Bundling Genetic and Financial Technologies for More Resilient and Productive Small-scale Agriculture
We utilize a multi-year randomized controlled trial spanning two African countries to explore whether complementarities between two risk management technologies–stress tolerant seeds and index insurance–can promote a more resilient, higher productivity small farm sector. We find that, by themselves, drought tolerant maize seeds mitigate the adverse impacts of mid-season drought, while farmers with access to both drought tolerant seeds and index insurance show greater resilience and intensify production in seasons following a shock. Our findings showcase important complementarities between these risk mitigating technologies and the crucial role learning plays in tapping their benefits to small farmers.
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