Does cooperative membership facilitate access to credit for women farmers in rural Kenya?

Tutkimustuotos: ArtikkelijulkaisuArtikkeliTieteellinenvertaisarvioitu

Abstrakti

Potential borrowers' demand for credit is restrained by agricultural risk, while microfinance institutions favor male over female farmers because the latter have no collateral. We investigate whether women's membership in cooperatives facilitates access to credit. Primary data from Kenya were used. Descriptive statistics, propensity score matching, and probit regression methods were applied. The results show that 78 % of the respondents did not apply for credit mostly because of high interest rates and being risk-averse; while 60 % of those denied credit were due to lack of collateral. The estimates indicate that joining cooperatives increases the probability of female farmers' access to credit; transparency in cooperatives' financial activities increases the probability of accessing credit by 72 %. Given the core role of cooperatives, there is a need for a favorable environment in which cooperatives can form, develop, and thrive. Cooperatives need support from the government and development agencies to buffer their financial and management capacities and skills training. Subsequently bolstering women farmers' participation in cooperatives.

Alkuperäiskielienglanti
LehtiJournal of Agriculture and Food Research
Vuosikerta18
ISSN2666-1543
DOI - pysyväislinkit
TilaE-pub ahead of print - 18 syysk. 2024
OKM-julkaisutyyppiA1 Alkuperäisartikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä, vertaisarvioitu

Tieteenalat

  • 512 Liiketaloustiede
  • 415 Muut maataloustieteet

Siteeraa tätä