Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to look at the ever-popular, “value-chain approach” for linking smallholder farmers to high value export markets. Conventional wisdom says that value chains undertaken for development purposes redistribute risk and provide benefits and services to...

Purpose – This paper aims to develop a market-driven mechanism for commodity price insurance in developing countries lacking access to futures markets or other forms of hedging products. Design/methodology/approach – The model incorporates futures, exchange rate and local basis risk under...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a general discussion of how techniques from financial engineering can be used to investigate the economic costs of farm programs and to aid in the design of new financial products to implement margin protection for dairy farmers. Specifically...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine the extent of risk rationing among potential rural borrowers in Mexico and China. Design/methodology/approach – Using primary survey data from 730 farm households in the Shaanxi province of China and from 372 farmers in northeastern Mexico,...