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For the vast majority of that time, pastoralism has been a flexible, sustainable, and adaptable way to make a living in dry places with variable rainfall. Today, Africa\u2019s over 250 million livestock herders \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/whylivestockmatter.org\/messages\/pastoralism-provides-path-adaptation-268-million-livestock-herders-who-are-significant\u0022\u003Esupply\u003C\/a\u003E more than 75 percent of the continent\u2019s milk and half its meat.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut climate change is beginning to unravel this way of life. The biggest risk pastoralists now face is repeated and prolonged extreme drought\u2014the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ilri.org\/news\/after-10-years-kenya-and-ethiopia-are-we-ready-scale-livestock-insurance-horn-africa\u0022\u003Eprimary cause of livestock deaths\u003C\/a\u003E. The Horn of Africa, for instance, suffered \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.worldweatherattribution.org\/human-induced-climate-change-increased-drought-severity-in-southern-horn-of-africa\/\u0022\u003Efive consecutive poor rainy seasons between 2020 and 2022\u003C\/a\u003E, with the March-May 2022 rainy season the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.unocha.org\/publications\/report\/ethiopia\/horn-africa-drought-regional-humanitarian-overview-call-action-revised-26-may-2023\u0022\u003Edriest in 70 years of record keeping\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt followed hard on the heels of previous severe droughts in 2010-11 and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/livestock.cgiar.org\/news\/eyes-sky.html\u0022\u003E2016-17\u003C\/a\u003E\u2014coming too often for landscapes, people and animals to fully recover, and causing interconnected complications like conflict, migration, disease, and market failure. \u201cPastoralism is changing,\u201d says ILRI scientist \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ilri.org\/people\/rupsha-r-banerjee\u0022\u003ERupsha Banerjee\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cThe intensity of shocks and compounding other phenomenon is much worse than it was even 15 years ago,\u201d she says.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut rangelands can still be very productive, she adds.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\n      \u003C\/div\u003E\n    \u003C\/div\u003E\n    \u003Caside class=\u0022col-md-3 col-sm-12\u0022\u003E\n                   \u003Cdiv class=\u0022paragraph paragraph--type--contacts paragraph--view-mode--default\u0022\u003E\n            \u003Cdiv class=\u0022paragraph paragraph--type--author\u0022\u003E\n      \n  \u003Cfigure\u003E\n      \u003Cimg loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/picture\/public\/2025-05\/Rupsha%20Banerjee.jpg.webp?itok=Q0Q_srsL\u0022 width=\u0022200\u0022 height=\u0022200\u0022 alt=\u0022Rupsha Banerjee\u0022 class=\u0022image-style-picture\u0022 \/\u003E\n\n\n\n\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\n\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022wrapper\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Ch4\u003E\n  Rupsha Banerjee\n\n      \u003Csmall\u003E  Senior scientist, Institutions and Innovation\n\u003C\/small\u003E\n      \u003C\/h4\u003E\n    \u003C\/div\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022paragraph paragraph--type--author\u0022\u003E\n      \n  \u003Cfigure\u003E\n      \u003Cimg loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/picture\/public\/2025-05\/Kelvin%20Mashisia%20Shikuku.jpg.webp?itok=Lqav3GPJ\u0022 width=\u0022200\u0022 height=\u0022200\u0022 alt=\u0022Kelvin Shikuku\u0022 class=\u0022image-style-picture\u0022 \/\u003E\n\n\n\n\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\n\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022wrapper\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Ch4\u003E\n  Kelvin Shikuku\n\n      \u003Csmall\u003E  Senior Scientist, Economist\n\u003C\/small\u003E\n      \u003C\/h4\u003E\n    \u003C\/div\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\n\n      \u003C\/div\u003E\n\n          \u003C\/aside\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/section\u003E\n\n\u003Csection class=\u0022container single-column-sidebar paragraph\u0022\u003E\n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022row\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022col-md-7 offset-md-1 col-sm-12\u0022\u003E\n            \u003Cdiv class=\u0022text-container\u0022\u003E\n        \n  \u003Cp\u003EOne of the most promising innovations humans have come up with to manage risk is via insurance\u2014an ancient invention that itself \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wsrinsurance.com\/how-insurance-began-3000-years-of-history\/\u0022\u003Edates back millennia\u003C\/a\u003E. But until the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and its partners developed the Index-Based Livestock Insurance, or IBLI, there had never been any form of agricultural insurance for dryland pastoralists\u2014largely because of the impracticality of insurance agents travelling through remote areas to verify dead animals and pay claims.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIBLI solved that problem, and is now a powerful climate-change adaptation tool\u2014a big idea that has evolved through many iterations since its inception and is still evolving, says Banerjee. \u201cI don\u0027t think at any point there was any break in improving the product.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\u0022align-center\u0022\u003E\n  \n  \n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022video-wrapper\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Ciframe src=\u0022https:\/\/fifty.ilri.org\/media\/oembed?url=https%3A\/\/youtu.be\/uQhcLojJxjY%3Fsi%3DTxQuRjaRV84hOjB9\u0026amp;max_width=0\u0026amp;max_height=0\u0026amp;hash=P98FEpfmG-RT-hi8lrKAYYgP0KBZIZckOtJmgwd0Hco\u0022 width=\u0022200\u0022 height=\u0022113\u0022 class=\u0022media-oembed-content\u0022 loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 title=\u0022Index Based Livestock Insurance (IBLI) Explainer (English)\u0022\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\n\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EEYES IN THE SKY\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAn index-based livestock insurance intervention was first trialled among the yak-herders of Mongolia in 2005. It worked like a kind of life-insurance for livestock, with payouts based on expected animal mortality rates. But collaborators from ILRI, Cornell and the University of California at Davis took a different approach. Led by then-ILRI economist Andrew Mude, the team \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/basis.ucdavis.edu\/feature\/how-ndvi-transformed-insurance-tool-build-resilience\u0022\u003Elaunched IBLI in Marsabit in northern Kenya in 2010 and in southern Ethiopia in 2012\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EInstead of calculating animal mortality, they utilised the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/earthobservatory.nasa.gov\/features\/MeasuringVegetation\/measuring_vegetation_2.php\u0022\u003ENormalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI)\u003C\/a\u003E\u2014which uses remote sensing from satellites to compare the visible and near-infrared light reflected from the Earth\u2019s surface, capturing the density of green on a patch of land and thus how much forage or fodder is available for livestock to eat.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\n      \u003C\/div\u003E\n    \u003C\/div\u003E\n    \u003Caside class=\u0022col-md-3 col-sm-12\u0022\u003E\n                 \u003Cdiv class=\u0022paragraph paragraph--type--testimonial\u0022\u003E\n  \u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Ci class=\u0022fa-solid fa-quote-left\u0022\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\n  \u003Cp\u003EAmidst these challenges, there are also a lot of opportunities. That\u2019s why we need interventions for climate risk management to have a more holistic approach to building resilience.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ci class=\u0022fa-solid fa-quote-right\u0022\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022paragraph--type--author\u0022\u003E\n    \n  \u003Cfigure\u003E\n      \u003Cimg loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/picture\/public\/2025-05\/Rupsha%20Banerjee.jpg.webp?itok=Q0Q_srsL\u0022 width=\u0022200\u0022 height=\u0022200\u0022 alt=\u0022Rupsha Banerjee\u0022 class=\u0022image-style-picture\u0022 \/\u003E\n\n\n\n\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\n\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022wrapper\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Ch4\u003E\n  Rupsha Banerjee\n\n        \u003Csmall\u003E\u003C\/small\u003E\n      \u003C\/h4\u003E\n    \u003C\/div\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n          \u003C\/aside\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/section\u003E\n\n\u003Csection class=\u0022container single-column-sidebar paragraph\u0022\u003E\n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022row\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022col-md-7 offset-md-1 col-sm-12\u0022\u003E\n            \u003Cdiv class=\u0022text-container\u0022\u003E\n        \n  \u003Cp\u003EThere\u2019s no need to prove stock losses; instead, when the green cover in a certain area pales below a threshold, indicating severe drought, the satellite data serves as a proxy for hungry or dying animals. Payouts are then automatically made to insured herders. The money can be used to buy animal feed or healthcare, meaning people can save livestock rather than sell them or watch them die. Since 2010, has supported more than 200,000 livestock herders in Kenya and Ethiopia, providing US$ 11 million in payouts and reducing both livestock distress sales and food-aid reliance by around a third.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn both countries, ILRI worked with a commercial insurance company to sell IBLI policies directly to pastoralists. In addition, in Kenya, the government\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/unfccc.int\/sites\/default\/files\/resource\/Aligning KLIP to UNFCCC De-risking strategies to enhance adaptation finance.pdf\u0022\u003EKenyan Livestock Insurance Program (KLIP)\u003C\/a\u003E provided the most vulnerable herders in eight counties with IBLI insurance \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/africa\/kenya-insure-livestock-farmers-against-drought-140-million-plan-2023-04-11\/\u0022\u003Eas a social safety-net programme\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn 2016, Mude \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.ilri.org\/2016\/08\/31\/kenyan-economist-andrew-mude-wins-the-2016-norman-borlaug-award-for-field-research-and-application\/\u0022\u003Ewon a prestigious World Food Prize award for his work on IBLI\u003C\/a\u003E\u2014and that same year, the scheme was put to the test as severe drought again struck East Africa.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn 2017, after two years of failed rainy seasons, insurance companies paid out over US$7 million to more than 18,000 herders in Kenya and Ethiopia insured through IBLI. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cgspace.cgiar.org\/server\/api\/core\/bitstreams\/b6c932c1-1930-4a7e-a6a9-78d9cf6879fb\/content\u0022\u003EFollow-up studies by ILRI researchers\u003C\/a\u003E showed nearly all households invested their indemnity payments in their livestock, buying fodder, water or vet services\u2014and as a result, fewer had to sell their animals during the crisis. Families also spent the money on food, education, ceremonies, debts, and their own medical bills.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERecognising the intervention\u2019s promise, and inspired by IBLI, in 2022 the World Bank announced a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.worldbank.org\/en\/news\/press-release\/2022\/06\/23\/world-bank-boosts-pastoral-economies-and-climate-action-in-the-horn-of-africa\u0022\u003Enew drylands financial services program in the Horn of Africa\u003C\/a\u003E that aims to reach 250,000 pastoralists.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut despite the successes, there have been challenges. In the early days, pastoralists complained they weren\u2019t receiving payouts until after their animals had already died, or the payouts were triggered when there was still plenty of fodder. ILRI then embarked on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cgspace.cgiar.org\/items\/3a43e975-ab6a-4691-9db5-14ff544dc657\u0022\u003Enew studies\u003C\/a\u003E to better calibrate the satellite index.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESecondly, because livestock insurance was a relatively new concept, it became clear that building the capacity and understanding of both the private sector and the pastoralists would be crucial to ensure ongoing uptake of \u0026nbsp;insurance policies. Herders were unfamiliar with the idea of regularly paying insurance premiums\u2014which may or may not lead to a payout\u2014and many dropped out of the programs after a year or two.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOn the other hand, insurance companies \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ilri.org\/news\/reflecting-success\u0022\u003Ewere reluctant to invest in marketing efforts\u003C\/a\u003E, and complained that the distribution costs in remote pastoralist regions were far higher than the premiums they could earn. In Kenya, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ilri.org\/news\/after-10-years-kenya-and-ethiopia-are-we-ready-scale-livestock-insurance-horn-africa\u0022\u003Ethe only commercial insurer still active in the individual IBLI program decided to discontinue its participation in 2020\u003C\/a\u003E, and three of the four IBLI programs in Kenya and Ethiopia have failed to make a profit.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile that\u2019s not unexpected\u2014\u201cagricultural insurance across the world is subsidised\u201d, says Banerjee\u2014it\u2019s sent ILRI researchers back to the field to try to figure out how to make livestock insurance an attractive option for both pastoralists and companies.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\u0022align-center\u0022\u003E\n  \n  \n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022video-wrapper\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Ciframe src=\u0022https:\/\/fifty.ilri.org\/media\/oembed?url=https%3A\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch%3Fv%3DK4dpmfzEASo%26t%3D25s\u0026amp;max_width=0\u0026amp;max_height=0\u0026amp;hash=yFi_PcF28E4CjQP1-CZPmtQdx6ZU6zLNCm9FyBJYKa4\u0022 width=\u0022200\u0022 height=\u0022113\u0022 class=\u0022media-oembed-content\u0022 loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 title=\u0022Strengthening Africa\u2019s pastoral food systems transformation in the face of climate change\u0022\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\n\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n\n      \u003C\/div\u003E\n    \u003C\/div\u003E\n    \u003Caside class=\u0022col-md-3 col-sm-12\u0022\u003E\n                 \u003Cdiv class=\u0022paragraph paragraph--type--image\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cfigure\u003E\n      \u003Cimg loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/large\/public\/2024-11\/ibli_sr_2016_payout_map.jpg.webp?itok=JwUlx0UT\u0022 width=\u00221200\u0022 height=\u0022675\u0022 alt=\u0022IBLI payout map\u0022 class=\u0022image-style-large\u0022 \/\u003E\n\n\n\n\n    \u003Cfigcaption\u003E\n        Payout map of Kenya\u0026#039;s arid and semi-arid northeast during the 2016-2017 drought. Black zones indicate severe drought conditions that triggered indemnity payouts.\n\n          \u003Cspan\u003ECredits:   IBLI\/ILRI\n\u003C\/span\u003E\n      \u003C\/figcaption\u003E\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\n\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n          \u003C\/aside\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/section\u003E\n\n\u003Csection class=\u0022container single-column-sidebar paragraph\u0022\u003E\n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022row\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022col-md-7 offset-md-1 col-sm-12\u0022\u003E\n            \u003Cdiv class=\u0022text-container\u0022\u003E\n        \n  \u003Ch3\u003ETHE POWER OF BUNDLES\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EILRI economist Kelvin Shikuku is now working with Banerjee in pastoralist communities in northern Kenya on a project to determine whether bundling livestock insurance with other agricultural services might be a win-win.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAs climate shocks become more severe and more prolonged, we\u2019re asking how we can improve this product in ways that address those shocks better, but also in ways that enhance the value of insurance. When we think about affordability and sustainability, we have to look at both supply and demand,\u201d says Shikuku.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs a first step, the team are conducting research with separate groups of men and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cgspace.cgiar.org\/items\/0a45dbc3-5e8e-4334-8960-1b319db31d18\u0022\u003Ewomen\u003C\/a\u003E, using choice experiments and focus group discussions to elucidate which other products are best bundled with the insurance\u2014\u201cin a way that reveals truthfully what they prioritise for their context,\u201d he says. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to understand what kind of combinations make sense here.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe idea is that by combining an insurance policy with, say, veterinary care, artificial insemination, or animal feeds, herders would feel they\u2019re getting something more for their money. At the same time, those interventions would themselves increase resilience by making livestock healthier and more productive, which in turn should increase families\u2019 income and reduce downside risk, making them more able to consistently afford insurance premiums\u2014\u201cdemand for one service driving demand for another service,\u201d says Shikuku.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EEVOLUTION OF IBLI\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOver its 15-year lifespan, IBLI has also driven significant innovation in research practice, and shaped the future and priorities of ILRI itself, says Banerjee, an expert in institutional innovation. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIBLI\u2019s model of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ilri.org\/news\/reflecting-success\u0022\u003Ecollaborating with the private sector for tangible welfare outcomes\u003C\/a\u003E, as well as actively engaging in capacity-building with market players, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/0030727019866840\u0022\u003Echallenged many of the accepted norms\u003C\/a\u003E of science organisations like ILRI, \u0026nbsp;says Banerjee. \u201cIt was also the first experiment of sorts to see whether a research institution can effectively work with the private sector. And not like social entrepreneurs, the hardcore private sector\u2014insurance companies\u201d.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt worked, and over time, the success of the highly innovative IBLI process became a trailblazer for a new kind of hybrid research and development program that delivers outcomes without compromising on science. It is \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/0030727019866840\u0022\u003Enow the model\u003C\/a\u003E for several of ILRI\u2019s partnerships and research programs\u2014the institution evolving just as the big idea of IBLI keeps evolving, too.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u2019ve learned that IBLI cannot be used in isolation,\u201d says Banerjee. \u201cIt needs to fit into a system, and linked to the broader livestock value chain. \u0026nbsp;It can be an instrument for conflict mitigation and peace building, but we have to be intentional to make sure that IBLI does not cause unintended consequences for community cohesion or for natural resource management.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt is one of many tools that can help to build the resilience of pastoral systems, and to help them cope with climate disasters.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E--\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EStory written by Kate Evans, science writer\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\n      \u003C\/div\u003E\n    \u003C\/div\u003E\n    \u003Caside class=\u0022col-md-3 col-sm-12\u0022\u003E\n                 \u003Cdiv class=\u0022paragraph paragraph--type--image\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cfigure\u003E\n      \u003Cimg loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/large\/public\/2025-04\/Samburu%20pastoralists.jpg.webp?itok=0XYvWyII\u0022 width=\u00221200\u0022 height=\u0022675\u0022 alt=\u0022Samburu pastoralists\u0022 class=\u0022image-style-large\u0022 \/\u003E\n\n\n\n\n    \u003Cfigcaption\u003E\n        Focus group discussions were held with pastoralists in Isiolo, Kenya to understand the type of bundled livestock-related products that would interest them.  \n\n          \u003Cspan\u003ECredits:   ILRI\/Saleef Nyambok\n\u003C\/span\u003E\n      \u003C\/figcaption\u003E\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\n\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\u0022paragraph paragraph--type--testimonial\u0022\u003E\n  \u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Ci class=\u0022fa-solid fa-quote-left\u0022\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\n  \u003Cp\u003EBundling enhances the value so that people can make the most from their livestock. They have more resilient systems, and they can withstand shocks better. We can already see from our data that people can see value. People want insurance, but plus something else.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ci class=\u0022fa-solid fa-quote-right\u0022\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022paragraph--type--author\u0022\u003E\n    \n  \u003Cfigure\u003E\n      \u003Cimg loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/picture\/public\/2025-05\/Kelvin%20Mashisia%20Shikuku.jpg.webp?itok=Lqav3GPJ\u0022 width=\u0022200\u0022 height=\u0022200\u0022 alt=\u0022Kelvin Shikuku\u0022 class=\u0022image-style-picture\u0022 \/\u003E\n\n\n\n\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\n\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022wrapper\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Ch4\u003E\n  Kelvin Shikuku\n\n        \u003Csmall\u003E\u003C\/small\u003E\n      \u003C\/h4\u003E\n    \u003C\/div\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n          \u003C\/aside\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/section\u003E\n\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/article\u003E\n","settings":null}]