Supporting international development agencies to build climate adaptation for vulnerable populations
BY BLUE MARBLE MICRO
REGION
Africa
INDUSTRY
Public Sector
PARTNERS
Development Agency
CATEGORY
Modeling
SERVICE
Insurance
RISK
Drought and excess rainfall
STRUCTURE
Micro
IMPACT
Food security
Challenge
Farmers face mounting climate risks that directly threaten their food security and livelihoods. Crops are highly sensitive to erratic rainfall, prolonged droughts, and increasingly intense cyclones that damage fields and destroy stored produce. For smallholder farmers with limited savings or access to credit, these shocks not only jeopardize household consumption but also perpetuate cycles of poverty, making it harder to invest in improved seeds, fertilizers, or sustainable farming practices that could strengthen resilience.
Solution
Blue Marble worked with an international development agency to design a practical insurance product that aligns with the realities of smallholder farmers’ purchasing power. The coverage is bundled directly with agricultural seeds and distributed through seed companies, ensuring that access to insurance is tied to a product farmers are already purchasing. In order to ensure affordability, the payout is connected to the value of the bag of seeds. When drought or excess rainfall triggers a payout, farmers can immediately replace their seeds and replant, reducing the risk of losing an entire season’s harvest.
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