At present, many microfinance institutions (MFIs) not only lend but also collect savings to serve better the needs of the poor. Little is known, however, if MFIs' overall costs decrease or increase as a consequence, nor it is clear which MFIs may benefit the most from expansion into savings...

Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) provide financial services to the poor and resemble banks and non-profits. Many target women because more women than men are poor, especially in rural areas. Studies show that women manage money differently from men and have different leadership styles. In credit...

Governments around the world are forced to react to disasters caused by weather. The agricultural sector is particularly susceptible to weather extremes and adverse climate conditions. In the US, agricultural disaster payments account for a significant part of total agricultural subsidies. The...

Inter-annual climate variability in the Southeastern US that affects farm productivity and cash flows is largely driven by the predictable El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon. In this paper, we evaluate the impact of the ENSO anomalies on the performance of agricultural loan...

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide evidence of the positive impact of the FCS lending on farm incomes which should be useful to policymakers as they consider reforms and further support for this 100-year-old major agricultural lender. Design/methodology/approach: The authors...

In this paper, we set out to establish if there is a link between finance and economic growth in rural areas. In particular, we evaluate the relation between credit by major lenders in rural areas - commercial banks and Farm Credit System institutions - and economic growth for the period...