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Episode 723: The Risk Farmers

The bag is full of cash, a flood insurance payout being distributed.
Courtesy of Innovations for Poverty Action
The bag is full of cash, a flood insurance payout being distributed.

We recently visited a man who may be the best apple farmer in Lesotho. He wanted to expand his business — but he was wary of going all-in on apples.

This is a common issue in the developing world: Farmers don't grow enough of the things they're best at growing.

Why not?

Two economists — who work across the hall from each other, and who have devoted their careers to studying ways to help the poor — came up with very different answers to that question. And they decided to figure out who was right.

Music: "The Best Around" and "Rise and Fall." Find us: Twitter/ Facebook.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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