Consumption Smoothing? Livestock, Insurance and Drought in Rural Burkina Faso

Arbeitspapier

This paper explores the extent of consumption smoothing between 1981 and 1985 in rural Burkina Faso. In particular, we examine the extent to which livestock, grain storage and interhousehold transfers are used to smooth consumption against income risk. The survey coincided with a period of severe drought, so that the results provide direct evidence on the effectiveness of these various insurance mechanisms when they are the most needed. We find evidence of little consumption smoothing. In particular, there is almost no risk sharing, and households rely almost exclusively on self-insurance in the form of adjustments to grain stocks to smooth out consumption. The outcome, however, is far from complete smoothing. Hence the main risk-coping strategies, which are hypothesized in the literature (risk sharing and buffer stock), were not effective during the survey period.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: Center Discussion Paper ; No. 898

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Micro-Based Behavioral Economics: Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making‡ ; Economic Development: Financial Markets; Saving and Capital Investment; Corporate Finance and Governance
• Subject: Livestock ; consumption smoothing ; permanent income hypothesis ; precautionary saving ; risk sharing ; Gesamtwirtschaftlicher Konsum ; Tierhaltung ; Intergenerationale Übertragung ; Einkommenshypothese ; Burkina Faso

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Kazianga, Harounan ; Udry, Christopher
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Yale University, Economic Growth Center
• (where): New Haven, CT
• (when): 2004

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/98388
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:43 AM CET