Co-design workshop for an area yield index insurance tool

The WaPOR Ethiopia team, in collaboration with FAO and IWMI, is currently exploring the potential applications of WaPOR in partnership with the private sector. Private sector engagement is considered a vital component of the strategic plans and activities of various ministries and agencies. Through consultation meetings, both online and in person, one promising area that has been identified is the implementation of the Area Yield Index Insurance initiative in Ethiopia.

To further develop this initiative, a co-design stakeholder workshop was held on October 20, 2023, at the ILRI Campus in Addis Ababa. This workshop brought together a diverse group of stakeholders, including representatives from the Private Sector (Lersha), the Ministry of Agriculture, the Agricultural Transformation Institute (ATI), the Ethiopia Institute of Agricultural Research Institute (EIAR), insurance companies, universities, and other key participants at the national and regional levels.

The primary objective of this workshop was to collaboratively design an Area Yield Index Insurance tool that leverages the data provided by WaPOR. This tool is intended to support existing initiatives and activities by offering a user-friendly interface and facilitating data-driven decision-making processes. Additionally, the tool is expected to enhance the accuracy of crop yield assessments and the Crop Cutting Experiment (CCE) method, ultimately improving agricultural practices in Ethiopia