The current COVID-19 crisis is bringing into sharp relief the vulnerability of agri-food systems and creating new challenges whose repercussions may be felt in the sector for a long time. Among other things, it is showing the limits of our capacity to anticipate shocks and is testing the risk management capacity of all actors active in supply chains, as well as in government, finance, and other sectors. In this context, many agri-SMEs are already suffering significantly from disruptions in supply chains and markets, causing cash flow problems. Many also lack the capital and capacity to undertake the investments that would be required to strengthen their resilience to the enduring crisis and prepare for its likely after-effects.
This is, therefore, an opportune time to take a closer look at the range of tools available in the area of agricultural risk management, and identify those that can be deployed both to address the current crisis, particularly from the agri-SME standpoint, as well as to prepare for its long term repercussions. Such an assessment will also serve to highlight the main gaps or areas where innovative products, delivery mechanisms, or complementary measures are needed. The convergence of interests and experiences of ILO, PARM and SAFIN around these issues provides an opportunity to address them with reference to practical experiences and examples.
Overall, the aim of the Live Talks Series is to assess the general offering and limitations of the agricultural risk management “toolbox” in light of the ongoing experience with COVID-19, from the perspectives of agri-SMEs and agri-lenders. Furthermore, the series presents practical learnings related to the use of specific tools and the impact achieved by both sets of actors (SMEs and lenders) through a review of case studies.
This webinar builds on its previous sessions:
This third and final session of the Live Talk series will focus on concrete examples of agricultural risk management (ARM) tools that have been implemented by agri-SMEs before and since the COVID-19 crisis. The session will also explore emerging policy issues in ARM. The first portion of the webinar will include three case study presentations covering distinct ARM solutions deployed in specific value chains, operational and geographical contexts. This will be followed by a moderated panel discussion where the case study presenters will examine the evolution of risks since the pandemic, and the effectiveness and limitations of ARM tools available to agri-SMEs to address them, as well as the policy implications to be considered as we look to building back better post-COVID. A short Q&A will provide an opportunity to answer questions from the audience, before concluding the session and the series with final conclusions and closing remarks.
Explore the other sessions of the series:
Daniel leads the ACCDER office of Root Capital in Peru. His experience and skills include financial analysis, project evaluation, monitoring, and economic research. Previously, he worked as a financial manager at Rainforest Trading and as a loan analyst at Banco del Trabajo, both located in Peru. Daniel holds a B.A. in economics from the Catholic University in Peru.
Senior Coordinator, Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA)
Megha Desai has worked with SEWA for the last 13 years, leading their programmes on rebuilding lives of war and other disaster-affected sisters in countries like Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Afghanistan, and Nepal. She currently leads the National Farmer’s Forum Network of SEWA, which covers 13 states of India with the objective of providing livelihood support through agri-businesses and policy advocacy. On behalf of SEWA, Megha is also the Director of Bees Network – Business, Enterprise and Employment support for women in South Asia.
Megha holds a degree in Commerce and Law from Gujarat University in India and has undergone the Senior Management Development Programme from the Indian Institute of Management (IIMA) in Ahmedabad.
Mumo Musembi is the Commercial Director at Pula. With 20+ years’ experience in marketing, sales and general management, he holds a BSc from University of Nairobi and MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business.Pula is an insurtech company, providing insurance and digital marketing services for smallholder farmers in emerging markets. Working across 11 countries in Africa and Asia, Pula has facilitated crop and livestock insurance cover to over 3.4 million households and has been recognized globally winning amongst others the Singapore Fintech Festival Global Accelerator, the Women’s World Banking Innovation Award, and Credit Suisse Private Innovation Award. Pula had been profiled at TED as well as the World Economic Forum for Africa
Lead Regional Technical Specialist, Rural Finance, Markets and Enterprises in Asia and the Pacific, IFAD
Michael Hamp worked for the Federal Ministries of Food, Agriculture and Forestry and of Economic Cooperation and Development. He became staff member of IFAD in Rome, in November 2007. The Rural Finance Unit managed by him includes two specialized subteams: the multi-donor funded Financing Facility for Remittances (FFR), the Platform for Agricultural Risk Management (PARM), merged with the Weather Risk Management team. Since October 2018, he has taken the technical responsibility for Rural Finance, Markets and Enterprise Development in Asia and South Pacific.
Michael von During is the Technical Specialist for the SAFIN Secretariat housed at the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in Rome, Italy. A native of Geneva, Switzerland, Michael has developed a career at the intersection of access to finance and agricultural development. His work in the impact investment space covering both fund structuring and pipeline development, combined with his experience at Cargill, have afforded him a deep understanding of the risks faced by companies and investors in the agriculture sector, as well as the tools available to address them.
Pranav Prashad is the Senior Technical Officer at the International Labour Organisation (ILO)’s Impact Insurance Facility. He provides technical expertise on agriculture insurance, distribution and mobile services as well as use of technology in insurance.
Pranav Prashad has more than three decades of experience in insurance and business management. He has initiated and taken to scale agriculture and health insurance projects amongst low-income households in India, utilizing a diverse set of distribution channels and enabling the projects with technology.
At the Facility, Pranav has supported the successful introduction of weather index insurance products in Sri Lanka and index-related products for livestock in Kenya among other projects. He is also the lead author of the Facility’s paper looking as various ways mobile phone technology can help in building scale and efficiency in insurance operations.
He holds an MBA from the Faculty of Management Studies and a bachelor’s honours degree in Economics, both from Delhi University, India.