Microinsurance is insurance that can be accessed by the low-income segment of the population and small businesses. Despite its business potential and instrumental role in averting social and economic risks, the penetration of microinsurance remains very low in Ethiopia, a country with 80Pct of the population engaged in smallholder, rural, and rain fed agriculture, and where crop and livestock failure is frequent. EBR’s Ashenafi Endale explores why microinsurance could not capitalize on the rising demand and takeoff as a new business front.