AGRATI_Acc

PIK has developed the crop model IRMA (Interregional Regression Model for Agriculture) in order to be implemented for risk management purposes for small holder farmers in East Africa. Until now, crop models have not been systematically tested for crop insurance or other risk transfer applications. Such risk transfer instruments can contribute to stabilizing small holder farmers’ income during weather extremes and enable adaptation of agronomic management in the long term. In the long term, such insurance products will increase the food security and health situation, enable farmers to sustain their livelihoods in the context of increasingly variable and altered climate conditions and further adapt to climate changes through improving agronomic management. Within the project, the Agricultural Risk Assessment Tool for Insurances (AgRATI) will be developed to the highest possible standard to make it feasible to the OASIS Modelling Framework. The Oasis Modelling Framework already uses very similar standards for catastrophe models. The IRMA model will become an essential tool for the Re(In)surance sector as it can measure weather-related yield loss more precisely. The tool aims at being implemented by insurance providers in East Africa, thereby allowing them to offer more accepted, accurate and affordable insurance products to small holder farmers. The project focuses on product development. Results and lessons learnt out of this stage will be used to revise and improve the product, making it ready for implementation by other regional stakeholders after the accelarator phase is finished.