تعاون و کشاورزی (Aug 2020)
Designing a cooperative model of agricultural micro-insurance for rural areas of Iran; Case study: Livestock micro-insurance
Abstract
The main issue of this research is to design a model for the development of micro insurance in rural areas in the form of cooperatives. This research has been done in 2 steps as follows. In the first stage, using qualitative study and in-depth interviews in the form of grounded theory approach, the requirements for the development of cooperative micro-insurance were categorized into three levels: micro, meso and macro. Micro level requirements include insurer, policy holder and distribution channel; Intermediate level requirements include actuary and macro level requirements include legislation and reinsurance. In the second stage, using quantitative study and structural equation modelling, micro-insurance cooperative model was designed in rural areas and then the challenges of micro-insurance development were identified. The statistical population includes three groups of insurance experts in the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labor and Social Welfare, the Central Insurance Research Institute and the Agricultural Products Insurance Fund. The results are summarized as follows: (1) Trust in micro-insurance through appropriate training programs among low-income groups is one of the first priorities at the micro level in order to develop micro-insurance. (2) Data collection items in relation to micro insurance customers, suppliers, products and prices of micro insurance, are among the first priority at the middle level (meso) to develop micro insurance. (3) The formulation of supportive policies (tax exemptions and subsidies) for the development of micro insurance is one of the first priorities at the macro level for the development of micro insurance. In economic challenges the variable “lack of savings" in poor people as an essential component to buy insurance; In socio-cultural challenges, the variable "lack of rural participation in cooperative insurance schemes" and "lack of trust among local community networks"; In educational-extension challenges, the variables "lack of mass media attention to micro-insurance issues" and "lack of education of low-income groups through custom cases"; In technical challenges, the variable "lack of information about micro-insurance marketing among the poor"; and In the policy challenges, the variable “lack of Agricultural Products Fund attention to the micro-insurance issues" has the highest priority of developing cooperative rural micro-insurance.
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