A NOTE ON DECREASING ABSOLUTE RISK AVERSION AMONG FARMERS IN NEPAL

Attitudes toward risk are explored for a sample of rice growers on small farms in Nepal, in the context of the subjective expected utility maximisation model. Farmers are found to be generally averse to risk, with diverse levels of absolute risk aversion that tend to diminish as wealth increases, both for individuals and in a cross-sectional sense. Relative risk aversion is argued to be the most comparable measure for contrasts of attitudes toward risk.