More than 22% of Cambodia’s GDP comes from agriculture. Yet, despite agriculture being a cornerstone of the Cambodian economy, the majority of the country's 3 million farmers lack the insurance protection for extreme weather events. Recognizing this dire need, Arbol partnered with Agribuddy, an agritech platform in Cambodia, to bring parametric coverage to thousands of smallholder farmers across the country.
Kitaura emphasized that the Arbol-Agribuddy collaboration provides a means for farmers to invest more in their crops without fear of incurring losses due to unfavorable weather. This initiative helps to offset the cost of materials, ensuring both the survival of the farmers' livelihoods and the continuation of Agribuddy’s business model.
By availing themselves of Arbol's parametric insurance solution, Agribuddy was not only able to help their clients but also strengthen its business model by securing partnerships with financial institutions.
As CEO Kengo Kitaura observed, "In this country where many farmers depend on rainwater, lack of rainfall due to unseasonable weather significantly impacts farmers' crop yields. This risk is directly related to farmers' difficulty paying us for materials.”
Unfortunately, traditional weather insurance is provided only to a small number of rice farmers, which leaves many unprotected – such as maize farmers, who form a large part /of Agribuddy's clientele.
When asked to provide specific examples of how Arbol’s products helped Agribuddy’s business achieve its goals Kitaura said, “The nature of our business model requires a financial partner to sell materials to farmers on credit. To partner with this financial institution, it is imperative that the farmers to whom we sell materials are protected by insurance during the growing season. In other words, without your product offerings, we would not be able to partner with financial institutions and would not be able to implement our business model.”
Elaborating further, Agribuddy’s CEO "By working with Arbol to develop and provide products that no one else can offer,” Kitaura asserted, “we have made it possible for small farmers in Cambodia, a developing country isolated from the economic system, to purchase materials on unsecured credit. The impact of Arbol’s product on our business is significant, but the impact on many people and society is immeasurable." Looking ahead, Kitaura said, “We are looking forward to further growth, and Arbol’s partnership is essential to that.”
