We study the effect of alleviating information asymmetry regarding product quality that is widespread in developing-country agricultural markets. Opportunistic buyers may underreport quality levels back to farmers to reduce the price they have to pay. In response, farmers may curb investment,...

In emerging markets for high-value food products in developing countries, processing companies search for efficient ways to source raw material of consistent quality. One widely embraced approach is contract farming. But relatively little is known about the appropriate design of contracts,...

This study explores cross-country differences in debt market participation, level of household debt holding and over-indebtedness between rural households in Thailand and Vietnam. We identify socio-economic determinants for rural households in Thailand and Vietnam by decomposing differences into...

The lack of finance is a major reason for poverty. Also a typical feature of the poor, especially the rural poor, is that their income highly fluctuates often as a result of shocks. This volatile nature of the poor households' cash-flow underlines the need for good financial management which the...

Does multiple borrowing lead micro-borrowers into over-indebtednes? Do over-indebted micro-borrowers take loans to refinance existing loans that are ultimately unpayable and get trapped in a vicious circle of debt? Using a longitudinal household survey data, this study addresses such questions...