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on Africa |
| By: | Betti, Gianni (University of Siena); Crescenzi, Federico (Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC)); Dang, Hai-Anh H (World Bank); Molini, Vasco (World Bank); Mori, Lorenzo (University of Bologna) |
| Abstract: | Measuring inequality in West Africa is a challenging task that is constrained by the limited availability and irregular collection of household consumption data. To address this challenge, we reconstructed the evolution of inequality in the Sahel region using an innovative framework that combines Survey-to-Survey Imputation Techniques (SSITs) with Generalized Additive Models for Location, Scale and Shape (GAMLSS), based on labour force surveys conducted in eight countries between 2003 and 2021. The findings highlight pronounced regional disparities, persistent levels of inequality, and a clear association between inequality patterns and episodes of conflict or political instability. Our contribution is twofold: methodologically, we introduce a flexible SSIT-GAMLSS model that incorporates two levels of random effects; substantively, we provide new evidence of inequality trends in francophone West Africa, a region largely underrepresented in empirical research. |
| Keywords: | labour force surveys, imputation, inequality, West Africa |
| JEL: | C15 I32 O15 |
| Date: | 2025–11 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp18286 |
| By: | Mr. Christian H Ebeke; Ms. Mireille Ntsama Etoundi |
| Abstract: | This paper provides new cross-country evidence that greater investment in agricultural R&D significantly mitigates the adverse effects of climate variability on crop yields in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite this critical role, only a handful of countries have invested at levels sufficient to reach the thresholds where R&D delivers effective risk adaptation. Our analysis indicates that closing this gap would require an additional US$1–3 billion in annual agricultural research investment across the region. |
| Keywords: | Agricultural productivity; Climate variability; Research and Development; Sub-saharan Africa |
| Date: | 2025–12–05 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:imf:imfwpa:2025/249 |
| By: | boughabi, houssam |
| Abstract: | This research paper looks at the different economic factors that affect foreign investments in Zimbabwe, specifically the interaction between foreign investment and inflation changes. It delves into how central bank policy, in the face of erratic inflation, can affect the duration and the change of investment patterns in a macroeconomic environment full of uncertainties. The model presented in this paper embodies the interaction among inflation thresholds, money supply reactions, and capital inflows, thus depicting the scenarios of macroeconomic fragility due to late policy adjustments to structural shocks. The empirical analysis reveals an optimal inflation threshold of A*=3.02, beyond which real investment begins to decouple from monetary policy, and a neutral policy coefficient of a*=0.0000, indicating the complete erosion of policy traction under hyperinflation. These results suggest that Zimbabwe’s monetary authorities faced a regime in which stabilization efforts were rendered ineffective, emphasizing the importance of credibility restoration for regaining investment responsiveness. The findings pinpoint the issues of achieving a perfect equilibrium between inflation control and investment stimulation in a market environment with price instability. |
| Keywords: | Inflation threshold, Foreign investment, Monetary policy, Economic fragility, Zimbabwe. |
| JEL: | E31 E52 F21 O55 |
| Date: | 2025–11–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:126785 |
| By: | Michele Liberatore; Anna Pettini; Alberto Tonini |
| Abstract: | This article analyses the impact of legalising cannabis production for industrial and pharmaceutical use in Morocco, paying particular attention to reducing illegal cultivation. Using an original dataset compiled from multiple sources and employing an advanced econometric approach based on the Synthetic Control Method, the study provides robust evidence of a substantial decrease in illegal production as a consequence of the reform. The results have two main implications. First, for Morocco, regulated legalisation emerges as an effective policy tool for reducing the informal economy, with positive effects on tax revenues and international trade. For Europe, and Italy in particular, the reform introduced in the North African country creates new opportunities for the supply of medical cannabis, providing an alternative or supplementary source that could help to alleviate the ongoing shortage of cannabis intended for medical use. |
| Keywords: | Morocco, cannabis, legalisation, synthetic control method, Law 13-21, rural development |
| JEL: | O17 C23 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_12305 |