This paper examines whether agricultural insurance can boost investment by small scale farmers in West Africa. We … conduct a randomized evaluation to analyze the impacts of index insurance for cotton farmers in Burkina Faso. We find no … impact of insurance on cotton, but, consistent with microeconomic theory, we find significant spillover impacts on investment …

may be used to provide the latter improved access to formal insurance. Urban migrants in Ouagadougou (the capital of … Burkina Faso) originating from nearby villages were offered, at the prevailing market price, a rainfall index insurance … randomly offered an insurance policy that would make pay-outs directly to the intended beneficiary rather than the subscriber …