access of rural households to a range of agricultural-specific assets (including land and livestock) and institutions is in general low, though highly heterogeneous across countries, and by categories of households within countries. A large share of rural agricultural households do not use or have access to basic productive inputs, agricultural support services or output markets, and in general it is the landless and the smallest landowners who suffer significantly more from this lack of access. We relate this to the households' ability to engage successfully in commercial farming and find consistent supporting evidence for the hypothesis that this lack of access is significantly constraining their potential to engage successfully in agriculture.rural non farm, assets, agrarian institutions, household surveys, Consumer/Household Economics, O13, O57, Q12,

Seguros agropecuarios en Mesoamérica: Una oportunidad para desarrollar el mercado financiero rural

Este estudio analiza las oportunidades y desafíos que presentan los nuevos instrumentos de seguro agropecuario para fortalecer el sector financiero en áreas rurales de una manera sustentable. Se presenta un marco de políticas públicas para guiar el proceso de toma de decisiones sobre apoyos e intervenciones públicas. El énfasis se coloca principalmente en el papel del seguro para manejar (y transferir) financieramente aquellos riesgos de producción agropecuaria que son demasiado grandes para ser cubiertos por autoaseguro, pero que no son catastróficos al punto de que sea necesario recibir ayuda gubernamental o internacional

Agricultural Insurance in Mesoamerica: An Opportunity to Deepen Rural Financial Markets

This study analyses the opportunities and challenges presented by agricultural insurance instruments in the deepening of financial services in rural areas in Mesoamerica. It outlines a public policy framework to guide the decision-making process. It concludes that, in order to support the competitiveness of the agricultural sector in the light of increasing trade liberalization and natural hazard risks, agricultural insurance should be at the forefront of the set of financial instruments to be developed

The role of crop diversity in household production and food security in Uganda: A gender-differentiated analysis

The linkages between gender, crop choice and agricultural output must be explored if food security is to be ensured under changing climates. Using a rich nationally representative household panel dataset from Uganda, this paper addresses the topic empirically, bringing new evidence to a literature that has not yet fully examined the role of gender in responding to environmental shocks that increase agricultural production variability. A longitudinal analysis that endogenizes production portfolios and agricultural decision-maker gender in ascertaining productivity outcomes indicates parcel manager gender and crop diversity are distinguishing factors in the household food security function. Heterogeneity is explored in the context of diverse agro-ecological zones and differential access to factors of production

The role of crop diversity in household production and food security in Uganda: A gender-differentiated analysis

The linkages between gender, crop choice and agricultural output must be explored if food security is to be ensured under changing climates. Using a rich nationally representative household panel dataset from Uganda, this paper addresses the topic empirically, bringing new evidence to a literature that has not yet fully examined the role of gender in responding to environmental shocks that increase agricultural production variability. A longitudinal analysis that endogenizes production portfolios and agricultural decision-maker gender in ascertaining productivity outcomes indicates parcel manager gender and crop diversity are distinguishing factors in the household food security function. Heterogeneity is explored in the context of diverse agro-ecological zones and differential access to factors of production

Seguros agropecuarios en Mesoamérica: Una oportunidad para desarrollar el mercado financiero rural

Este estudio analiza las oportunidades y desafíos que presentan los nuevos instrumentos de seguro agropecuario para fortalecer el sector financiero en áreas rurales de una manera sustentable. Se presenta un marco de políticas públicas para guiar el proceso de toma de decisiones sobre apoyos e intervenciones públicas. El énfasis se coloca principalmente en el papel del seguro para manejar (y transferir) financieramente aquellos riesgos de producción agropecuaria que son demasiado grandes para ser cubiertos por autoaseguro, pero que no son catastróficos al punto de que sea necesario recibir ayuda gubernamental o internacional

Agricultural Insurance in Mesoamerica: An Opportunity to Deepen Rural Financial Markets

This study analyses the opportunities and challenges presented by agricultural insurance instruments in the deepening of financial services in rural areas in Mesoamerica. It outlines a public policy framework to guide the decision-making process. It concludes that, in order to support the competitiveness of the agricultural sector in the light of increasing trade liberalization and natural hazard risks, agricultural insurance should be at the forefront of the set of financial instruments to be developed

Agricultural Insurance in Mesoamerica: An Opportunity to Deepen Rural Financial Markets

This study analyses the opportunities and challenges presented by agricultural insurance instruments to deepen financial services in rural areas in a sustainable manner. It presents a public policy framework to guide the decision making process of public support and interventions. The focus is primarily on the role of insurance to financially manage (and transfer) agricultural production risks that are too large for self-insurance to cover, yet not catastrophic to the point that government and international disaster aid would be necessary.Financial Services, Rural Development, Agricultural Policy, Disasters, PUB

Agricultural Insurance in Mesoamerica: An Opportunity to Deepen Rural Financial Markets

This study analyses the opportunities and challenges presented by agricultural insurance instruments in the deepening of financial services in rural areas in Mesoamerica. It outlines a public policy framework to guide the decision-making process. It concludes that, in order to support the competitiveness of the agricultural sector in the light of increasing trade liberalization and natural hazard risks, agricultural insurance should be at the forefront of the set of financial instruments to be developed.Agricultural policy, Agricultural trade & marketing, Financial Markets, Financial Services, Rural development, Agric WEB