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on Agricultural Economics |
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Issue of 2024‒02‒12
24 papers chosen by |
| By: | Davies, Stephen; Akram, Iqra; Ali, Muhammad Tahir; Hafeez, Mohsin; Ringler, Claudia |
| Abstract: | Increasing demand for water juxtaposed with shrinking supplies will require a transfer of water resources out of agriculture into the domestic, industrial, and ideally environmental sectors. To examine the potential of policies to facilitate a release of water from agriculture, this paper uses IFPRI’s Computable General Equilibrium Model with a water extension, CGE-W, to assess the impact of commodity taxes on two highly water consumptive crops, rice and sugarcane, on water consumption and the overall economy. We find that land use grows by 1.56 million acres overall when the tax is imposed on both commodities, while 3.2-million-acre feet (MAF) of consumed water, equivalent to 6.35 MAF of water withdrawals, are released from agriculture. These outcomes are due to sugarcane’s reduced use of land over two cropping seasons and significant changes in cropping patterns. The study also examined releases of water from other possible policy measures and found that an even tax rate of 30% on sugarcane, rice and cotton yields 8.73 MAF of water from agriculture. However, with a hotter, drier climate virtually all these releases of water disappear because water must stay in agriculture due to higher evaporation and less precipitation, which raises irrigation demands. The needed policies will go beyond just taxation and might include changing cropping patterns and irrigation practices, as well as development of drought resistant varieties. Other approaches, such as buying tubewells from farmers, and developing markets for nonagricultural purchases of water, may have a role. The role of international trade in sugar and rice is shown to be significant and should be considered further in these analyses. |
| Keywords: | water security; policies; agricultural production; rice; sugar cane; water conservation; water allocation; water demand; climate change; land tax; farmland; computable general equilibrium models; PAKISTAN; SOUTH ASIA; ASIA |
| Date: | 2023 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:2226&r=agr |
| By: | Martina Bozzola; Emilia Lamonaca; Fabio Gaetano Santeramo |
| Abstract: | Climate change and trade are closely related. Climate may alter the comparative advantages across countries, which may in turn trigger changes in trade patterns. Trade itself may constitute an adaptation strategy, moving excesses of agri-food supply to regions with shortages, and this in turn may explain changes in land-use. We investigate these linkages, showing that the changes in climate affect counties’ trade value and contribute to reshaping trade patterns. First, we quantify the long-term impacts of climate on the value of agri-food exports, implicitly considering the ability of countries to adapt, and show that higher marginal temperatures and rainfall levels tend to be beneficial for countries’ exports. Following a gravity model approach, we then link the evolving trade patterns to climate change adaptation strategies. We find that the larger the difference in temperatures and rainfall levels between trading partners, the higher the value of bilateral exports. Furthermore, while developed and developing exporters are both sensitive to climate change and to cross-countries heterogeneity in climate, we found their responses to changes in climate to be quite diverse. |
| Keywords: | Climate normal, Climate heterogeneity, Export, Economic development |
| Date: | 2023–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:rsc:rsceui:2023/40&r=agr |
| By: | Akbar, Nusrat; Kumar, Anjani |
| Abstract: | This study explores the welfare implications of public expenditure at the subnational level. We empirically examine the efficiency of different categories of public expenditure on agriculture and irrigation using the novel cross-sectional autoregressive distributed lag (CS-ARDL) model and the data from 1981 to 2019 for 17 major agricultural states of India. The findings reveal the strong long-term positive effect in rural India of public sector expenditure on crop husbandry, agricultural research and education, soil and water conservation, irrigation, food storage and warehousing, animal husbandry and dairy development, and fisheries on total factor productivity (TFP), farm income, and poverty alleviation. Irrigation and electricity subsidies do not significantly affect outcome variables, while fertilizer subsidies showed a long-term negative impact on TFP, and credit subsidies had a positive effect on income and on the reduction of rural poverty. Other factors that were shown to have welfare implications included rainfall, literacy rate, and agricultural terms of trade (TOT), that is, the ratio of agriculture GDP to non-agriculture GDP. Policymakers should thus better target and rationalize government expenditure programs by removing unproductive input subsidies and reallocating those funds toward other types of public investment in Indian agriculture. |
| Keywords: | public expenditure; agriculture; irrigation; cultivation; education; conservation; food storage; animal husbandry; dairies; fisheries; subsidies; welfare; CS-ARDL model; INDIA; SOUTH ASIA; ASIA |
| Date: | 2023 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:2216&r=agr |
| By: | Briones, Roehlano M.; Galang, Ivory Myka R.; Latigar, Jokkaz S. |
| Abstract: | This study presents a rapid assessment of the adoption of digital technology in Philippine agriculture and its implications for smallholder farmers. Modernization of agriculture, a perennial goal in agricultural policy, is increasingly linked with digital technologies, as outlined in the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) and underscored by Industry 4.0’s transformative impacts on markets, trade, and manufacturing. Digital agriculture offers significant potential benefits, including enhanced productivity, market access, and sustainability. However, it also presents the risk of exacerbating the “digital divide, ” potentially leaving vulnerable rural populations further behind. The assessment explores the current application of digital technologies in agricultural value chains, the prospects for further adoption, and whether these technologies are benefiting the most vulnerable farmers and fisherfolk. Findings reveal that while certain digital agriculture components like advisory apps and online retail networks are widespread, others remain in early development or at prototype stages. Government priorities and stakeholder interests (farmers, fisherfolk, agribusiness companies) suggest promising prospects for expanding digital agriculture tools, including decision support systems and online marketplaces. The study also identifies strategies to bridge the digital divide, such as community organizing, development of rental markets, and investments in rural connectivity. Key policy recommendations include harmonizing government data and advisory services, creating a single government portal for digital agriculture, integrating digital solutions into farm management, expanding decision support for diversification and climate resiliency, and establishing a centralized e-commerce platform. Emphasizing the importance of government-led initiatives, the study advocates for exploring public-private partnerships to enhance the commercialization and accessibility of digital agricultural technologies. Comments to this paper are welcome within 60 days from the date of posting. Email publications@pids.gov.ph. |
| Keywords: | digital agriculture;agri 4.0;precision agriculture;smart farming;e-commerce;fintech;digital divide |
| Date: | 2023 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:phd:dpaper:dp_2023-29&r=agr |
| By: | Singh, Tushar; Kishore, Avinash; Alvi, Muzna |
| Abstract: | This paper explores the relationship between agriculture, dietary diversity, and market access in Nepal, testing the complex causal chains involved, and the nuanced connections between production diversity and dietary diversity among smallholder farmers. While diversifying farm production could enhance dietary diversity, the case of Nepal indicates a varied and context specific relationship. Market access emerges as a crucial factor, often exerting a more significant impact on smallholder farm households than production diversity. Access to markets not only influences economic viability but also contributes directly to food and nutrition security, offering a practical solution to address dietary needs. Focusing on Nepal's diverse terrain, the study analyzes the interplay of remoteness, market access, irrigation availability, and complementary inputs in shaping farmers' decisions, providing valuable insights into sustainable agricultural strategies for improved dietary outcomes in low- and middle-income countries. |
| Keywords: | diets; diversification; energy demand; irrigation; agriculture; market access; smallholders; dietary diversity; food security; energy access; NEPAL; SOUTH ASIA; ASIA |
| Date: | 2023 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:2229&r=agr |
| By: | Timu, Anne G.; Shee, Apurba; Ward, Patrick S.; You, Liangzhi |
| Abstract: | Smallholder farmers in low- and medium-income countries lack sufficient access to agricultural production credit that can help them adopt new technologies and improve their farm production. Compared to men, women smallholder farmers face additional social, and economic barriers that further limit their credit access. Bundling agricultural credit with insurance, or risk contingent credit (RCC), provides a mechanism for addressing some of the credit access constraints and reducing credit rationing among smallholder farmers. In this paper, we evaluate the gendered determinants of credit rationing and the gender differences of the effects of RCC innovation on credit uptake decisions. We use three-wave panel data from a randomized control trial (RCT) in Kenya. We find that female-headed households (FHH) are significantly more risk rationed (or demand-side credit constrained) compared to male-headed households (MHH), however, the gender of the household head does not significantly determine the household quantity rationing status (supply-side constrained). We also find that farmers randomly assigned to be offered the RCC are up to four percent more likely to take up credit. RCC’s impacts on credit uptake decisions do not vary with the gender of the household head, however, RCC has a differential positive and significant impact on the credit uptake decisions of farmers that were previously (at baseline) risk rationed. Based on these findings, we suggest that policies should focus on reducing gendered demand-side barriers to credit access, especially among poorer women households. Climate financing innovations such as RCC should also be designed and delivered in a gender-inclusive manner to accommodate women farmers who face time, liquidity, and financial literacy barriers. |
| Keywords: | smallholders; agricultural production; credit; agricultural technology; gender; insurance; climate resilience; rural finance; risk contingent credit (RCC); credit rationing; KENYA; EAST AFRICA; AFRICA SOUTH OF SAHARA; AFRICA |
| Date: | 2023 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:2215&r=agr |
| By: | Abay, Kibrom A.; Abdelfattah, Lina; Elkaramany, Mohamed; Elsabbagh, Dalia; Kurdi, Sikandra |
| Abstract: | We evaluate the impacts of a traditional food distribution and a nutrition-sensitive food distribution intervention in the context of a rapidly increasing inflationary pressure in Egypt. Besides evaluating the relative and absolute impacts of these interventions on household food and nutrition security, we also examine their impacts on households’ preferences for in-kind versus cash transfers. We implement a clustered randomized control trial through which we randomly assigned communities into: (i) “nutrition-sensitive†food box, (ii) traditional “staple-heavy†food box, and (iii) control group. We find that the nutrition-sensitive food distribution cushioned falls in dietary quality and food security of targeted households relative to the control group while the impact of the traditional and staple-heavy food distribution appears to be negligible. The nutrition-sensitive food boxes increased beneficiary households’ dietary diversity by about 9 percent while also increasing energy, protein, and iron intake by 12, 13, and 19 percent, respectively. We also find that experience with the food boxes increases households’ preference for in-kind transfers, more so among households experiencing high inflation rates and among those households not covered by other food and cash transfer programs. Receiving food boxes increases preference for in-kind transfer by about 9-11 percentage points. Our findings have important implications for the debate on the efficacy of alternative interventions to support poor households as food prices rise and the relative efficacy of in-kind and cash-transfers. The lack of effectiveness of the staple-heavy food boxes suggests that the design and content of in-kind transfers are crucial when considering this policy option, including compared to cash. |
| Keywords: | food systems; inflation; households; nutrition; food security; cash transfers; diet; poverty; policies; EGYPT; ARAB COUNTRIES; MIDDLE EAST; NORTH AFRICA; AFRICA |
| Date: | 2023 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:2218&r=agr |
| By: | Berrospi, Maria Lucia; Ceballos, Francisco; Hernandez, Manuel A.; Paz, Cynthia |
| Abstract: | The COVID-19 pandemic has had profound effects on livelihoods and food security across rural populations worldwide. This study offers a long-term assessment of the impacts of the pandemic and the path to recovery among smallholder agricultural households in the Western Highlands of Guatemala. We rely on a unique longitudinal survey of 1, 262 households collected over four survey rounds between 2019 and 2022. The results show substantial recoveries in incomes, food security, and dietary diversity in the region by mid-2022 compared to 2020, but at levels still worse than pre pandemic ones. There is also a sustained increase in the intention to emigrate. The households that were initially more affected in terms of food security and nutrition but recovered faster include those located in one (San Marcos) of the three departments and families living above the poverty line, while smallholders affected by the ETA and IOTA tropical storms, non-coffee producers, and indigenous populations have taken longer to recover. In addition, we provide quantitative estimates for a subsample of households interviewed during a fifth survey round at the end of 2022, showing an average decline of about 16 percent in total household income three years after the start of the pandemic, mainly driven by a decrease in agricultural income, combined with a 26 percent increase in expenditures and an important surge in indebtedness. Overall, the study offers valuable lessons regarding the recovery of vulnerable households following a major global crisis and in a context of additional shocks, remarking the importance of continue monitoring the situation of vulnerable households, especially those exposed to recurrent (weather) shocks that also have a more exhausted portfolio of coping mechanisms & express a higher willingness to emigrate. |
| Keywords: | Coronavirus; coronavirus disease; Coronavirinae; COVID-19; food security; dietary diversity; migration; expenditures; debt; shocks; agriculture; households; rural population; recovery; long-term effects; GUATEMALA; LATIN AMERICA; CENTRAL AMERICA; NORTH AMERICA |
| Date: | 2023 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:2219&r=agr |
| By: | Falk, Thomas; Kee-Tui, Sabine Homann; Hauser, Michael; Sixpence, Claudio; Quembo, Carlos João |
| Abstract: | Inclusive co-design of system innovations incorporates diverse perspectives and bodies of knowledge that can generate solutions that fit well in a local context and over time influence the socio-technical regime. In operationalizing system transformation-oriented co-design processes, research and development actors have experimented in recent decades with the role of multistakeholder approaches. A specific application of such approaches in the agrifood system context are Agricultural Innovation Platforms (AIPs). Despite the growing application of AIPs and similar approaches, documentation of AIP achievements and assessment of their outcomes beyond the lifetime of the program are rare. We present an approach for integrating the logic of outcome harvesting into the process of AIP facilitation. We also document the outcomes from an AIP approach implemented in a mixed crop-livestock farming system in central Mozambique, using a mixed-methods approach. Our results indicate likely changes in behavior and behavioral drivers associated with the AIP approach. We also share experiences on methodological challenges in assessing outcomes of AIP processes. We hope that our results increase development actors’ confidence in applying AIPs at a larger scale. |
| Keywords: | agriculture; mixed farming; integrated crop-livestock systems; social networks; innovation platforms; MOZAMBIQUE; SOUTHERN AFRICA; AFRICA SOUTH OF SAHARA; AFRICA |
| Date: | 2023 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:2233&r=agr |
| By: | Hoddinott, John; Ahmed, Akhter; Quisumbing, Agnes R.; Rakshit, Deboleena |
| Abstract: | There are few studies that rigorously assess how agricultural and nutrition related interventions enhance resilience and even fewer that incorporate a gendered dimension in their analysis. Mindful of this, we address three knowledge gaps: (1) Whether agricultural interventions aimed at diversifying income sources and improving nutrition have sustainable impacts (on asset bases, consumption, gender-specific outcomes and women’s empowerment, and on diets) that persist after the intervention ends; (2) whether such interventions are protective when shocks occur? and (3) whether these interventions promote gender-sensitive resilience. We answer these questions using unique data, a four-year post-endline follow up survey of households from a cluster-randomized controlled trial of a nutrition-and-gender-sensitive agricultural intervention in Bangladesh. We find that treatment arms that included both agriculture and nutrition training had sustainable effects on real per capita consumption, women’s empowerment (as measured by the pro-WEAI), and asset holdings measured four years after the original intervention ended. Treatment arms that included both agriculture and nutrition training (with or without gender sensitization) reduced the likelihood that households undertook more severe forms of coping strategies and reduced the likelihood that household per capita consumption fell, in real terms, by more than five percent between in the four years following the end of the intervention. The treatment arm that only provided training in agriculture had positive impacts at endline but these had largely faded away four years later. Our results suggest that bundling nutrition and agriculture training may contribute to resilience as well as to sustained impacts on consumption, women’s empowerment, and asset holdings in the medium term. These have implications for the design of future gender- and nutrition-sensitive agricultural programs. |
| Keywords: | resilience; agriculture; nutrition; gender; women's empowerment; income; shock; training; BANGLADESH; SOUTH ASIA; ASIA |
| Date: | 2023 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:2231&r=agr |
| By: | Kannan, Elumalai; Kumar, Anjani |
| Abstract: | This paper analyzed the determinants of India’s virtual water trade in crops and crop products for the period 2001 to 2020. The study used product data at the 6-digit level of commodity classification, covering 206 commodities traded across 218 partner countries. Analysis shows that India has a favorable virtual water trade balance and terms of trade with its partner countries. Among the commodities traded, rice accounted for over one-fourth of the total volume of virtual water exported, and sunflower/safflower oil constitute over one-third of the total volume of virtual water imported. No consistent pattern was observed with regard to the level of endowment of water resources of export destination countries. Gravity model results revealed, as expected, that partner countries’ GDP and population size had a positive effect on virtual water exports, while distance had a negative effect. The coefficient of membership in a free trade agreement (FTA) was negative and statistically significant, implying that FTA member countries are sensitive to the trading of water-intensive agricultural products. The effect of amount of arable land on virtual water exports was negative; this implies that larger virtual water exports correlate with land constraints in a destination country that impede domestic agricultural production. The water endowment variables did not show any significant relationship with virtual water export flows, which confirms the finding in the literature that the water stress of a partner countries does not affect the direction of virtual water flows. |
| Keywords: | water; trade; crops; commodities; trade liberalization; INDIA; SOUTH ASIA; ASIA |
| Date: | 2023 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:2213&r=agr |
| By: | Coleman, Fiona M.; Ahmed, Akhter; Roy, Shalini; Hoddinott, John |
| Abstract: | Evidence shows social protection can improve diets, but little is understood about how effects vary within a household or what factors determine how food is allocated across different household members. We use individual food intake data from two randomized control trials to estimate intrahousehold dietary impacts of cash or food transfers, with or without nutrition behavior change communication (BCC), in two regions of Bangladesh. We assess whether intrahousehold impacts 1) are consistent with different allocation "rules" hypothesized in the literature, 2) differ by transfer modality, provision of BCC, or regional context. Results indicate that households distribute food equally among their members (men, women, boys, and girls), both in absolute terms and in proportion to individual-specific requirements and deficits. Patterns are similar across regions and do not depend on transfer modality or whether BCC is provided. Findings have implications for designing nutrition-sensitive social protection with different target groups prioritized. |
| Keywords: | social safety nets; diets; households; cash transfers; gender equity; nutrition; resource allocation; behaviour; food transfers; behavior change communication; BANGLADESH; SOUTH ASIA; ASIA |
| Date: | 2023 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:2221&r=agr |
| By: | Arega, Tiruwork; Yami, Mastewal; Deribe, Rahel; Ringler, Claudia; Jeuland, Marc |
| Abstract: | Much has been written about energy poverty, but there is relatively limited evidence of what determines the gender gap in energy poverty and how it can be overcome in rural areas. This study used Focus Group Discussions, in-depth interviews with farmers and Key Informant Interviews to analyze gendered information, access, adoption and use of rural energy technologies in the domestic and productive spheres. We find striking differences in how men and women adopt and use energy technologies in both spheres. Substantial asymmetries exist between women and men regarding knowledge of energy technologies, as most information about them is directed to men in the household. Even so, women are typically the primary decision-makers regarding energy technology adoption for domestic use, while men dominate decision-processes in the productive energy technology space. Women remain largely excluded from the adoption and use of agricultural energy technologies, even though they are heavily engaged in agricultural production systems. Our study highlights the need for tailored mechanisms that reach women with information on and means to acquire energy technologies as well as changes in gendered norms to ensure that women benefit equally from their use. |
| Keywords: | gender; energy; rural areas; energy poverty; households; decision making; innovation adoption; agriculture; irrigation; stoves; ETHIOPIA; EAST AFRICA; AFRICA SOUTH OF SAHARA; AFRICA |
| Date: | 2023 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:2224&r=agr |
| By: | Akber, Nusrat; Kumar, Anjani; Bathla, Seema |
| Abstract: | The present study analyzes temporal and spatial trends in public expenditure on agriculture and irrigation in India. It links sub-period growth performance with expenditure based on structural breaks. The analysis pertains to the period between 1992/1993 and 2019/2020. This is a period that has witnessed a stagnation, and even a decrease in public expenditure in the agricultural sector and a resulting deceleration in productivity growth, which was then followed by a revival in both expenditure and output. Significantly expenditure on subsidies of key inputs, viz. fertilizer, irrigation, and power, however, has not incentivized farmers to increase output and productivity to achieve a higher rate of growth. Empirical findings based on the first-difference regression analysis confirm that agricultural growth is determined by public expenditure on agriculture and irrigation; across the states, however, input subsidies alone are shown to be less, or not at all, efficient. Funds to agriculture and irrigation should be increased in proportion to their contribution to the state domestic product, and input subsidies should be rationalized by weighing their positive welfare effects against their cost to the exchequer. |
| Keywords: | public expenditure; agriculture; inputs; subsidies; input subsidies; structural break; kinked growth; INDIA; SOUTH ASIA; ASIA |
| Date: | 2023 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:2214&r=agr |
| By: | Briones, Roehlano M.; Angeles-Agdeppa, Imelda; Espineli, Isabel B.; Bouis, Howarth E.; Maniego, Ma. Lynell V. |
| Abstract: | The current inflationary period has placed the spotlight on hunger and food insecurity, as the current Philippine Development Plan has strongly emphasized the attainment of food affordability for all Filipinos. This study offers a scenario analysis using computable general equilibrium modeling of household purchasing power and affordability of a diet with sufficient energy, protein, and Vitamin A. Scenarios posited are as follows: Reference scenario, which projects forward from recent past trends; the Subsidy scenario, based on producer support; and Productivity, which is a long-term government investment focusing on general services. The scenario analysis finds the following: Under current economic trends, most Filipino households will be able to afford adequate levels of energy and protein by 2030, but not Vitamin A. The Reference scenario is also associated with higher relative consumer and producer prices, as well as far greater levels of output. Despite attenuation of sharp changes in the consumer price of Rice & corn, changes in energy/nutrient intakes under the Subsidy scenario are just equal to those of the Reference scenario. The Productivity scenario entails significantly faster increases in energy, protein, and Vitamin A intake compared with the previous scenarios. The Productivity scenario also leads to smaller changes in price and greater changes in quantity compared with the other scenarios. Implications for policy may be summarized as follows: a) Maintaining overall growth in the range of 5 – 6 percent per year is key to improving diet quality and thereby an affordable energy- and protein-sufficient diet; b) The slightly favorable impact of rice subsidies on the price of rice and on energy/nutrient intake of households may not be worth the added risk of fiscal instability; c) The scenario analysis tend to justify investing in general services such as R&D and infrastructure, as the preferred strategy to achieving affordable diets. Comments to this paper are welcome within 60 days from the date of posting. Email publications@pids.gov.ph. |
| Keywords: | computable general equilibrium;food security;scenario analysis;agricultural subsidy;producer support;general services support |
| Date: | 2023 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:phd:dpaper:dp_2023-23&r=agr |
| By: | Van Campenhout, Bjorn; Nabwire, Leocardia |
| Abstract: | In rural societies with strong gender norms and customs, small informal agribusinesses may often be one of the few ways in which women can independently generate revenue. However, previous research has indicated that female run business may be perceived less favorably compared to their male counterparts. In this paper, we examine potential consequences of these biased perceptions on business transactions. In particular, we test whether the gender of the seller has an impact on buyers’ negotiation strategies and eventual outcomes in bilateral price negotiations. We use a lab-in-the-field experiment in eastern Uganda, where a representative sample of smallholder maize farmers are offered the opportunity to bargain over a bag of improved maize seed variety from a male or female seller. We find that buyers confronted with a female seller are less likely to accept the initial offer price and respond with a lower counter-bid price than farmers faced with a male seller. Negotiations take an average of one round longer when the seller is a woman and the transaction price is almost 9 percent lower. For comparison, we also look at the effect of the starting price on the same bargaining outcomes and find that the gender disadvantage is roughly equal to a 20 percent higher starting price. |
| Keywords: | gender; seeds; smallholders; maize; bargaining power; gender norms; UGANDA; EAST AFRICA; AFRICA SOUTH OF SAHARA; AFRICA |
| Date: | 2023 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:2225&r=agr |
| By: | Stern, Nicholas |
| Abstract: | There is growing awareness that actions by policymakers and international organizations to reduce poverty, and those to mitigate and adapt to climate change, are inextricably linked and interwoven. This paper examines relevant academic and policy literature and evidence on this relationship and explores the potential for a new form of development that simultaneously mitigates climate change, manages its impacts, and improves the wellbeing of people in poverty. First, as a key foundation, it outlines the backdrop in basic moral philosophy, noting that climate action and poverty reduction can be motivated both by a core principle based on the right to development and by the conventional consequentialism that is standard in economics. Second, it reviews assessments of the current and potential future impacts of weakly managed climate change on the wellbeing of those in poverty, paying attention to unequal effects, including by gender. Third, it examines arguments and literature on the economic impacts of climate action and policies and how those affect the wellbeing of people in poverty, highlighting the importance of market failures, technological change, systemic dynamics of transition, and distributional effects of mitigation and adaptation. Finally, the paper surveys the current state of knowledge and understanding of how climate action and poverty reduction can be integrated in policy design, indicating where further research can contribute to a transition that succeeds in both objectives. |
| Keywords: | OUP deal |
| JEL: | J1 |
| Date: | 2024–01–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ehl:lserod:121231&r=agr |
| By: | Briones, Roehlano M.; Navarro, Adoracion M.; Umlas, Anna Jennifer L.; Latigar, Jokkaz S.; Abrigo, Michael R.M. |
| Abstract: | This study presents a baseline survey for the Rural Agro-enterprise Partnership for Inclusive Development and Growth (RAPID-Growth) project implemented by the Department of Trade and Industry. Operating in six regions of Mindanao and Region VIII, the project focuses on key value chains, including cacao, coconut, coffee, and processed fruits and nuts. The study delves into the current conditions of smallholder farming households and farmer organizations (FOs), complementing another PIDS study on matching grants as a strategy for enterprise development (Umlas and Briones 2023). Utilizing quantitative impact and process evaluation, the research undertakes the first step toward assessing program effects and understanding program implementation. Survey key findings underscore the alignment of the treatment group with project selection criteria, particularly from high-poverty municipalities and vulnerable groups. Some differences between the treatment and control groups are already evident in terms of income sources, economic enterprise participation, and credit access, which needs to be carefully considered when isolating project impact at the endline. The enterprise profiling reveals that most involved FOs are larger entities with over 200 members, operating for 0–9 years, and comprising cooperatives, corporations, and worker associations. Despite challenges, such as the absence of a robust M&E system, the process evaluation highlights positive aspects, including the effectiveness of the matching grant scheme, FO empowerment, FO capacity development, and private sector involvement. Finally, baseline study recommendations relate to expediting project completion, reconsidering certain project components, and enhancing technical assistance to FOs. Comments to this paper are welcome within 60 days from the date of posting. Email publications@pids.gov.ph. |
| Keywords: | smallhold farmers;farmer organizations;enterprise development;agricultural value chain;matching grant;baseline study;impact evaluation;process evaluation |
| Date: | 2023 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:phd:dpaper:dp_2023-39&r=agr |
| By: | Andrea Lluch (Universidad Nacional de La Pampa, CONICET, Argentina); Pablo Delgado (Department of Applied Economics, Faculty of Economics and Business Studies, Universidad de Zaragoza and Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón (IA2), Zaragoza, Spain.); Vicente Pinilla (Department of Applied Economics, Faculty of Economics and Business Studies, Universidad de Zaragoza and Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón (IA2), Zaragoza, Spain.) |
| Abstract: | The production, trade and consumption of meat products and their movement around the planet were essential to the development of global markets during the first wave of globalization. This article analyzes the main changes in the ownership structure and profile of the beef industry in South America from the late nineteenth century until 1930 and how this process was reflected in certain macroeconomic variables. It provides a comprehensive analysis of the drivers of success of the meat-producing regions of Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Paraguay, and Patagonia (both the Argentine and Chilean sides), and also examined the failure cases of Venezuela and the Colombian Caribbean. |
| Keywords: | Mutinationals, Meat packing industry, Beef trade, South America. |
| JEL: | F14 N56 N76 |
| Date: | 2024–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ahe:dtaehe:2401&r=agr |
| By: | Ficarra, Giovanni Maria; Millemaci, Emanuele |
| Abstract: | We perform an ex-post analysis of the effects of the CETA trade agreement in the agricultural, farming and food transformation sectors. We find strong evidence in support of a positive trade effect of the treaty. We also perform a series of analyses aimed at ascertaining the effects of the treaty on various subsectors. We find overall net-positive trade effects although we can clearly identify “winners” and “losers” of the treaty. Our analyses seem to indicate a positive trade creation effect not limited to the parties. We find evidence that the increase in trade flow between the members had a net positive effect in the form of an increase in overall international trade. We draw some preliminary policy conclusions on the effects of the treaty. |
| Keywords: | CETA – Gravity Equation – Trade – Poisson Regression – Cluster analysis |
| JEL: | F10 F13 F14 F15 |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:119696&r=agr |
| By: | Jose E. Gomez-Gonzalez (City University of New York- Lehman College (USA), Visiting Professor - Universidad de la Sabana.); Jorge M. Uribe (Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Barcelona (Spain).); Oscar M. Valencia (Fiscal Management Division, Inter-American Development Bank, Washington (USA).) |
| Abstract: | Sovereign risk exhibits significantly asymmetric reactions to its determinants across the conditional distribution of credit spreads. This aspect, previously overlooked in the literature, carries relevant policy implications. Countries with elevated risk levels are disproportionately affected by climate change vulnerability compared to their lower-risk counterparts, especially in the short term. Factors such as inflation, natural resource rents, and the debt-to-GDP ratio exert different effects between low and high-risk spreads as well. Real growth and terms of trade have a stable but modest impact across the spread distribution. Notably, investing in climate change preparedness proves effective in mitigating vulnerability to climate change, in terms of sovereign risk, particularly for countries with low spreads and long-term debt (advanced economies), where readiness and vulnerability tend to counterbalance each other. However, for countries with high spreads and short-term debt, additional measures are essential as climate change readiness alone is insufficient to offset vulnerability effects in this case. Results also demonstrate that the actual occurrence of natural disasters is less influential than vulnerability to climate change in determining spreads. |
| Keywords: | Sovereign risk; Credit risk; Panel-quantile regressions; Nonlinear dynamics; Vulnerability; Preparedness ; Disaster risk. JEL classification: F34, G15, H63, Q51, Q54. |
| Date: | 2024–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ira:wpaper:202401&r=agr |
| By: | Bloem, Jeffrey R.; Lambrecht, Isabel |
| Abstract: | In places with few casual or salaried employment opportunities, investments in farm or non-farm assets may offer the main pathway to increased incomes locally, whereas others may seek alternative investment options elsewhere—as migrants. What factors, then, explain these investment choices? One theory suggests that aspirations that are ahead, but not too far ahead, of current levels provide the best incentive for promoting investment. If this theory holds, then estimates of the relationship between the aspirations gap and investment choices should take the form of a non-monotonic inverted U-shape. We test for such a relationship between the income aspirations gap and investments in migration, farm assets, and non-farm assets using data from a household survey in rural Tajikistan. We find evidence of an inverted U-shaped relationship between the income aspirations gap and measures of migration, with the strongest relationship found with international migration. Strikingly, we do not observe any association between the income aspirations gap and measures of investment in farm or non-farm assets. Exploring heterogeneity, we find that these results can vary by household poverty status and by the respondent’s gender. Investigating a possible mechanism, we find that the relationship between the income aspirations gap and migration seems to be driven by remittances, which outweigh migration costs and increase household income. |
| Keywords: | livelihoods; incomes; migration; investment; farms; agriculture; poverty; gender; remittances; TAJIKISTAN; CENTRAL ASIA; ASIA |
| Date: | 2023 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:2209&r=agr |
| By: | Clayton, Amanda; Dulani, Boniface; Kosec, Katrina; Robinson, Amanda Lea |
| Abstract: | Initiatives to combat climate change often strive to include women’s voices, but there is limited evidence on how this feature influences program design or its benefits for women. We examine the causal effect of women’s representation in climate-related deliberations using the case of community-managed forests in rural Malawi. We run a lab-in-the-field experiment that randomly varies the gender composition of six-member groups asked to privately vote, deliberate, then privately vote again on their preferred policy to combat local over-harvesting. We find that any given woman has relatively more influence in group deliberations when women make up a larger share of the group. This result cannot be explained by changes in participants’ talk time. Rather, women’s presence changes the content of deliberations towards topics on which women tend to have greater expertise. Our work suggests that including women in decision-making can shift deliberative processes in ways that amplify women’s voices. |
| Keywords: | gender; natural resources management; natural resources; governance; women's empowerment; community forestry; decision making; poverty; capacity development; MALAWI; SOUTHERN AFRICA; AFRICA SOUTH OF SAHARA; AFRICA |
| Date: | 2023 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:2232&r=agr |
| By: | Anderson, Anders (Mistra Center for Sustainable Markets (Misum)); Robinson, David (Fuqua School of Business, Duke University; Swedish House of Finance; NBER) |
| Abstract: | In a nationally representative sample of Swedes, we find asymmetric updating of climate change expectations driven by extreme weather exposure and political polarization. We use the updating of beliefs to analyse the development of the Swedish retirement system that went from offering relatively few fossil fuel exclusion funds to being dominated by them. We find that the revision of climate beliefs translates into action only for the financially sophisticated and the politically motivated. |
| Keywords: | Household Finance; Carbon Emissions; Sustainability; Exclusions; Retirement Savings |
| JEL: | G51 |
| Date: | 2024–01–22 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:hamisu:2024_015&r=agr |