Lower Mekong Food Security Database

Partner Description

Remote sensing-based Information and Insurance for Crops in Emerging economies (“RIICE”) is a public-private partnership aiming to reduce the vulnerability of rice smallholder farmers in low-income countries in Asia and beyond. The parties make use of remote sensing technologies to map and observe rice growth in selected regions in Asia (Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam). Such information helps governments to make the necessary provision to meet potential food shortages given that rice is the most important crop for most Asian countries. Additionally, such information can help stakeholders involved in rice production to better manage the risks involved. A key option at hands for governments is to establish agricultural insurance solutions to protect rice smallholders. In the same way, the risks involved in agricultural lending by banks to rice smallholders can be reduced through insurance that protects the farmers’ loans against defaulting due to yield losses and thus trigger more investments in agricultural production.

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