|
on Agricultural Economics |
| By: | Kartolo, M.A.R.H.M.; Abdullah, R. |
| Abstract: | The issue of food security in Brunei justifies the need to increase the local agricultural production effectively due to the constraint of land scares for farming where the soil acidity in Brunei is high which affect the crop production. Furthermore, climate change has affected the way people do farming. Vertical Farming (VF) plays an important role in modern agricultural practices today. VF has the potential to produce crops all year round and using less land. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to highlight the challenges and solution of vegetables VF in Brunei. In depth interviews were conducted with respondents consist 12 modern farmers in Brunei, 1 officer in Department of Agriculture and Agrifood, 1 academics, and 1 services provider. The research findings reveal challenges encountered by farmers in Brunei practicing modern farming methods VF such as high investment cost; unpredictable weather condition; market dynamics and competition; Nutrient distribution, pest and disease; light distribution and the need of skilled labour. However, VF has the potential to attract youth to participate in the agriculture. The significant of the study provides valuable insight regarding the potential of VF as a solution for food security and may benefit farmers, youth and policy makers regarding modern application of VF in Brunei. |
| Keywords: | Crop Production/Industries, Food Security and Poverty, Labor and Human Capital, Production Economics |
| Date: | 2024–04–18 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:asea24:344436 |
| By: | Prabakusuma, Adhita Sri; Bounkham, Phonedalom |
| Abstract: | The Lao government has implemented various policies focused on the agricultural sector, particularly commercial crop production, as an effort to overcome economic weakening. Those policies have also been designed to reduce malnutrition and poverty. The current fast growth and expansion of commercial crop production have proven to trigger poverty alleviation in Laos. However, this condition led to the to the attenuation of farming communities, which accounted for 75% of the total population in Laos, raising the indebtedness number of farmer families, increasing the vulnerability of the communities, and sharpening disparities among producers. Recently, besides the increase in climate change influence, agricultural practices in Laos have also faced several economic risks. These economic risks include the intermittent nature of local market monopolies, fluctuation, and price games along the agricultural value chains, and instability of production contract implementation. Since 2014, the Lao government has evaluated the consequences of these agricultural practices based on the exploitation of natural resources and the environment. The Eco-Friendly Intensification and Climate-Resilient Agricultural Systems (EFICAS) project was funded and managed by Centre de Cooperation International en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (France International Cooperation Center for Agronomy Research Development, CIRAD) and the European Union Global Climate Change Alliance (EU-GCCA) during 2014-2018. CIRAD partnered with (Department of Agricultural Land Management, DALAM) under Laos Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) performed EFICAS together. This project aimed to improve Northern upland community livelihoods, strengthening food security, resilience to climate change, introducing innovative methods, and new intervention approaches to support farmers’ adoption of climate-smart systems based on sustainable agriculture. |
| Date: | 2024–07–29 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:osfxxx:q79ry |
| By: | Singh, Sonali; Freed, Sarah |
| Abstract: | Agroecology, as an interdisciplinary approach to sustainable agriculture, has gained considerable attention in India over the years. The advent of the Green Revolution in India although ensured food security but at the same time also exacerbated agrarian and environmental crisis in India (Pingali, 2012). The prevalent industrial mode of production relies heavily on expensive inputs to boost yields, creating an unsustainable dependence and undermining the viability of small-scale farmers and their natural resources (Vyas, 1994). In this context, a form of agroecology known as "natural farming†“organic farming†has emerged in India offering promising alternatives. Agroecology is a scientific approach, a set of practices, and a social movement with the collective aim of fostering more sustainable, beneficial, and equitable food and agriculture systems (HLPE, 2019). The CGIAR Initiative on Agroecology (AE-I) in India embodies a transdisciplinary, participatory, and action-oriented approach dedicated to enhancing the resilience, equity, and sustainability of food systems through agroecological principles. Operating within various socioecological contexts, AE-I focuses on establishing Agroecological Living Landscapes (ALLs) as localized hubs for collaborative knowledge creation and innovation. The initiative seeks to develop and scale agroecological innovations in partnership with small-scale farmers and other policies, civil society, research, and business actors within the agri-food system. In India, AE-I ALLs operates across diverse regions, contributing to the transformation of agriculture practices. In Anantapur (Andhra Pradesh) AE-I has partnered up with RySS (Rythu Sadhikara Samstha- A farmers empowerment organization under Government of Andhra Pradesh) which is spearheading APCNF (Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming) program. The program aims to shift towards crop diversification by promoting ‘natural farming, ’ a word used synonymously for agroecological farming methods. In Mandla (Madhya Pradesh) AE-I has partnered with local civil society organizations known as FES (Foundation for Ecological Security) and PRADAN (implementing partner), Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Indian Institute of Farming Systems Research (ICAR-IIFSR) as technical partner. AE-I aims to develop and scale agroecological innovations for small-scale farmers, and other agricultural and food-system actors in the regions. The initiative will co-design, test and adapt agroecological practices, from food production to consumption, linking markets and investments, while considering policy dimensions and consumer behaviours. This document is a Work Package 5 (WP5) output within the CGIAR Initiative on Agroecology (AE-I). WP5 focuses on understanding and then influencing individual and collective agency, behaviour change among food system actors (FSAs) to drive inclusive and equitable agroecological transformation. This document attempts to understand the drivers of behaviour change that either facilitated or hindered agroecological transition in India through initiatives from the past 20 years. The review identified relevant initiatives and then mapped the nature of initiatives, the AE principles promoted, and the primary activities undertaken to address these principles. Furthermore, a detailed analysis was conducted on five selected initiatives to comprehend their theories of change (ToC), factors influencing success and failure in achieving behavioural change, and the motives and interests of diverse actor groups engaged in agroecological transformation. The insights gained from interviews with individuals possessing in-depth knowledge about these initiatives serve as valuable evidence to comprehend the driving forces behind agri-food system actor engagement in agroecological transitions |
| Keywords: | agroecology; behaviour; farming systems; sustainable agriculture; India; Asia; Southern Asia |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:cgiarp:151673 |
| By: | Alfadul, Hanan; Siddig, Khalid; Ahmed, Mosab; Abushama, Hala; Kirui, Oliver |
| Abstract: | Livestock in Sudan plays a crucial role in the national economy, particularly in alleviating poverty and enhancing food security. Despite its significance, the last comprehensive livestock census for the country was conducted in 1975, resulting in now outdated and often unreliable data. Recent estimates by USAID indicate that Sudan ranks among the top three African countries in terms of livestock numbers, with an estimated 105.6 million animals. The livestock population in Sudan is predominantly composed of camels, goats, sheep, and cattle. The spatial distribution of livestock is variable and influenced by local factors such as feed resources, land use, and ecological conditions. The Greater Kordofan and Greater Darfur regions have the largest livestock numbers. However, discrepancies between official statistics and field data show the need for updated and accurate livestock data. The livestock sector provides 40 percent of employment and 34 percent of Sudan’s agricultural gross domestic product (GDP). The livestock sector is a vital source of foreign exchange for the Sudanese economy through exports of livestock and livestock products. Besides its economic contributions, the livestock sector provides essential food products, including meat, eggs, and milk, and draught power for agricultural operations and transportation, particularly in rural areas. However, relative to irrigated agriculture, the sector faces challenges due to underinvestment and minimal government attention. |
| Keywords: | REPUBLIC OF THE SUDAN; EAST AFRICA; AFRICA SOUTH OF SAHARA; AFRICA; livestock; poverty; food security; exports; employment; animal products |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ssspwp:19 |
| By: | Srithilat, K. |
| Abstract: | This study examines the impact of the Don Sahong Hydropower Dam on food and nutrition security in the Mekong River Basin. This study uses the Household Food Insecurity Access Score (HFIAS) and Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS) to measure food insecurity and dietary diversity among households affected by the dam's construction. Preliminary results indicate higher levels of food insecurity and lower dietary diversity among these households. The study underscores the need for comprehensive impact assessments and sustainable planning practices in infrastructure development. It also calls for interventions to improve food security and dietary diversity among households affected by such projects. The findings from this study will contribute to a better understanding of the intricate interplay between infrastructure development, ecological preservation, and food security, providing valuable insights for policy-making and sustainable development practices. |
| Keywords: | Environmental Economics and Policy, Food Security and Poverty |
| Date: | 2024–04–28 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:asea24:344452 |
| By: | Sabala, Ethan; Gale, Fred |
| Abstract: | Southeast Asia is a promising market for agricultural exports, with its growing population of middle-class consumers, especially for exporters such as the United States. The region consists of: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam. Top markets in the region for U.S. agricultural and food products are the Philippines, Vietnam, and Indonesia. Leading U.S. exports are soybean products, wheat, cotton, skim milk powder, and distillers’ grains. U.S. agricultural exports to Southeast Asia increased from $9.4 to $14.2 billion from 2012 to 2022, and the U.S. share of Southeast Asia’s agricultural imports was steady at just over 11 percent. China and Brazil, two of the top competitors, were the only exporters that gained market share over the period. China surpassed the United States to become the largest foreign supplier of agricultural goods to Southeast Asia, but few of China’s products compete directly with U.S. products; Brazil’s soybean products, cotton, poultry, and beef do compete with U.S. products. There are numerous potential reasons that U.S. competitors have gained market share, varying by commodity. They include preferential treatment through trade agreements, along with price competition, geopolitical ties, and geographic distance from Southeast Asia. Currently, the primary U.S. competitors for major agricultural commodities exported to Southeast Asia are Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, the European Union, China, India, Canada, and Argentina. |
| Keywords: | International Relations/Trade |
| Date: | 2024–08 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:uersib:344803 |
| By: | Wang, Sun Ling; Nehring, Richard; Mosheim, Roberto; Njuki, Eric |
| Abstract: | The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has been monitoring the U.S. farm sector’s productivity performance since the 1960s. Today, USDA, Economic Research Service (ERS) bases its U.S. agricultural productivity statistics on a sophisticated system of production accounts, drawing data from numerous sources. A notable feature of the U.S. productivity accounts is the input quality adjustment, as some inputs have undergone significant changes in their quality over time. According to USDA, ERS estimates, between 1948 and 2021, total farm output grew by 1.46 percent annually. With total input declining by -0.03 percent per year on average, total factor productivity has become the primary driver in promoting output growth, increasing by 1.49 percent per year. Over time, the input composition has changed, shifting from labor and land use to more use of intermediate inputs (e.g., fertilizer, pesticides, and purchased services) and durable capital assets (e.g., tractors, combines, and other machinery). Input quality changes in labor, capital (including land), and intermediate inputs have contributed positively to annual output growth by 0.11, 0.04, and 0.04 percentage points, respectively. |
| Keywords: | Labor and Human Capital, Land Economics/Use, Production Economics, Productivity Analysis, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy |
| Date: | 2024–08 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:uerstb:344773 |
| By: | Mangole, Cool Dady; Mulungu, Kelvin; Kaghoma, Christian Kamala; Tschopp, Maurice; Kassie, Menale |
| Keywords: | Demand and Price Analysis |
| Date: | 2024–08–07 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:cfcp15:344264 |
| By: | Bähr, Tobias; Wollni, Meike |
| Abstract: | Smallholders play an important role as producers of cash-crops in developing countries and are often responsible for land clearing and agricultural expansion into pristine environments where productivity is low. Closing yield-gaps of smallholders to industrial plantations as well as diversifying production systems has been identified as a mean to prevent further environmental degradation. At the same time, developing and emerging economies are beginning to struggle with an ageing farmer population, potentially hindering advances in land productivity. In Indonesia, increased income from oil palm cultivation has led to rapid educational attainments within one generation. While this opens job opportunities for children of oil palm smallholders, it inhibits farm succession and thus contributes to ageing among smallholders. Using primary data from a random sample of 417 oil palm smallholders in Indonesia, we investigate trends of farm succession and test, how these moderate possible effects of ageing on plantation investments and outcomes. Our results suggest, that older farmers are associated with lower productivity levels generally and are less likely to replant mature plots. These trends are moderated by succession plans of households. Succession generally moderates negative effects on productivity – indifferent of the successor’s involvement. Households with a successor are generally more likely to replant. We argue that these results hint towards strategic decision- making in ageing smallholders and that observed trends of lower productivity and technology adoption in ageing farmer populations are likely a mix of both decreasing ability and strategic decisions by the farmer. |
| Keywords: | Community/Rural/Urban Development, Land Economics/Use |
| Date: | 2024–08–27 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:cfcp15:344686 |
| By: | Völker, Richard (Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg); Hirschauer, Norbert; Lind, Fabienne; Gruener, Sven |
| Abstract: | Agricultural and environmental economists frequently use content analyses of textual data to gain a deeper understanding of public discourses that reflect the conflicting interests and attitudes of various stakeholders on agricultural issues. These discourses encompass topics such as nitrogen leaching, climate change, biodiversity loss, and animal welfare. However, the procedural standards of content analysis established in communication science are rarely fully adhered to due to a lack of interdisciplinary communication. This paper provides applied agricultural economists with the conceptual background of systematic search term validation that facilitates the transparent generation of high-quality databases for the content analysis of large datasets. |
| Date: | 2024–08–14 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:osfxxx:v68r7 |
| By: | van der Merwe, Melissa; Zdráhal, Ivo; Lategan, Francois |
| Abstract: | Despite the free trade agreement, South Africa’s agri-food exports to the European Union (EU) are declining. Without intervention, we expect this trend to persist. The paper aims to interrogate the change in South Africa’s agri-food exports to the EU by applying the Constant Market Share (CMS) model to study South African agri-food exports to the four EU sub-regions over 20 years. This allows us to analyse the impact of trade liberalisation and the slowdown of global value chain activity on agri-food trade. To our knowledge, this is the first attempt to understand the competitiveness of South African agri-food exports to the EU using the CMS model over a longer period. The agri-food products are grouped into four categories: bulk commodities, processed intermediate goods, horticulture products and consumer-ready goods. We find that South African agri-food exports were responsive to changes in the EU market demand for agri-food imports. However, South African agri-food exports were not competitive over the long period. This is because South Africa focused on slower-growing markets and agri- food commodities that show lower-than-average growth rates. South Africa is competitive in exporting specific agri-food commodities to specific markets with increasing demand. We recommend that South Africa focus on exporting commodities for which demand is growing quicker to fast-growing EU markets and invest in key priority areas to compete with other sources of supply available to the EU. |
| Keywords: | International Relations/Trade |
| Date: | 2024–08–27 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:cfcp15:344687 |
| By: | Sigl, Lukas; Hirschauer, Norbert |
| Abstract: | Farmers are often advised to hedge their commodity prices on the commodity futures exchange, without sound scientific evidence to support this. This paper questions this rash advice and analyzes the impact of various hedging strategies based on wheat futures for a large sample of farms in Germany. Historical simulation is used to evaluate the hedging efficiency for 2, 197 German farms over a 21-year study period. Adopting a whole-farm economic risk approach, we use “adjusted farm profit” as performance indicator and measure for each of these farms which relative change in profit volatility would have been obtained by nine different hedging strategies. A cluster analysis was used to identify whether there are farm types that show particularly low or high hedging efficiencies. Contrary to expectations, hedging would not have reduced but slightly increased profit volatility in most cases and across different regions, farm types, and farm sizes. In addition, hedging would have led to a reduction in profit levels in most cases due to hedging costs and/or speculative losses. In other words, the majority of the farms would not have been able to “beat the market” and hedging would have led to per-verse effects, as it would have caused costs, but instead of the desired reduction of whole-farm risk, it would have increased risk. This paper presents an in-depth analysis of the effects of hedging based on wheat futures contracts. Unlike previous hedging studies that used synthetic farm models or rather small samples, we use a whole-farm economic risk approach and conduct a large-scale study of 2, 197 individual farms over a 21-year study period. The study results cast substantial doubt on the conventional wisdom that farmers should be more willing to include hedging as “innovative” tool into their risk management. |
| Date: | 2024–08–19 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:socarx:pvq9t |
| By: | Chiwuzulum Odozi, John (Ajayi Crowther University); Uwaifo Oyelere, Ruth (Agnes Scott College) |
| Abstract: | The issue of land inequality has garnered renewed interest in development literature due to its potential impact on the welfare of smallholder farmers. Poverty reduction is a crucial sustainable development goal, and a clearer understanding of the factors contributing to poverty is essential for effective, targeted policy initiatives in Nigeria. Investigating the potential relationship between land access and household poverty-related outcomes is highly relevant for both land and social welfare policy and is the focus of our paper. Using data from the four waves of the Nigeria General Household Panel Survey (GHS), we examine how the amount of land an agricultural household operates and the value of that land affect the probability of living in poverty. We employ both a fixed effects and a correlated random effects approach to explore our research question. Our results suggest a significant relationship between land access, as measured by land size, and poverty incidence. We also find evidence suggesting nonlinearities in the relationship between land access and poverty. |
| Keywords: | land access, land value, Nigeria, poverty, land size, inequality |
| JEL: | Q15 Q12 D31 I32 I30 O1 |
| Date: | 2024–08 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17230 |
| By: | Bhagowalia, Priya; Chandna, Arjita |
| Abstract: | This study examines the association between women’s income and household nutrition using the India Human Development Survey (2005, 2011). Assuming that the household head and his/her spouse are the primary members who influence household nutrition, we explore the association between the primary woman’s income as a share of the total income of the primary couple, with household nutrition and diet diversity. The results show that the primary woman’s income share has a positive and significant association with household calorie intake especially with calories obtained from carbohydrates, but a significant negative association with calories from fats and no association with calories obtained from protein. Additionally, the positive association of the primary woman’s income share with household calorie intake is weaker in the presence of other educated women that have specific hierarchical relationship with the primary woman. The study thus underscores the importance of women’s relative bargaining power in improving household nutrition. |
| Keywords: | Agricultural and Food Policy, Consumer/Household Economics, International Development |
| Date: | 2024–08–07 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:cfcp15:344312 |
| By: | Kossi Messanh Agbekponou (SMART - Structures et Marché Agricoles, Ressources et Territoires - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - Institut Agro Rennes Angers - Institut Agro - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement); Angela Cheptea (SMART - Structures et Marché Agricoles, Ressources et Territoires - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - Institut Agro Rennes Angers - Institut Agro - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement); Karine Latouche (SMART - Structures et Marché Agricoles, Ressources et Territoires - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - Institut Agro Rennes Angers - Institut Agro - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement) |
| Abstract: | This paper analyses how the quality of produced goods affects firms' position in global value chains (GVCs). Extending the theoretical framework of Chor et al. (2021), we find that quality upgrading increases the span of production stages performed by the firm: it imports more upstream (less transformed) intermediate products and exports more downstream (more highly processed) products. Expansion along GVCs through quality upgrading is accompanied by an increase in input purchases, assets, value added, and profits. These theoretical predictions are tested using 2004-2017 firm-level data on French agri-food industries (from French customs and the AMADEUS database). In line with recent work, we identify firms that participate in GVCs with those that jointly import and export, and measure firms' position in value chains through the level of transformation (upstreamness) of goods they use and produce. We use several ways to measure product quality at firm level, all inspired by the commonly accepted assumption that, at equal prices, higher quality products are sold in larger quantities. Our findings confirm the prediction that higher-quality firms use more upstream inputs produced by other firms to produce more transformed outputs, and perform a larger span of intermediate production stages in-house. We find limited empirical evidence in support of other predictions. |
| Keywords: | Global value chains, Production line position, Quality upgrading, Upstreamness, Agri-food industry |
| Date: | 2024–05–15 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04666099 |
| By: | Marc F. Bellemare (University of Minnesota); Eeshani Kandpal (Center for Global Development); Katherina Thomas (Universitat de Barcelona) |
| Abstract: | How much do the poor spend on food when their income increases? We estimate a key economic parameter—the income elasticity of food expenditures—using data from the randomized evaluations of five conditional cash transfer programs in Mexico, Nicaragua, the Philippines, and Uganda. The transfers provided routine, exogenous increases of 12 to 23 percent of baseline income for at least a year to recipients at or below the global poverty line. Using pooled ordinary least squares and Bayesian hierarchical models, we first show that expenditures on all food categories increase with income. But even among some of the poorest people in the world, all of whom are experiencing high hunger levels, our estimated income elasticity for food is 0.03, i.e., much smaller than many published estimates that either rely on cross-sectional variation or study responses to large income shocks. Next, we run the first credible test of Bennett’s Law—the empirical regularity whereby poor households respond to income increases by (i) shifting spending from coarse to fine staples, or (ii) spending more on protein than staples—and find partial support for it. While income increases lead consumers to substitute fine grains for coarse grains and protein for staples, again the estimated shifts are smaller than previous estimates. Quantifying how small and routine income changes affect food demand in low- and middle-income countries can inform the policy discourse on poverty reduction, nutrition, and social protection, as well as the debate on the impact of economic growth on global carbon emission patterns. |
| Keywords: | Food Demand, Elasticities, Conditional Cash Transfers, Low- and Middle- Income Countries |
| JEL: | D12 D13 O12 Q11 Q18 R22 |
| Date: | 2024–08–29 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cgd:wpaper:701 |
| By: | Benami, Elinor; Carter, Michael R.; Hobbs, Andrew; Jin, Zhenong; Kirchner, Ella |
| Abstract: | Agricultural index insurance seeks to protect producers against negative shocks that are common across a prespecified area, i.e., an index insurance zone. Often, administrative boundaries are used to delineate such index insurance zones. However, administrative boundaries may not reflect relevant variations in yield over space, which can be costly for policyholders as well as the public, especially since agricultural insurance is often heavily subsidized. Increased availability of finely resolved geospatial data on agronomic conditions coupled with machine learning approaches to identify similarities promises the ability to reduce losses associated with index insurance by identifying more homogeneous zones. In this work, we examine the changes in welfare impacts of a hypothetical area-yield index insurance when redrawing zone boundaries on the basis of relevant observed agronomic conditions. Drawing upon crop cut data from over 10, 000 maize fields in Kenya from 2016-2020 combined with satellite-based estimates of agronomic conditions, we examine the changes in expected utility to assess the value of data-driven and administrative insurance zones. When keeping the number of insurance zones equal to the number of administrative zones, we find that data-driven zones may offer only slightly higher risk reduction value than administrative zones. If no set number of zones are prespecified, the data-driven approach offers a flexible approach to identify an optimal number of zones that balances costs and performance. This approach can help inform program design as well as impact evaluations, as it further sheds light on trade-offs between the costs of ground sampling and zone size that can inform how to design and evaluate new programs in resource-constrained environments for maximum impact. |
| Keywords: | Agricultural Finance, International Development, Risk and Uncertainty |
| Date: | 2024–08–27 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:cfcp15:344685 |
| By: | Diane Karinganire; Wilson Gachiri; Jean Paul NIZEYIMANA |
| Abstract: | The main purpose of this study was to examine the effect of project management practices on performance of agricultural cooperatives in Rwanda, a case study of VIVACIOUS Cooperative in Gasabo District 2017-2022. Specific the study aimed to explore the influence of monitoring and evaluation on the performance of agricultural cooperative in Gasabo district, to examine the influence of stakeholders on performance of agricultural cooperative in Gasabo District, and to analyse the influence of project leadership experience on performance of agricultural cooperative in Gasabo District. Qualitative data have been analysed using SPSS while qualitative data have been analysed using the thematic method. In order to select the sample size, the researcher adopted universal sampling with 85 respondents. In order to collect data, the researcher used documentation, interview, and questionnaire. Pearson correlation analysis revealed that the overall confirmed that there is significant positive relationship between project management practices and performance of agricultural cooperative in Gasabo district. The study recommended future planning process which will guided by the past records of the project. The management team must clarify the expected failure in their project plan happened while they were making monitoring and then provide possible solution to those problems so that plan money to mitigate those should be estimated and put aside.. Key words: Project, Project Management, Project management practices, Performance, Agricultural cooperatives. |
| Date: | 2024–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:vor:issues:2024-49-01 |
| By: | Andres Alonso-Robisco (BANCO DE ESPAÑA); Jose Manuel Carbo (BANCO DE ESPAÑA); Emily Kormanyos (DEUTSCHE BUNDESBANK); Elena Triebskorn (DEUTSCHE BUNDESBANK) |
| Abstract: | Central banks and international supervisors have identified the difficulty of obtaining climate information as one of the key obstacles to the development of green financial products and markets. To bridge this data gap, the use of satellite information from Earth Observation (EO) systems may be necessary. To better understand this process, we analyse the potential of applying satellite data to green finance. First, we summarise the policy debate from a central banking perspective. We then briefly describe the main challenges for economists in dealing with the EO data format and quantitative methodologies for measuring its economic materiality. Finally, using topic modelling, we perform a systematic literature review of recent academic studies to identify the research areas in which satellite data are currently being used in green finance. We find the following topics: physical risk materialisation (including both acute and chronic risk), deforestation, energy and emissions, agricultural risk and land use and land cover. We conclude with a comprehensive analysis on the financial materiality of this alternative data source, a mapping of these application domains to new green financial instruments and markets under development, such as thematic bonds or carbon credits, and some key considerations for policy discussion. |
| Keywords: | satellite data, sensors, green finance, central banking |
| JEL: | C8 C55 Q56 |
| Date: | 2024–08 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:bde:opaper:2428e |
| By: | Kossi Messanh Agbekponou (SMART - Structures et Marché Agricoles, Ressources et Territoires - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - Institut Agro Rennes Angers - Institut Agro - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement); Ilaria Fusacchia (ROMA TRE - Università degli Studi Roma Tre = Roma Tre University) |
| Abstract: | Value creation forms the basis for the construction of global value chains (GVCs) and has received significant scholarly attention, yet the issue of value capture or power distribution along supply chains, "within" industries, is still unresolved. A recent property rights framework (Antr`as and Chor, 2013; Alfaro et al., 2019) highlights how final firms exert power over their suppliers to optimally organize their sequential production process. In such an environment, how can suppliers (exporters) act strategically to reduce the power of the buyers (importers)? We contribute, theoretically and empirically, to a better understanding of the extent to which the division of surplus in the agri-food sector is affected by manufacturing exporters' position in GVCs. We argue that: (1) further upstream specialization along agri-food GVCs increases bargaining power (the "specialization effect"); (2) expansion along GVCs by importing more upstream inputs and exporting more processed goods also increase bargaining (the "expansion effect"); and (3) the "specialization effect" outweighs the "expansion effect" so that the overall effect is similar to the former. These theoretical hypotheses are tested using firm-level data on French agri-food industries (from French customs and the AMADEUS database) over 2002-2017 period. We build on the bilateral stochastic frontier model to measure the bilateral bargaining power of manufacturers. Following recent approaches in the literature, we identify manufacturers that participate in GVCs with those that jointly import and export, and measure their position in value chains through the level of transformation (upstreamness) of goods they use and produce. Hypotheses (1) and (3) are strongly supported and are mainly driven by product mix upgrade and the reduction of the hol-up problem, while hypothesis (2) is weakly supported and is only due to the high-quality production. |
| Keywords: | Bargaining power, Division of surplus, Global value chains, Upstreamness, Agri-food industry |
| Date: | 2024–06–17 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04666067 |
| By: | George Halkos; Argyro Zisiadou; Panagiotis Stavros Aslanidis; Phoebe Koundouri |
| Abstract: | The Black Sea region faces pressures on ecosystem services (ES) due to invasive species, waste, eutrophication, and biodiversity loss. We apply a stated preference technique, i.e. a choice experiment (CE), aiming to compare three hypothetical scenarios regarding the welfare impact of ES on citizens' lives in terms of willingness-to-pay (WTP). Initially, the distributed questionnaires underwent an econometric pre-test regarding the orthogonality of all CE scenarios in R-studio. Questionnaire distribution occurred from 29/05/2023 to 21/11/2023 with a total number of 375 responders from the three pilot sites: Turkey, Romania, and Georgia. The highest WTP occurred in Turkey (56.72�) for all scenarios followed by Georgia (49.04�), and Romania (47.96�). Moreover, the greater WTP value is demonstrated by Scenario C (25.51�) followed by Scenarios B (25.17�) and Scenario A (25.11�). Interesting socioeconomic characteristics derived from Cross-Tabulation Analysis that notably cannot impact the WTP are income, gender, and age. Furthermore, marital status and education might affect the WTP only in Romania, however, this is not demonstrated in Turkey or Georgia. Interestingly, the higher level of education in Romania is linked to lower WTP, nevertheless, education typically relates to environmental sensitivity. Another aspect is that occupation can change responders' WTP in Romania and Georgia, but not in Turkey. In essence, the economic valuation of ES through CE methodology can offer policymaking insights into Blue Growth initiatives. |
| Keywords: | ecosystem management, human impacts, valuation studies, choice experiment, stated preferences, blue economy, sustainable development goals |
| Date: | 2024–08–26 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:aue:wpaper:2414 |
| By: | Ubi-Abai, Itoro |
| Abstract: | This study assessed the technical efficiency and total productivity of the Akwa Ibom Water Company Limited, Akwa Ibom state, Nigeria using the ex post facto research design. The study described critical input and output variables of the water company; and utilized the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to carry out technical efficiency and productivity analysis on 20 locations of the Akwa Ibom Water Company Limited. The data comprise the inputs: Staff Strength, the Capacity of the Production System and the Actual Collected Revenue; and the output, Volume of Water Distributed. The data are sourced from the Monitoring and Evaluation Unit Monthly Analysis Report of the Akwa Ibom Water Company Limited spanning 2020 to 2023. The constant return to scale (crs) model revealed that the 20 water facilities were inefficient and the malmquist summary revealed that their total productivities were not optimal. It was recommended among others that the Akwa Ibom Water Company Limited needs to improve its output by 48.5% for 2020, 28.9% for 2021, 14.8% for 2022 and 15.1% for 2023. The study recommends that the State government should make adequate water management laws and give the Akwa Ibom Water Company Limited the mandate to enforce such laws. Adequate funding should be provided to aid the water company replace damaged water pipelines. Adequate power supply should be provided to ensure the water company operates efficiently. |
| Keywords: | Efficiency, Productivity, Water, Akwa Ibom |
| JEL: | D24 H44 O33 |
| Date: | 2024–08–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:121691 |
| By: | Kitano, Shinichi |
| Abstract: | In rural development research, social capital (SC) complements the causal gap between the endowment of resources and other capital in a community and the performance of collective actions, such as common-pool resource management. However, the concept of SC is ambiguous and its measurement is controversial. This study focuses on rural SC and attempts to measure it inductively using data (994 communities) related to various collective actions (22 types), rather than deductively piling up the detailed components of SC, as several studies have done. Hierarchical latent variable models are used to understand the hierarchical structure of SC. We used spatial regression models to examine the policy’s causal impacts on SC accumulation while considering spatial heterogeneity. The results show that SC has spatial heterogeneity and a hierarchical structure, depending on the internal (bonding-type) and external (bridging-type) components, as well as on the difference between general activities and collective agricultural actions. The SC accumulation is strongly correlated with traditional and agriculture-related activities. Furthermore, policies increase comprehensive SC by approximately 20% but are more effective for internal SC than for external SC. These results suggest the need for policy options such as agglomeration bonuses when expanding the range of collective actions. Other findings indicate that the reinforcement of agricultural corporations and educational facilities are also effective in accumulating SC. |
| Keywords: | social capital, inductive measurement, heterogeneity, policy impact, hierarchical structure, spatial regression |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:esprep:301789 |
| By: | Pennick, Chelsea (University of Idaho) |
| Abstract: | This study explores the role of front-line workers in collaborative environmental management. Using an institutional work lens and actor narratives, we reveal how collaborative institutions are created, modified and disrupted amidst conflicting logics. The results indicate that government actors engage in critical institution-building and boundary spanning practices that create opportunities for citizen influence, demonstrate responsiveness, fill institutional voids and overcome organizational barriers. These findings suggest that attention to the routines and practices of street-level bureaucrats is critical for understanding and theorizing the connection between governance design and outcomes and have important implications for the study of institutional and organizational change. |
| Date: | 2024–08–21 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:socarx:akz3w |
| By: | Sylvain Dessy; Luca Tiberti; Marco Tiberti; David Zoundi |
| Abstract: | Rural communities in developing countries often experience growing-season droughts – a spatially covariant income shock disrupting mutual insurance mechanisms. These communities might leverage traditional practices such as polygyny to enhance economic resilience. This is particularly effective when co-wives come from geographically dispersed kinship networks, facilitating the inflow of financial support during droughts. Analyzing data from rural Mali, we exploit the quasi-random nature of droughts and variations in polygyny rates across communities. We control for time and community fixed effects and several observable correlates of drought potentially affecting polygyny. Results show that polygyny is linked with increased financial aid from distant kin during droughts, mitigating negative effects on crop yields. Additionally, polygyny prevalence remains unaffected by negative rainfall deviations, suggesting its role as a pre-established cultural strategy for managing income shocks. Hence, public policy aiming to phase out practices like polygyny for community survival must consider these cultural dimensions of resilience strategies. |
| Keywords: | Village economies; Drought; Polygyny; Resilience strategy; Mali |
| JEL: | C12 D12 J12 J13 O55 |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:frz:wpaper:wp2024_13.rdf |
| By: | Randrianasolo-Rakotobe, Hanitra; Ceapraz, Ion Lucian |
| Abstract: | Consumers worldwide are increasingly becoming aware of social, economic, and environmental consequences of their consumption and are modifying their preferences, attitudes, and behaviors accordingly. One significant movement that has influenced consumption patterns globally is that of fair trade (Gillani et al. 2021). In this article, in examining a French case study, we demonstrate that institutional proximity is crucial for empowering relationships between consumers and producers in a fair trade framework. North- North fair trade has recently developed by applying the same principles as those of traditional North-South fair trade by reinventing not only the unbalanced relationship between consumers and producers but also by creating a space that is shared to varying degrees: institutional proximity. |
| Date: | 2024–08–22 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:socarx:zx5et |
| By: | Kohnert, Dirk |
| Abstract: | For many Africans, water is not only the source of life, but also a means of purification and a centre of regeneration. Water rituals and cults, such as 'Mami Wata', lead their followers to liberation of body and spirit. But customary rites can also cause harm. For example, the ancestral use of irrigation reduces contemporary female labour participation and female property rights. It is crucial to consider gender in resource management in the context of climate change, environmental degradation and population growth, which will exacerbate conflicts over scarce resources such as arable land, water, fishing and hunting. Poor governance leads to the alienation and exploitation of the majority and growing inequality, especially when water is scarce and people's livelihoods are threatened. Sub-Saharan Africa is the continent most affected by climate change, population growth and food insecurity. Yet African states, where water ecosystems are strategic resources, are more inclined to regional conflict than cooperation. In the past, climaterelated shocks have fuelled violent conflict in West Africa. Land pressure and water scarcity are causing increasingly acute crises. Traditional institutions of water and land management are often destabilised by modern irrigation techniques and massive inflows of foreign capital. Modernisation is driven by a Western-centred utilitarianism that cannot be universalised. The intensification of conflicts over water has revealed a general crisis that is likely to worsen, given the dynamics at work. Environmental degradation is one of the undesirable by-products of agricultural productivity growth, but customary institutions cannot provide adequate regulation to mitigate its effects. But even in West African regions where water is plentiful, the resource curse links the abundance of natural resources to higher levels of conflict. The commercialisation of water, including land and water grabbing, can even lead to interstate conflict through the effects of greed or grievances. Ultimately, however, conflicts are often not so much about access to scarce resources such as water, food or land, but rather about changing the political institutions through which resources are distributed. Water scarcity puts pressure on people, resulting in migration, displacement, food insecurity and impoverishment, which can lead to further conflict. |
| Abstract: | Für viele Afrikaner ist Wasser nicht nur die Quelle des Lebens, sondern auch ein Mittel zur Reinigung und ein Zentrum der Regeneration. Wasserrituale und -kulte wie „Mami Wata“ führen ihre Anhänger zur Befreiung von Körper und Geist. Aber auch tradierte Rituale können Schaden anrichten. Beispielsweise verringert die herkömmliche Nutzung der Bewässerung die Erwerbsbeteiligung und Eigentumsrechte von Frauen. Es ist von entscheidender Bedeutung, das Geschlecht im Ressourcenmanagement im Kontext von Klimawandel, Umweltzerstörung und Bevölkerungswachstum zu berücksichtigen, was Konflikte um knappe Ressourcen wie Ackerland, Wasser, Fischerei und Jagd verschärfen wird. Schlechte Regierungsführung führt zur Entfremdung und Ausbeutung der Mehrheit und zu wachsender Ungleichheit, insbesondere wenn Wasser knapp ist und die Lebensgrundlage der Menschen gefährdet ist. Afrika südlich der Sahara ist der Kontinent, der am stärksten von Klimawandel, Bevölkerungswachstum und Ernährungsunsicherheit betroffen ist. Doch afrikanische Staaten, in denen Wasserökosysteme strategische Ressourcen darstellen, neigen eher zu regionalen Konflikten als zur Zusammenarbeit. In der Vergangenheit haben klimabedingte Schocks gewalttätige Konflikte in Westafrika angeheizt. Land- und Wasserknappheit führen zu immer akuteren Krisen. Traditionelle Institutionen der Wasser- und Landbewirtschaftung werden oft durch moderne Bewässerungstechniken und massive Zuflüsse ausländischen Kapitals destabilisiert. Die Modernisierung wird von einem westlich zentrierten Utilitarismus vorangetrieben, der nicht universalisiert werden kann. Die Verschärfung der Konflikte um Wasser hat eine allgemeine Krise offenbart, die sich angesichts der Dynamik, die hier herrscht, wahrscheinlich noch verschärfen wird. Umweltzerstörung ist eines der unerwünschten Nebenprodukte des landwirtschaftlichen Produktivitätswachstums, aber die herkömmlichen Institutionen können keine angemessene Regulierung bieten, um ihre Auswirkungen abzumildern. Aber selbst in westafrikanischen Regionen, in denen es reichlich Wasser gibt, bringt der Ressourcenfluch den Reichtum an natürlichen Ressourcen mit einem höheren Konfliktniveau in Verbindung. Die Kommerzialisierung von Wasser, einschließlich Land- und Wasserraub, kann aufgrund von Gier oder Missständen sogar zu zwischenstaatlichen Konflikten führen. Letztlich geht es bei Konflikten jedoch oft nicht so sehr um den Zugang zu knappen Ressourcen wie Wasser, Nahrung oder Land, sondern vielmehr um die Veränderung der politischen Institutionen, über die Ressourcen verteilt werden. Wasserknappheit setzt die Menschen unter Druck, was Migration, Vertreibung, Ernährungsunsicherheit und Verarmung verursacht, was zu weiteren Konflikten führen kann. |
| Keywords: | water scarcity, climate change, water rites, customary institutions, water grabbing, gender inequality, informal sector, West Africa |
| JEL: | D18 D23 D43 D47 E26 F13 F54 N47 Q55 Z13 |
| Date: | 2023 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:esprep:300924 |
| By: | Carla Sequeira (Faculty of Arts and Humanities of University of Porto) |
| Abstract: | Our presentation will focus on two recently founded Port wine producers: Noble & Murat, founded in 2012, and Porto dos Santos, founded in 2022. These two companies are examples of a new dynamic in the Port wine sector, marked by the re-emergence of companies and brands with a family tradition. Noble & Murat, founded in the first half of the 19th century as an exporter of Port wine, but also of other products, especially cod, marked the Port wine market and remained very active until the beginning of the 20th century. This historic brand was rehabilitated in the 21st century, when it was acquired by descendants of two families long associated with the Port wine sector, and now focuses exclusively on the production of high-quality Port wines. Porto dos Santos was originally founded in the first half of the 19th century, but disappeared at the beginning of the 20th century. Recently, the brand was re-registered as a Port wine producer by one of the descendants of the founding family of the original company. These two companies/brands demonstrate the emergence and affirmation of new productive agents in the Port wine sector, particularly the producer-bottler targeting niche markets. |
| Keywords: | Port Wine; Brands; Family tradition |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sek:iacpro:14216120 |
| By: | Sim, Armand (Monash University); Gultom, Sarah (Monash University); Widita, Alyas (Monash University); Lee, Wang-Sheng (Monash University); Khalil, Umair (Deakin University) |
| Abstract: | Promoting awareness and encouraging pro-sustainability behaviors to mitigate climate and environmental issues can be challenging due to their polarizing nature. We conduct a large-scale online experiment in Jakarta, the world's fastest sinking city, to examine the impact of messenger identity and narrative style on awareness and behavior regarding land subsidence, a human-induced climate change phenomenon. We vary the messenger identity (an actor portraying either a religious leader or a scientist) and the narrative style of the message (religious vs. scientific). Our results show that exposure to an environmental video message, as opposed to a placebo, increases beliefs, trust in institutions, and pro-sustainability behaviors. The largest impacts arise when a scientist delivers a message embedded with a religious narrative. The effects are more pronounced among individuals with low prior knowledge, high trust in authorities, and those less reliant on groundwater. However, we find limited evidence of heterogeneous treatment effects on actions. Our findings highlight the importance of carefully considering both the message and the messenger in communication strategies in a diverse population. |
| Keywords: | land subsidence, environmental awareness, religion, science, Indonesia |
| JEL: | Q54 Q58 Z12 |
| Date: | 2024–07 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17184 |
| By: | Khadjavi, Menusch; Sipangule, Kacana; Thiele, Rainer |
| Abstract: | We investigate how exposure to large-scale farms affects smallholders’ competitive behavior. Based on lab-in-the-field experimental measures covering more than 900 smallholders and 400 children in Zambia, we find that smallholders who are traditionally dependent on subsistence agriculture behave more competitively when they are located close to large-scale farms. This effect is especially pronounced for female smallholders and closes the gender gap associated with competitiveness. This result replicates for their children. We identify female employment and shifting intra-household tasks as a possible mechanism. Our results provide new insights for understanding how changes in societal arrangements like market integration influence economic behavior. |
| Keywords: | Market integration, Competitive behavior, Large-scale farms, Smallholders, Endogenous preferences, Lab-in-the-field experiment, Zambia |
| JEL: | O12 O13 P11 P14 Q15 |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:ifwkie:301882 |
| By: | Pakrooh, Parisa; Manera, Matteo |
| Abstract: | The EU carbon market serves as an innovative financial instrument with the primary objective of contributing to mitigate the impacts of climate change. This market demonstrates significant interconnectedness with fossil energy, precious metal, and financial markets, although limited research has focused on the causality, dependency, intensity and direction of time-varying spillover effects. This study aims to investigate the causality direction, degree of dependency structure, and volatility transmission from Brent Oil, UK Natural Gas, Rotterdam Coal, Gold, Silver, Copper, and EuroStoxx600 future prices to EU Allowances during different periods of EU market. To achieve these objectives, this paper proposes a novel methodological approach that combines the most recent econometrics methods, such as Directed Acyclic Graph analysis, C-Vine Copula models, and Time-Varying parameter Vector Auto Regressive models with Stochastic Volatility with the use of a comprehensive sample of daily data from 26 April 2005 to 31 December 2022. The major findings of this study demonstrate that causality predominantly runs from energy, metal, and financial markets to the EU carbon market. The dependency structure, although varying across different sub-periods, shows a strong relationship observed between oil, coal, silver, copper, EuroStoxx600, and CO2 market. Additionally, the oil and copper futures prices exhibit the highest dependence on EUA prices. Furthermore, the study establishes that the EU carbon market is a net receiver of shocks from all other markets, with the energy, metal, and financial markets significantly influencing volatility in EUA prices. The time-varying spillover effect is most pronounced with a one-day lag, and the duration of the spillover effects ranges from 2 to 15 days, gradually diminishing over time. These results have the potential to increase the understanding of the EU carbon market and offer practical guidance for policymakers, investors, and companies involved in this domain. |
| Keywords: | Climate Change, Production Economics, Public Economics |
| Date: | 2024–08–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:feemwp:344790 |
| By: | Da Hoang; Duong Trung Le; Ha Nguyen; Mr. Nikola Spatafora |
| Abstract: | We use a new dataset to estimate the impact of temperature on economic activity at a more geographically and temporally disaggregated level than the existing literature. Analyzing 30-kilometer grid cells at a monthly frequency, temperature has a negative, highly statistically significant, and quantitatively large effect on output: a 1 °C increase in monthly temperature is associated with a 0.77 percent reduction in nighttime lights, a proxy for local economic activity. The effects of even a temporary increase in temperature persist for almost one year after the shock. Increases in temperature have an especially large, negative impact on growth in poorer countries, indicating that they are more vulnerable to the impact of climate change. |
| Keywords: | Climate change; temperature; economic growth; nighttime lights |
| Date: | 2024–08–16 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:imf:imfwpa:2024/178 |
| By: | Uddin , Gazi Salah (Linköping University, Sweden); Hasan, Md. Bokhtiar (Islamic University, Bangladesh); Park, Donghyun (Asian Development Bank); Ali, Md. Sumon (University of Texas at El Paso); Wadström, Christoffer (Linköping University, Sweden) |
| Abstract: | Amid a shifting global energy landscape driven by concerns about climate change and fossil fuel depletion, there is a heightened need to move toward sustainable energy sources. Although there has been a significant increase in investments in renewable energy (RE) globally, there is still a considerable shortfall in achieving sustainability goals. This study is the first to explore the determinants of RE investments, considering a range of important economic and noneconomic variables. The research employs a balanced annual panel dataset covering 36 countries from 2000 to 2020. The findings indicate that, in developed economies, industrial growth, environmental taxes, social globalization, and climate vulnerability positively influence RE investments, while inflation and political instability have negative impacts. In developing economies, environmental taxes, social globalization, environmental technologies, and climate vulnerability are beneficial, while industrial growth and oil prices have adverse effects. These factors are significant for policy, providing governments and policymakers with valuable information to create specific strategies to meet global sustainability goals. |
| Keywords: | renewable energy investments; economic and noneconomic factors; developed and developing economies; panel data estimates |
| JEL: | C33 F64 Q42 Q50 |
| Date: | 2024–08–28 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ris:adbewp:0740 |
| By: | Ande Shen; Jiwei Zhou |
| Abstract: | This paper explores the causal impact of education opportunities on rural areas by exploiting the higher education expansion (HEE) in China in 1999. By utilizing the detailed census data, the cohort-based difference-in-differences design indicates that the HEE increased college attendance and encouraged more people to attend senior high schools and that the effect is more significant in rural areas. Then we apply a similar approach to a novel panel data set of rural villages and households to examine the effect of education opportunities on rural areas. We find contrasting impacts on income and life quality between villages and households. Villages in provinces with higher HEE magnitudes underwent a drop in the average income and worse living facilities. On the contrary, households sending out migrants after the HEE experienced an increase in their per capita income. The phenomenon where villages experienced a ``brain drain'' and households with migrants gained after the HEE is explained by the fact that education could serve as a way to overcome the barrier of rural-urban migration. Our findings highlight the opposed impacts of education opportunities on rural development and household welfare in rural areas. |
| Date: | 2024–08 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2408.12915 |
| By: | Beccarello, Massimo; Di Foggia, Giacomo (University of Milano-Bicocca) |
| Abstract: | The European plan for a green transition includes the Fit for 55 package, designed to pave the way for climate neutrality. Despite its significant implications for cleaner technologies, it potentially correlates with high in vestment requirements, necessitating the pursuit of cost-effective environmental policies. Starting from the reference scenario previously envisaged in the Energy and Climate Plan, socioeconomic and environmental impacts are assessed using mixed methods. It is estimated that €1120 bn in investments are needed to meet decarbonization targets, while the total impact on public finance revenues to 2030 is projected at €529 bn. Additionally, the avoided costs of emissions amount to €36 bn, while those from energy savings are expected to reach €30 bn. This paper adds value by contributing to the literature on European climate policies, offering an in depth appraisal of implications that integrates technoeconomic and environmental perspectives. Furthermore, it informs policymakers' public spending decisions for decarbonization. |
| Date: | 2023–08–31 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:socarx:etu9g |