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on Agricultural Economics |
| By: | Rajiv, Sharanya; Akramov, Kamiljon T.; Dhehibi, Boubaker |
| Abstract: | Homestead, or tomorqa, farms play a key role in agriculture and food security in Uzbekistan. These small-scale farms are integral to the livelihoods of more than 5.5 million rural households, collectively utilizing over 500, 000 hectares of agricultural land, which accounts for nearly 15 percent of the country’s total arable agricultural land area.1 The significance of homestead farms is also underscored by their substantial contribution to the overall agricultural output of the country, producing the majority of horticulture and livestock products. In 2023, homestead farms produced approximately 62 percent of agricultural products, 37 percent of crop output, and an impressive 88 percent of livestock production. Recognizing their critical importance, the Uzbek government has positioned homestead farms at the heart of its poverty reduction strategy. This strategy includes the allocation of additional land to rural households, thereby expanding their capacity for agricultural production and improving the economic stability of rural communities. Furthermore, the government actively promotes the adoption of innovative agricultural technologies and practices by homestead farms. |
| Keywords: | innovation adoption; farms; agriculture; food security; poverty reduction; capacity development; climate-smart agriculture; Uzbekistan; Asia; Central Asia |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:prnote:168427 |
| By: | Ringler, Claudia; Arega, Tiruwork; Hailu, Tesfaye; Tesfahunegn, Hannibal B. |
| Abstract: | Agriculture and food production in Ethiopia are dominated by smallholder farmers and characterized by a low input-low output system. Mechanization of agriculture—in particular, the widespread adoption of tractors for land preparation and motorized pumps for irrigation—is considered by many to be the key to breaking this low-productivity system. Agricultural mechanization can improve the livelihoods of smallholders by reducing drudgery and postharvest losses and by increasing the efficiency of farm operations. However, mechanization rates have increased only slowly in Sub-Saharan Africa. |
| Keywords: | agricultural mechanization; food production; smallholders; tractors; irrigation; agricultural productivity; solar powered irrigation systems; Ethiopia; Eastern Africa; Africa |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:polbrf:163234 |
| By: | AMOUZAY, Hassan; El Ghini, Ahmed |
| Abstract: | This paper explores the limitations of traditional econometric models, such as the Ricardian and profit approaches, in accurately quantifying the impacts of climate change on agriculture. While these models offer valuable insights, they often neglect spatial dependencies, heterogeneity, and spillover effects. We argue that spatial econometrics provides a more comprehensive and robust approach to analyzing climate change impacts. By explicitly incorporating spatial relationships between agricultural units, spatial econometric models capture the influence of factors such as proximity to markets, resource sharing, information diffusion, and spatial correlation of climatic variables. We review pioneering studies employing spatial econometric models, including SAR, SEM, SLX, SARAR and SDM, which reveal significant discrepancies between spatial and non-spatial estimations. These studies demonstrate that neglecting spatial dependence can lead to biased estimations and inaccurate predictions of climate change impacts. Moreover, the incorporation of spatial effects often results in smaller marginal effects of climate variables, suggesting that traditional non-spatial models may overestimate negative consequences. This paper contributes to the ongoing research on climate change impacts on agriculture by highlighting the significance of spatial econometrics and emphasizing its potential to inform robust and effective adaptation strategies. |
| Keywords: | Climate change, econometrics approaches, agriculture, adaptation, spatial econometrics. |
| JEL: | Q15 Q51 Q54 R12 |
| Date: | 2024–05–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:123222 |
| By: | Kirui, Oliver K.; Siddig, Khalid; Fisher, Monica; Abushama, Hala; Ahmed, Mosab; Raouf, Mariam; Taffesse, Alemayehu Seyoum |
| Abstract: | Sudan's food security landscape has been dramatically impacted by the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which began in April 2023. The conflict has exacerbated an already precarious situation for the country, characterized by macroeconomic instability, climate shocks, and persistent discord and tension. This policy note analyzes the evolution of food insecurity in Sudan during the conflict, drawing from analysis of four nationwide surveys conducted before and during the conflict, namely the 2022 Sudan Labor Market Panel Survey (SLMPS), 1 the 2023/24 Sudan Rural Household Survey, 2 the 2024 Sudan Urban Survey, 3 and the recently completed 2024 Rural Household Survey. The findings highlight significant deterioration in food security across rural and urban areas of Sudan. Based on insights from these surveys, policy recommendations are offered to address food insecurity in the context of the conflict in Sudan. Before the outbreak of the conflict in 2023, Sudan was already facing significant food insecurity challenges. The 2022 SLMPS, a nationwide survey conducted in person, revealed that approximately 49 percent of Sudanese households were food secure. Factors such as high inflation, climate-related shocks, and underinvestment in agriculture have led to many households facing problems accessing sufficient healthy food, adversely affecting their food consumption. The reliance of Sudan on imports for a significant share of food consumption, coupled with a devaluating Sudanese Pound and rising inflation, strained household purchasing power, further limiting access to essential foodstuffs. Food insecurity was uneven across the country. Rural areas, where consumption of own agricultural production is essential for household food security, had higher food insecurity than urban areas. Some regions were particularly vulnerable to food insecurity, including the Darfur and Kordofan regions and Blue Nile states. Localized conflicts in these areas disrupted agricultural activities and displaced communities even before broader-scale fighting between SAF and RSF began. |
| Keywords: | REPUBLIC OF THE SUDAN; EAST AFRICA; AFRICA SOUTH OF SAHARA; AFRICA; capacity development; conflicts; food insecurity; macroeconomics; policy innovation |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:sssppn:8 |
| By: | Kariuki, Sarah W.; Mohamed, Asha B.; Mutuku, Urbanus; Mutegi, Charity; Bandyopadhyay, Ranajit; Hoffmann, Vivian |
| Abstract: | Agricultural technologies shown to be highly effective in research trials often have a lower impact when utilized by smallholder farmers. Both heterogeneous returns and suboptimal application are believed to play a role in this efficacy gap. We provide experimental evidence on the impact of a biocontrol product for the control of aflatoxin, a carcinogenic fungal byproduct, as applied by smallholder farmers in Kenya. By varying the level of external support across farmers, we investigate the role of misapplication in the effectiveness gap. We find that the provision of biocontrol together with a one-time training on application reduces aflatoxin contamination in maize relative to a control group by 34 percent. Additional training to the farmers in the form of a call to remind them of the correct time of application in the crop cycle increases the reduction to 52 percent. Our findings indicate that farmers can achieve meaningful improvements in food safety using biocontrol even with minimal training on its use and that additional support at the recommended time of application can strengthen its impact. |
| Keywords: | food safety; aflatoxins; impact assessment; agricultural technology; smallholders; training; maize; crops |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:2304 |
| By: | Arteaga, Julián (World Bank); de Roux, Nicolás (Universidad de los Andes); Gáfaro, Margarita (Banco de la República); Ibáñez, Ana María (Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo - IADB); Pellegrina, Heitor (University of Notre Dame) |
| Abstract: | This paper studies the dynamics of farm size distribution, how they are influenced by weather shocks, and the implications for aggregate productivity. Using data from several developing countries, we first document new empirical facts about households’ landholding choices and how weather shocks influence these decisions. Building on a rich longitudinal dataset for Colombia on farm sizes, land transactions, and households’ consumption and investment decisions, we then show that weather shocks increase the frequency of land sales and reduce farm sizes within municipalities, especially among smaller farms. To rationalize these facts, we develop a dynamic, heterogeneous household model in which uninsured farmers make landholding and occupational choices. Our calibrated model shows that uninsured risk substantially curbs aggregate agricultural productivity, and that the effects of temporary weather shocks on farm size and agricultural output are highly persistent, taking more than a decade to fade out. |
| Keywords: | Farm Size; Weather Shocks; Aggregate Shocks; Heterogeneous Agent Model |
| JEL: | D52 O13 Q12 Q15 Q54 |
| Date: | 2025–01–27 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:col:000089:021308 |
| By: | Basheer, Mohammed; Elnour, Zuhal; Pérez, Cristo Facundo; Liao, Wenxi; Siddig, Khalid; Ringler, Claudia |
| Abstract: | Hydropower and irrigation development on the Nile in Sudan can help meet growing food and energy needs. However, these potential infrastructures must be evaluated considering climate change uncertainties and multisector socioeconomic trade-offs. Increased streamflow combined with the recently constructed Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam would provide reliable irrigation water supplies in Sudan under most climate change scenarios but there are distributional impacts. |
| Keywords: | water power; irrigation; infrastructure; climate change; food; energy consumption; Africa; Northern Africa; Sudan |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:polbrf:168426 |
| By: | Beber, Bernd; Ebert, Cara; Kyle, Jordan; Riaz, Zara |
| Abstract: | Millions of poor households around the world rely on migration to improve their economic circumstances and, increasingly, for resilience in the face of a changing climate. In vulnerable contexts, slow-onset climate impacts like water scarcity, rising temperatures, and more variable weather conditions are diminishing local economic opportunities and increasing food insecurity. Such climate impacts are projected to accelerate migration patterns, particularly out-migration from rural areas (Rigaud et al., 2018; SVR, 2023). While news reports on climate migration often emphasize communities leaving an area en masse due to a natural disaster, climate migration due to slow-onset climate shifts, which gradually lower crop yields and hinder agricultural livelihoods, more commonly implies a male household member migrating within a country, often seasonally, in order to send remittances back to his family. |
| Keywords: | gender; migration; women's empowerment; surveys; rural communities; Western Africa; Sub-Saharan Africa; Africa; Senegal |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:prnote:168164 |
| By: | Bernhardt, Jacob J.; Stupak, Nataliya; Neuenfeldt, Sebastian; Potts, Franziska |
| Abstract: | Climate change is altering the growing conditions for agriculture in Germany. At the very least since the drought years of 2018–2022, it has become clear that the climatic changes have consequences for water use. The results of this development are local water scarcity and restrictions on private or agricultural water use. This leads to temporal regional water use conflicts between water management and agriculture. As a result, the topic of agricultural water management has also moved up the political agenda. Due to the heterogeneity of agriculture in Germany, and the spatial differences in the factors that determine irrigation agriculture, it is necessary to analyse the entire country at the smallest possible scale, and with a high temporal resolution. This comprehensive regional analysis provides the necessary data, and a decision-making basis, to counter future conflicts of interest related to water use. However, this contrasts with the actual availability of data on irrigation in Germany. A discrepancy exists between data availability and the data requests that has been made to the Thünen-Institute in the course of numerous projects and committee work. Agricultural statistics are an important source of information on the actual spatial distribution of irrigation characteristics. In the agricultural census (full survey) and the agricultural structure survey (sample survey), data is collected from agricultural holdings on the location, legal form, land use, livestock and also on irrigation. The informative value of both statistical surveys differs considerably due to the survey method, the characteristics recorded and the frequency of the survey... |
| Keywords: | Climate Change, Land Economics/Use, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:jhimwp:349190 |
| By: | Ashish Ashok Uikey (Symbiosis International (Deemed University)); Zericho Marak (Symbiosis International (Deemed University)); Dhoha Alsaleh (Abdullah Al Salem University); Ruturaj Baber (CHRIST (Deemed to be) University) |
| Abstract: | This study investigates the factors influencing consumers' intentions to purchase organic food products in an emerging economy. It addresses the knowledge gap regarding the slower growth of the organic food market in these regions despite the global trend toward environmental sustainability.Methodology / approach. A survey approach involving 350 participants was used. Structural equation modeling (SEM) with SmartPLS 4 and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) with IBM SPSS 28 were used to analyse the impact of awareness of need, personal norms, environmental concern, and health consciousness on the intention to purchase organic food products.Results. The study found significant positive influences of awareness of need, personal norms, environmental concern, and health consciousness on the intention to purchase organic food products, explaining 63.1 % of the variance. Both the analysis approaches (PLS-SEM & ANN) revealed that, health consciousness, followed by awareness of need, emerged as the most important factor related to the intention to purchase organic food products. The results highlight the importance of awareness and personal values in driving pro-environmental behaviour.Originality / scientific novelty. This research offers essential insights into the determinants of organic food purchase intentions in an emerging economy. It emphasises the significance of awareness and personal values in fostering sustainable consumption behaviour, addressing a less explored area in existing literature.Practical value / implications. The findings have important implications for policymakers and marketers. Strategies focused on consumer education about the benefits of organic food can enhance awareness and appeal. Understanding core psychological needs and beliefs that shape consumer motivations can guide the development of effective marketing strategies. The study highlights the strong environmental consciousness among consumers and their desire to protect the environment. |
| Keywords: | Artificial Neural Networks, Green Consumerism, Green Products, Organic Food, Organic Food Products, Sustainability, Sustainable Development Goals |
| Date: | 2024–12–20 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04861233 |
| By: | Murphy, Mike; Dang-Xuan, Sinh; Hoffmann, Vivian; Le-Thi-Huyen, Trang; Unger, Fred; Pham-Thi, Huong; Nguyen-Quang, Duy; Nguyen-Viet, Hung |
| Abstract: | Pork is the most widely consumed meat in Vietnam (OECD, 2023), where traditional food markets typically lacking refrigeration account for 84% of retail trade (USDA, 2024). Previous research by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and its partners found that over 60% of meat samples collected from such markets were contaminated with Salmonella (Ngo et al., 2023). This situation is typical of food markets in low and middle-income countries, where foodborne illness is estimated to claim 420, 000 lives (Havelaar, et al., 2015) and cause a productivity loss of US$95 billion annually (Jaffee, Henson, Unnevehr, Grace, & Cassou, 2019). Adherence to basic food and hand hygiene practices among meat vendors has the potential to reduce contamination cost-effectively, but would require either market incentives or regulatory enforcement, both of which are often absent in traditional markets. Punitive approaches to enforcement of food safety standards can backfire – for example, vendors may evade regulators by moving to informal markets that lack access to even basic water infrastructure. Further, shutting down non-compliant vendors could reduce access to nutritious foods among low-income consumers. |
| Keywords: | pork; markets; Salmonella; food contamination; food hygiene; food safety; economic aspects; Asia; South-eastern Asia; Vietnam |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprwp:168837 |
| By: | Xiaopeng Wang; Chengyi Tu; Shuhao Chen; Sicheng Wang; Ying Fan; Samir Suweis; Paolo D'Odorico |
| Abstract: | As the global population and the per capita demand for resource intensive diets continues to grow, the corresponding increase in food demand challenges the global food system, enhancing its reliance on trade. Most previous research typically constructed either unweighted networks or weighted solely by tonnage to represent food trade, and focused on bilateral trade relationships between pairs of countries. This study investigates the properties of global food trade constructed in terms of total food calories associated with all the main food products exchanged along each trade link (edge of the food trade network). Utilizing data from the Food and Agriculture Organization between 1986 and 2022, we construct a directed, weighted network of net caloric flows between countries. This approach highlights the importance of considering nutritional value in discussions of food security and trade policies, offering a more holistic view of global food trade dynamics. Our analysis reveals significant heterogeneity in trade patterns, with certain countries emerging as major exporters or importers of food calories. Moreover, we employ network measures, including network connectivity, network heterogeneity, network modularity, and node correlation similarity, to elucidate the structural dynamics of global net food calorie trade networks that are relevant to the stability and resilience of the global food system. Our work provides a more nuanced understanding of global food trade dynamics, emphasizing the need for comprehensive strategies to enhance the resilience and sustainability of food trade networks. |
| Date: | 2024–11 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2411.18856 |
| By: | Raya Das (Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER)); Ranjana Roy; Ashok Gulati |
| Abstract: | India runs perhaps the largest Public Distribution System (PDS) in the world, which provides free grains (rice and / or wheat) to almost 813.5 million people. But the Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES) of 2022-23 shows that almost 28 per cent of the grains supplied by Food Corporation of India (FCI) and state governments never reaches the intended beneficiaries. This amount to a financial loss of about Rs. 69, 108 crores (equivalent to roughly 20 million metric tons (MMT) of rice and wheat). Such a leaky PDS needs urgent reforms for better outcomes. The resources thus saved can be ploughed back to agriculture and rural areas to achieve not just food security but also nutritional security. |
| Keywords: | food security, Public Distribution System, National Food Security Act, DBT, Nutrition, PDS, icrier |
| Date: | 2024–11 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:bdc:ppaper:28 |
| By: | Niftiyev, Ibrahim; Ibadoghlu, Gubad |
| Abstract: | Understanding long-term agricultural productivity is essential for designing agricultural policies, planning and targeting other economic policies (e.g., industrial policy), and managing agricultural business models. In a developing and oil-rich country such as Azerbaijan, agriculture is among the limited opportunities to diversify oil-based value added and address broad welfare issues, as farmers and agricultural workers account for a large share of total employment and the labor force. However, previous studies have not focused on an empirical assessment of the long-term and subsectoral productivity of crop commodities. Rather, they have used a highly aggregated and short-run perspective, focusing mainly on the impact of the oil sector on agricultural sectors. Here, we applied principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis to identify similarities and differences in the productivity of specific crop commodities (e.g., cotton, tea, grains, tobacco, hay, fruits, and vegetables) between 1950 and 2021. We show that some crops are similar in terms of their variation, growth rates, and transition from the Soviet era to the post-Soviet period. Although the dynamics of change are different for food and non-food crops and for high- and low-productive commodities, it is still possible to narrow down specific subsectors that could reach the same productivity levels. This helps map out the productivity levels of crop commodities over time and across different subsectors, allowing for better policy decisions and resource allocation in the agricultural sector. In addition, we argue about some outlier commodities and their backward status despite extensive government support. Our results provide a common basis for policymakers and businesses to focus specifically on productivity and profitability from an economic standpoint. |
| Keywords: | agriculture; agricultural economics; Azerbaijan economy; crops; hierarchical cluster analysis; principal components analysis; productivity |
| JEL: | R14 J01 N0 |
| Date: | 2023–05–08 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ehl:lserod:126934 |
| By: | Fred Nimoh; Innocent Yao Yevu; Attah-Nyame Essampong; Asante Emmanuel Addo; Addai Kevin |
| Abstract: | Maize farming is a major livelihood activity for many farmers in Ghana. Unfortunately, farmers usually do not obtain the expected returns on their investment due to reliance on rudimentary, labor-intensive, and inefficient methods of production. Using cross-sectional data from 359 maize farmers, this study investigates the profitability and determinants of the use of tractor services for maize production in Ejura-Sekyedumase, Ashanti Region of Ghana. Results from descriptive and profitability analyses reveal that tractor services such as ploughing and shelling are widely used, but their profitability varies significantly among farmers. Key factors influencing profitability include farm size, fertilizer quantity applied, and farmer experience. Results from a multivariate probit analysis also showed that farming experience, fertilizer quantity, and profit per acre have a positive influence on tractor service use for shelling, while household size, farm size, and FBO have a negative influence. Farming experience, fertilizer quantity, and profit per acre positively influence tractor service use for ploughing, while farm size has a negative influence. A t-test result reveals a statistically significant difference in profit between farmers who use tractor services and those who do not. Specifically, farmers who utilize tractor services on their maize farm had a return to cost of 9 percent more than those who do not (p-value |
| Date: | 2024–11 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2411.15797 |
| By: | Kelsee Bratley; Alexis Meyer-Cirkel |
| Abstract: | This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the agricultural land coverage in Mozambique by harnessing advanced remote sensing technologies and draws on successful agricultural development examples to propose strategic pathways for Mozambique. The study leverages Sentinel-2 satellite imagery coupled with a machine learning algorithm to accurately map and assess the country's agricultural land, revealing that agriculture accounts for only 12 percent of Mozambique's land area. By examining the agricultural transformation or “green revolution” that some countries have experienced, it is possible to distill regularities and necessary conditions, which can then be compared to the state-of-affairs in Mozambique. This study not only offers a model of how emerging technologies like remote sensing can inform agricultural state of affairs, it also provides important insights into which concrete bottlenecks are likely to be holding back Mozambique’s agricultural development. |
| Keywords: | Mozambique; agricultural development; remote sensing; greenrevolution; poverty alleviation |
| Date: | 2025–01–17 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:imf:imfwpa:2025/009 |
| By: | Chaparro Hernández, Sergio; Segnini, Amanda; Cabana Alvear, Gabriela |
| Abstract: | To tackle the impacts of the multiple crises they are experiencing, including the climate crisis, the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) have an urgent need to strengthen regional cooperation. The region’s high vulnerability, combined with its multiple inequalities, is exacerbating the impacts of phenomena such as rising temperatures, variable rainfall, melting glaciers, and the increased frequency of extreme weather events. Mass population displacements, food insecurity, environmental degradation caused by land system changes, scarcity of water and electricity, and climate change-linked loss of life and livelihoods, are some of the impacts facing entire communities in the region. These impacts will be accelerated without a fundamental change of direction (World Meteorological Organization, 2022). |
| JEL: | R14 J01 |
| Date: | 2025–01–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ehl:lserod:126590 |
| By: | Van Campenhout, Bjorn; Nabwire, Leocardia; Kramer, Berber; Trachtman, Carly; Abate, Gashaw T. |
| Abstract: | ï µ Semi-subsistence farmers in developing countries often play dual roles as both consumers and producers of the same crops. Consequently, decisions regarding crop selection are influenced by a com bination of household consumption needs and market-oriented considerations. ï µ In this policy note, we summarize findings from a field experiment suggesting that integrating con sumption-oriented traits such as taste, color, and ease of cooking alongside production advantages is crucial for driving demand for improved crop varieties. ï µ The field experiment consists of two interventions designed to enhance the adoption of improved maize seed varieties among smallholder farmers in eastern Uganda. The first intervention involves providing farmers with free seed sample packs to plant and directly experience the production related benefits, such as higher yield potential and drought resistance. The second intervention consists of organizing cooking demonstrations and blind tasting sessions to compare maize from improved variety with local varieties, focusing on consumption traits like palatability, texture, and ease of cooking. ï µ We find that the seed sample packs significantly enhance farmers' perceptions of the seed's production traits, while the cooking demonstrations improve appreciation for its consumption traits. We also find that the cooking demonstration and tasting session increased the use of fresh Bazooka seed, with some indications that this also led to higher maize productivity. On the other hand, farmers who received the sample packs are more likely to reuse/recycle the grain harvested from the sample pack as seed in the subsequent season, essentially crowding out the demand for fresh/purchased seed. We argue that this may be a rational response in the context of positive transaction costs related to the use of improved seed varieties |
| Keywords: | consumer behaviour; crops; varieties; seeds; farmers; cooking; maize; Africa; Eastern Africa; Uganda |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:polbrf:168659 |
| By: | Anna Josephson; Rodrigo Guerra Su; Greg Collins; Katharine Jacobs |
| Abstract: | The cost of the impacts of climate change have already proven to be larger than previously believed. Understanding the costs and benefits of adapting to the changing climate is necessary to make targeted and appropriate investment decisions. In this paper, we use a narrative review to synthesize the current literature on the economic case for climate adaptation, with the objective of assessing the value (economic and otherwise) of climate change adaptation, as well as the strength of the methods and evidence that have been used to date. We find that skepticism is warranted about many of the estimates about costs and benefits of climate adaptation and their underlying assumptions, due to a range of complexities associated with (1) uncertainty in distinguishing the economic impacts of climate change from seasonal variability; (2) difficulties in non-market valuation; (3) lack of consistent data collection over time at multiple scales; and (4) distributional inequities in access to proactive adaptation and recovery funding. While useful for broad stroke advocacy purposes, these estimates fall short of the refinement and rigor needed to inform investment decision-making, particularly at micro and local scales. Most estimates rely on cost benefit analysis and do not effectively address these issues. An emergent and promising literature tackles alternative estimation strategies and attempts to address some of them, including the complexities of uncertainty and non-market valuation. |
| Date: | 2024–11 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2411.16893 |
| By: | Ulimwengu, John M. |
| Abstract: | Food systems are integral to ensuring access to sustainable healthy diets for all, thereby supporting public health, livelihoods, and environmental sustainability. However, these systems are increasingly vulnerable to a range of shocks and stressors, from economic downturns and financial constraints to the impacts of cli mate change and pandemics. One of the most critical determinants of food system resilience is the ability to effectively manage financing vulnerabilities. Financing vulnerability refers to the susceptibility of food system components to performance degradation due to inadequate, inefficient, or uneven allocation of financial re sources. Addressing this issue is paramount for enhancing the system’s capacity to withstand and recover from disruptions while maintaining functionality. |
| Keywords: | food systems; healthy diets; sustainability; financing; vulnerability |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:othbrf:163239 |
| By: | Hoffmann, Vivian; Murphy, Mike; Kariuki, Sarah |
| Abstract: | Unsafe food imposes significant health and productivity burdens on developing countries. We test the impact of a simple information intervention through which low-income urban consumers in Kenya were provided information about the likelihood that maize flour from the formal and informal sector violated a food safety standard. We find a 42 percent increase in the share of households consuming the similarly priced, lower risk formal sector flour type at follow-up in the treatment group relative to the control group, from a base of 33 percent. The intervention was equally effective for households earning below and above the sample median income level. Our results demonstrate the potential for low-cost interventions to increase the salience of food safety as a product attribute in informal markets or where regulatory enforcement is weak. |
| Keywords: | consumers; food safety; health; households; productivity |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:2305 |
| By: | Xie, Hua; Zeng, Ruijie; Ringler, Claudia |
| Abstract: | Groundwater-fed irrigation holds great promise for enhancing food production in Sub-Saharan Africa. Solar energy offers a renewable and cost-effective solution to power groundwater irrigation; however, unregulated use may threaten the long term sustainability of groundwater resources. |
| Keywords: | groundwater irrigation; food production; solar energy; renewable energy; groundwater; agriculture; Sub-Saharan Africa; Africa |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:polbrf:168413 |
| By: | Aguilar-Gómez, Sandra; Salazar-Díaz, Andrea |
| Abstract: | Every year, 245 million women are victims of intimate partner violence (IPV). Climate change is hypothesized to exacerbate this figure through its disruptive impact on household livelihoods, among other channels. However, little causal evidence exists on this aspect of the climate-gender nexus, partly due to measurement challenges that have contributed to gaps in the literature. In this paper, we use three different IPV data sources to examine the effect of drought in Mexico and the role of agricultural vulnerability in intensifying these effects. We find robust evidence of increases in all measures of IPV in response to local precipitation deficits: as unanticipated exposure to days without rain in the previous month rises, more injuries linked to IPV are recorded in the public health system, police reports increase, and more 911 calls related to IPV are made. The effects are stronger in regions highly dependent on agriculture, particularly when the shock occurs during the growing season. In a country where most agricultural income and land are controlled by men, our results align with theoretical predictions from male-backlash IPV models and extractive violence models. We also find that the impact of drought on IPV is more pronounced in municipalities with low state capacity, though potential differences in reporting behavior between IPV measures complicate comparisons. Our findings underscore the need to design gender-sensitive disaster relief policies, strengthen trust in reporting mechanisms and helplines, and reduce the social acceptability of IPV. |
| Keywords: | drought;domestic violence;intimate partner violence;Agriculture |
| JEL: | I15 J16 D13 Q54 |
| Date: | 2025–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:idb:brikps:13943 |
| By: | Jérôme Faure (CEBC - Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé - UMR 7372 - ULR - La Rochelle Université - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement); Esther Devilliers (BETA - Bureau d'Économie Théorique et Appliquée - AgroParisTech - UNISTRA - Université de Strasbourg - Université de Haute-Alsace (UHA) - Université de Haute-Alsace (UHA) Mulhouse - Colmar - UL - Université de Lorraine - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement) |
| Abstract: | This article examines how integrating nature-based solutions into agricultural strategies can address the inefficient use of polluting technological solutions. A theoretical microeconomic model, based on subjective expected utility, is developed and empirically tested on rapeseed cultivation. The study highlights the overuse of polluting technological solutions and the underuse of nature-based solutions, driven by inaccurate perceptions of input productivity. The article provides recommendations for public policies aimed at correcting these perceptions and optimizing the use of inputs by balancing the cost-effectiveness of interventions for both nature-based and polluting technological solutions. The findings suggest that policies focused on correcting misperceptions about polluting technological solutions are more effective than those focused on nature-based solutions. |
| Keywords: | Input efficiency, Perception, Ecosystem service, Nature-based solutions, Subjective expected utility |
| Date: | 2023–08–29 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04869177 |
| By: | Ambler, Kate; Cook, Elizabeth A.J.; Hoffmann, Vivian; Kiarie, Alice; Otoigo, Lilian; Wagner, Julia |
| Abstract: | Adherence to strict hygiene standards in slaughterhouses is critical for ensuring food safety and protecting workers from zoonotic disease. The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) conducted a study to evaluate the impact of low-cost interventions on hygiene practices in slaughterhouses in western Kenya. |
| Keywords: | capacity building; abattoirs; meat hygiene; food safety; contamination; Africa; Sub-Saharan Africa; Eastern Africa; Kenya |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:prnote:168522 |
| By: | Roberto Esposti (Department of Economics and Social Sciences, Universita' Politecnica delle Marche (UNIVPM)) |
| Abstract: | This paper deals with the response of farmers to targeted policy measures. The research question consists of whether and to what extent this response, upon voluntary adoption and eventually driven by private motivations, also generates the outcome of societal interest. Challenges posed by these policies are multiple since they may admit a staggered adoption with often very few, at least initially, treated units. In order to deal with these challenges, the paper adopts a Synthetic Difference-in- Differences approach. Within this causal inference logic, an appropriate theoretical framework is elaborated to model farmers’ behavioural response to the policy distinguishing between the private and societal outcomes. This approach is applied to a balanced sample of Italian farms and to some selected measures of the second pillar of the EU Common Agricultural Policy over the period 2014-2022. Results point to the identification and estimation issues emerging when the entry into the treatment is staggered and treated units are few and heterogeneous. For some policy measures the estimated treatment effect is significant for the private outcome while it seems weaker and more volatile for the societal outcome. |
| Keywords: | Rural Development Policy, Common Agricultural Policy, Farmers' Decision-Making, Staggered Treatments, Synthetic Difference-inDifferences. |
| JEL: | C21 Q12 Q18 |
| Date: | 2025–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:anc:wpaper:494 |
| By: | Ndegwa, Michael K.; Shee, Apurba; Ward, Patrick S.; Liu, Yanyan; Turvey, Calum G.; You, Liangzhi |
| Abstract: | We use a multiyear, multi-arm randomized controlled trial implemented among 1, 053 smallholders in Kenya to evaluate ex-ante investment and ex-post productivity and welfare benefits of two competing lending models: risk-contingent credit (RCC)—which embeds crop insurance with a loan product—and traditional credit (TC). We rely on local average treatment effects to demonstrate the effects of these alternative credit products on borrowers but report the intention-to-treat effects for their broader policy significance. Uptake of RCC increased treated households’ farm investments—specifically, adoption of chemical fertilizers—by up to 14 percent along the extensive margins and by more than 100 percent along the intensive margins, while TC’s effects were less in both magnitude and statistical significance. Neither type of credit product had a significant effect on the overall area cultivated under maize, hence enhancing agricultural intensification but not extensification. Ex-post, neither type of credit product had a strong direct effect on households’ productivity. We conclude that access to credit has potential to increase investment and productivity among smallholders, although improved productivity needs better measurement and extended intervention to be realized. To scale the potential effects of credit, derisking access to credit should be considered to expand access to credit. |
| Keywords: | credit; productivity; investment; smallholders; welfare; risk; Africa; Eastern Africa; Sub-Saharan Africa; Kenya |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:2303 |
| By: | Moh. Hairus Zaman; Diah Wahyuningsih; Ris Yuwono Yudo Nugroho |
| Abstract: | Price uncertainty in food commodities can create uncertainty for farmers and potentially negatively impact the level of farmer household well-being. On the other hand, the agriculture sector in the province of East Java has greatly contributed to East Java's economy. This paper analyses the response of farmer welfare through farmer exchange values amidst fluctuation shock of food needed prices and inflation level in the east java province. The research method of this paper employs the impulse response function of the Bayesian Vector Autoregressive (BVAR) model by using time series secondary data from May 2017 until December 2023. This paper finds that the shock that happens to aggregate food prices can increase farmer exchange values even though the shock to the inflation level has reduced farmer exchange values and increased aggregate food prices. |
| Date: | 2025–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2501.08601 |
| By: | Maurer, Moritz |
| Abstract: | This article reviews the body of research on alternative food and agriculture networks (AFNs). Consistent with previous reviews on the subject, it concludes that the assumed advantages of AFNs require more rigorous verification. However, this review goes further by arguing that the proclaimed experimental appeal of AFNs is not taken seriously enough. It identifies three narratives that overly constrain what AFN researchers consider to be valuable AFN experiments: Alienation-Reembedding, Corporatization-Democratization, and Technologization-Detechnologization. Weaknesses in these narratives highlight missed opportunities to enhance variance in AFN experiments, which could generate much-needed insights for advancing sustainable food production. |
| Date: | 2025–01–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:osfxxx:u2tyv |
| By: | Bell, Clive |
| Abstract: | This paper recounts an early attempt to promote the adoption of high-yielding varieties (HYVs) of rice and wheat by small farmers. The instrument was a package not only of inputs, extension advice and supervision, but also – addressing risk aversion – a guaranteed net revenue. The scheme was implemented by the newly-created Small Farmers’ Development Agency, a parastatal body. The paper examines how and why the scheme failed, and analyses the data yielded by the trials. The chief causes of its failure were a lack of incentives within the public sector and the Agency’s weakness within the larger administrative system. Despite all manner of difficulties, the participants in the trials obtained levels of valued added per acre thrice those of their contemporaries cultivating local varieties and crop yields from two-thirds to four-fifths of those achieved by their grand children’s cohort circa 2020. |
| Keywords: | high-yielding varieties; credit-insurance scheme; Small Farmers Development Agency; Bihar |
| Date: | 2025–01–21 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:awi:wpaper:0761 |
| By: | Kirui, Oliver K.; Siddig, Khalid; Fisher, Monica; Cavicchioli, Martina; Chamberlin, Jordan |
| Abstract: | The current conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan, which began in April 2023, has had a profound impact on the nation’s micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME). Such enterprises are a vital part of the country’s economy and important to the food security of many Sudanese households. All MSMEs, including those in the agrifood sector, have faced severe disruptions due to the instability, rising inflation, and supply chain breakdowns brought on by the conflict. These challenges have destabilized MSMEs, affecting their financial viability, operations, and capacity to support local food security and provide employment. Agrifood MSMEs, in particular, serve as critical intermediaries between large firms and smallholders, supporting local economies and national food systems.2 The conflict has disrupted every aspect of agrifood value chains in Sudan, from input supplies and production to market accessibility. Agrifood entrepreneurs—especially women—have borne some of the heaviest impacts. Female entrepreneurs already face significant gender-based barriers in operating successful businesses, such as more limited access to finance, restrictive social norms, and mobility constraints. In this period of conflict, they now confront even greater challenges. |
| Keywords: | enterprises; conflicts; food security; food supply chains; economics; gender; Africa; Northern Africa; Sudan |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:sssppn:9 |
| By: | Eyal G. Frank; Maximilian Auffhammer; David McLaughlin; Elisheba Spiller; David L. Sunding |
| Abstract: | Protecting species’ habitats is the main policy tool employed across the globe to reduce biodiversity losses. These protections are hypothesized to conflict with private landowners’ interests. We study the economic consequences of the most extensive and controversial piece of such environmental legislation in US history—the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973. We assemble the most comprehensive data on species conservation efforts, land transactions, and building permits to date. By comparing parcels with identical histories of protections we show that, on average, the ESA shifts transactions from inside to outside of the protected area and leads to a slight appreciation in residential and vacant land values outside of critical habitats. We also show that the federal regulator determines borders for areas with the most stringent protections to avoid large effects on land values, only where it is explicitly allowed to take economic criteria into account. These average findings mask significant heterogeneity at the species and location level, which we document. Furthermore, we find no evidence of the ESA affecting building activity as measured by construction permits. Overall, even taking into account species-level heterogeneity, the number of possibly negatively affected parcels is extremely small. This suggests that the capitalization of the economic impacts of the ESA through the land market channel are likely minor, despite potential delays to development through permitting, for which we provide suggestive evidence. Our findings do not rule out economically significant impacts in a few highly constrained land markets with ESA protections amplified by local regulatory action. |
| JEL: | Q24 Q28 Q57 Q58 |
| Date: | 2025–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:33352 |
| By: | Stefano Giglio; Theresa Kuchler; Johannes Stroebel; Olivier Wang |
| Abstract: | We study the economic effects of the interaction of nature loss and climate change in a model that incorporates important aspects of both processes. We capture the distinct ways in which they affect economic activity—with nature constituting a key factor of production and climate change destroying parts of output—but also the ways in which they interact: climate change causes nature loss, and nature provides both a carbon sink and adaptation tools to reduce climate damages. Our analysis of these feedback loops reveals a novel amplification channel—the Twin-Crises Multiplier—that systematically affects optimal climate and nature conservation policies. |
| JEL: | G0 Q2 Q20 Q3 Q38 Q5 Q50 |
| Date: | 2025–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:33361 |
| By: | Arpita Mukherjee (Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER)); Souvik Dutta; Eshana Mukherjee; Ketaki Gaikwad; Trishali Khanna |
| Abstract: | India is one of the world's largest producers and exporters of spices, including turmeric, the 'Golden Spice of India'. Over 30 varieties of turmeric are cultivated in India across more than 20 states, of which six varieties have a geographical indication (GI) tag to safeguard and promote their uniqueness. As of 2023, India accounts for 73.40 per cent of global production and 66.56 per cent of global exports of turmeric, driven by its diverse range of end-uses, including dyes, cosmetics, food, traditional medicines (Ayurveda) and modern preventive care (nutraceuticals). The Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, launched the National Turmeric Board and has projected that turmeric exports will reach USD 1 billion by 2030. Aligned with this vision, the report outlines a roadmap to elevate India’s position in the global value chain from an exporter of raw and intermediate products to unlocking the full potential of the 'Make in India' initiative for value-added products.The report is based on secondary data and information analysis, and a primary survey of value chain partners. The report is the first of its kind to capture the entire value chain of a key spice grown in India with an aim to support the governments at the Centre and states to come up with targeted policies for value addition in the country and linking farmers and small manufacturers to global value chains. If the recommendations are implemented, it will bring in investment in manufacturing and across the value chain. The report is of value to manufacturers, their value chain partners, policymakers, researchers, and other stakeholders working towards enhancing India's standing in product-specific value chains. |
| Keywords: | turmeric, curcumin, spices, value chain, make in India, haldi |
| Date: | 2025–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:bdc:report:25-r-02 |
| By: | Paolo Crosetto (GAEL - Laboratoire d'Economie Appliquée de Grenoble - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes - Grenoble INP - Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes); Laurent Muller (GAEL - Laboratoire d'Economie Appliquée de Grenoble - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes - Grenoble INP - Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes); Bernard Ruffieux (GAEL - Laboratoire d'Economie Appliquée de Grenoble - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes - Grenoble INP - Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes) |
| Abstract: | We run an incentivized framed laboratory experiment to evaluate the interaction of labelling (Nutri-Score) and pricing policies (fat taxes and thin subsidies) on the food shopping of a sample of French consumers. Taxes and subsidies, designed to fit Nutri-Score, are differentiated according to their magnitude (large or small), and their salience (explicit or implicit). We exploit a difference-in-difference design, whereby subjects shop for real from a catalog of 290 products twice, first without any labelling nor pricing policy, and then a second time with one of five different combinations of labelling and pricing policies. Results show that: (i) when implemented alone, taxes and subsidies are less effective than labelling, especially when implicit and when small in magnitude; (ii) policies mixing pricing and labelling are strongly sub-additive; (iii) consumers would benefit from such policies in terms of expenditure at the expense of the State. |
| Keywords: | Nutritional policies, Labels, Price policy, Laboratory experiment, Nutri-Score |
| Date: | 2025–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04880070 |
| By: | Hippolyte Lion da Silva Aguiar (AGIR - AGroécologie, Innovations, teRritoires - Toulouse INP - Institut National Polytechnique (Toulouse) - UT - Université de Toulouse - INP - PURPAN - Ecole d'Ingénieurs de Purpan - Toulouse INP - Institut National Polytechnique (Toulouse) - UT - Université de Toulouse - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement) |
| Date: | 2024–07–04 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04867957 |
| By: | Henderson, Richard; Gastelle, Jesse; Caffarelli, Peter |
| Abstract: | This report provides a breakout by mode of corn, wheat, soybeans, sorghum, and barley movements to either domestic markets or U.S. ports for export between 1984 and 2022. It is the fourteenth update of an initial modal share study completed in 1992. The purpose of this series of reports is to provide the latest information about changes and trends in the relative competitiveness and efficiency among the different transportation modes in moving grain. Estimates of the tonnages (and shares) of grain railed, barged, and trucked are developed from a variety of secondary sources. This data can be used to identify trends and implications on transportation from factors, such as changes in production volumes and commodity mix, as well as changes in the relative demand for U.S. grain for domestic purposes versus export. Tables included: Tonnages of U.S. Grains Transported, by Type of Crop and Type of Movement, 2005-2022 --- Tonnages and Modal Shares for U.S. Corn, 2005–2022 --- Tonnages and Modal Shares for U.S. Wheat, 2005-2022 --- Tonnages and Modal Shares for U.S. Soybeans, 2005-2022 --- Tonnages and Modal Shares for U.S. Sorghum, 2005-2022 --- Tonnages and Modal Shares for U.S. Barley, 2005-2022. |
| Keywords: | Crop Production/Industries, International Relations/Trade, Marketing, Productivity Analysis, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods |
| Date: | 2024–09 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:uamstr:349143 |
| By: | Otoigo, Lilian; Alumasa, Lorren; Majiwa, Hamilton; Hoffmann, Vivian; Ambler, Kate; Kiarie, Alice; Cook, Elizabeth A.J. |
| Abstract: | Slaughterhouses in Western Kenya face critical challenges, including inadequate hygiene practices, poor infrastructure, insufficient water supply, and weak enforcement of regulatory standards. These deficiencies contribute to meat contamination and the transmission of zoonotic diseases such as Rift Valley Fever, brucellosis, and anthrax, as well as foodborne pathogens such as Salmonella sp. and pathogenic E.coli. Globally, foodborne illnesses result in millions of illnesses and hundreds of thousands of deaths annually, particularly among children under five. The public health and economic consequences of these risks in low and middle-income countries are significant (Havelaar et al., 2015; Jaffee et al., 2018). A qualitative study, based on interviews of key informants in the slaughter industry in Western Kenya and associated regulatory authorities, was undertaken in 2022 to document the state of slaughterhouse infrastructure and practices, explore barriers to compliance with regulatory standards, and identify practical solutions for improving conditions and enabling safer meat handling practices. This report summarizes the findings of that study and presents recommendations for interventions to improve slaughter hygiene practices. |
| Keywords: | abattoirs; meat industry; hygiene; food safety; contamination; diseases; regulations |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:prnote:168525 |
| By: | Hayah, Ichrak; Ezebuiro, Victor; Kagame, Samuel Paul; Kuja, Josiah O.; Waruhiu, Cecilia; Nesengani, Lucky Tendani; Mdyogolo, Sinebongo; Molotsi, Annelin; Abechi, Priscilla; Abushady, Asmaa M. |
| Abstract: | The African BioGenome Project (AfricaBP) is a Pan-African initiative aimed at improving food systems and biodiversity conservation through genomics while ensuring equitable data sharing and benefits. The Open Institute is the knowledge exchange platform of the AfricaBP which aims to bridge local knowledge gaps in biodiversity genomics and bioinformatics and enable infrastructural developments. In 2024, the AfricaBP Open Institute advanced this mission by organising 31 workshops that attracted more than 3500 registered attendees and trained 380 African researchers in genomics, bioinformatics, molecular biology, sample collections and biobanking, and ethics, across all five African geographical regions involving 40 African and non-African organizations. These workshops provide current understanding on the applications of biodiversity genomics and bioinformatics to the African bioeconomy as well as providing practical and hands-on training in genomics, bioinformatics, molecular biology, gene editing, and sample collection and processing. Here, we provide the current understanding of the applications of biodiversity genomics and bioinformatics to the African bioeconomy through synthetic reviews and presentations, including descriptions of 31 workshops organised as well as three fellowship programs delivered or launched by the AfricaBP Open Institute in collaboration with African and international institutions and industry partners. We review the current national bioeconomy strategies across Africa and the economic impact of sequencing African genomes locally, illustrated by a case study on the proposed 1000 Moroccan Genome Project. Finally, we provide recommendations on how African countries could integrate biodiversity genomics and bioinformatics into national economic plans and bioeconomy strategies. |
| Date: | 2025–01–16 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:osfxxx:dhcxp |
| By: | Francisco Estrada; Miguel A. Altamirano del Carmen; Oscar Calderon-Bustamante; W. J. Wouter Botzen; Serafin Martinez-Jaramillo; Stefano Battiston |
| Abstract: | The financial sector is increasingly concerned with the physical risks of climate change, but economic and financial impact representations are still developing, particularly for chronic risks. Mexico's Central Bank conducted a comprehensive assessment using a suite of global models to evaluate both physical and transition risks. We present the analysis concerning with chronic physical risks, underlining innovations such as the use of a recent integrated assessment model that enables grid-cell level analysis and differentiates urban and non-urban areas, capturing the local effects of climate change more accurately. The model includes multiple damage functions and a probabilistic climate model for encompassing analyses and detailed economic impact insights. Under the Current Policies scenario, economic losses could exceed 35 percent of Mexico's GDP by 2100. Accounting for the urban heat island effect, losses could surpass 20 trillion (USD) in present value, over ten times Mexico's 2024 GDP. However, implementing a scenario aligned with the Paris Agreement significantly reduces these losses, showcasing the benefits of international mitigation efforts, though substantial residual impacts persist. This study emphasizes integrating chronic physical risks into financial evaluations, proposing new approaches, metrics, and methods that exploit detailed, spatially explicit measures to improve risk and loss estimation and facilitate communication. |
| Date: | 2024–11 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2411.18834 |
| By: | Leonardo Marques (Audencia Business School); Alice Erthal (FDC - Fundação Dom Cabral [Brasil] = Dom Cabral Foundation [Brazil]); Andrew Crane (University of Bath [Bath]) |
| Abstract: | To conceptualise the labour supply chain and its relationship with product supply chains. In doing so, we call for research that follows the flow of labour to advance the field of Operations and Supply Chain Management (OSCM) towards decent work in supply chains. A real-time case study of modern slavery in the wine, apple and poultry supply chains in Southern Brazil with interviews including workers, farmers, and a multitude of stakeholders. By following the flow of labour, we uncover how temporary workers are used to manage product seasonality, and the role of hidden actors such as labour providers and charities. We show that different product supply chains tend to mimic each other and share the same pool of temporary workers to ensure flexibility at low cost, while exploiting workers. For decades the OSCM field has used frameworks that follow the product to improve efficiency and traceability. Yet, labour flows across product supply chains remain untraceable. Our research calls for a dynamic perspective on labour to set the basis for an emerging research agenda on the interplay of product and labour flows in supply chains to advance decent work. |
| Keywords: | Labour supply chain, Decent work, Modern slavery, Traceability, Flexibility |
| Date: | 2024–12–12 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04858090 |
| By: | Joseph Ikechukwu Uduji (University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria); Nduka Vitalis Elda Okolo-Obasi (University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria); Joy Ukamaka Uduji (udujijoyukamaka@gmail.com) |
| Abstract: | Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the multinational oil companies’ (MOCs) corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives in Nigeria. Its special focus is to investigate the impact of the global memorandum of understanding (GMoU) on gender in the facets of palm oil value chain in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach – This paper adopts an explanatory research design using both descriptive and inferential statistics to answer the four research questions. We generated cross-sectional primary data from a sample of 1200 women selected from the nine states of Niger Delta region using multiple sampling techniques. Findings - Results from the estimation of a logit model and use of propensity score matching to determine the mean difference between variables in the treatment and control show that significant efforts have been made by the MOCs’ through their CSR in the areas that will help the women compete favourably in the oil palm value chain. Research limitations/implications – This study implies that MOCs’ CSR interventions that enhanced women acquisition of improved mechanised meals, accompanied by awareness creation and demonstration of value of improved processing technologies and practices to female processors will lift many women out of poverty in the Niger Delta. Social implications – This implies that fostering gender access to credit through GMoU interventions will improve extraction efficiency of female primary processors and enhance linkages between women producers/processors and large mills in palm oil value chain deliveries in the Niger Delta. Originality/value – This research contributes to gender debate in the agricultural value chain from a CSR perspective in developing countries and rationale for demand for social projects by host communities. It concludes that business has an obligation to help in solving problems of public concern. |
| Keywords: | Gender dynamics, palm oil value chain, corporate social responsibility, multinational oil companies, sub-Saharan Africa |
| Date: | 2024–01–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:aak:wpaper:24/012 |
| By: | Mockshell, Jonathan; Nwagboso, Chibuzo; Asante-Addo, Collins; Ritter, Thea; Zambrano, Patricia; Amare, Mulubrhan; Andam, Kwaw S. |
| Abstract: | Policymakers are increasingly considering the promise of modern biotechnology, including genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to help solve development problems in health, agriculture, and other fields (Zambrano et al., 2022). However, debates persist around health and environmental implications (National Academies of Sciences, 2016; Raman, 2017; Smyth et al., 2021). The regulation of GMOs varies globally, with some countries implementing outright bans or imposing stringent controls (Sarkar et al., 2021; Yali, 2022). A recent study examines the Nigerian policy environment for Pod Borer Resistant (PBR) cowpea, which has been genetically engineered to resist the legume pod borer (Maruca vitrata) [Mockshell et al., (unpublished)]. Legume pod borers significantly reduce cowpea yield and quality, with losses of up to 80% reported (Andam et al., 2024; Mockshell et al., 2024). This policy note summarizes the findings of the paper, providing insights to guide policy development around the adoption of biotech food crops in Nigeria and other countries in Africa South of the Sahara (SSA). The primary research question is: Is there an enabling policy environment for PBR cowpea and what factors contribute to it? |
| Keywords: | NIGERIA; WEST AFRICA; AFRICA SOUTH OF SAHARA; AFRICA; policies; biotechnology; health; agriculture; genetically modified organisms; cowpeas; boring organisms |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:nssppn:57 |
| By: | Otoigo, Lilian; Jasada, Ijudai; Hoffmann, Vivian; Ambler, Kate; Kiarie, Alice; Cook, Elizabeth A.J. |
| Abstract: | The intervention implemented evaluated through the Improving Hygiene Practices in Slaughterhouses in Western Kenya study (Ambler, et al., 2024) aimed to address poor hygiene practices in slaughterhouses, which contribute to foodborne illnesses and unsafe meat. Conducted in 140 slaughterhouses across 6 counties in Western Kenya, the intervention focused on training workers, provision of basic hygiene equipment, and the use of monetary incentives to improve compliance with recommended hygiene practices. After the intervention period, key informant interviews (KIIs) were conducted with stakeholders including six County Directors of Veterinary Services (CDVSs), nine sub-county veterinary Officers (SCVOs), one Public Health Officer (PHO), and ten meat inspectors (MIs). This report summarizes findings from the KIIs regarding perspectives on the intervention, sustainability, challenges with implementation, and provides a basis for recommendations on refining and scaling up or this approach. |
| Keywords: | capacity building; stakeholders; abattoirs; meat hygiene; food hygiene; Africa; Sub-Saharan Africa; Eastern Africa; Kenya |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:prnote:168518 |
| By: | Anwesha Bandopadhyay; Prof. Sourav Bikash Borah; Prof. Soumya Mukhopadhyay; Prof. Tanvi Gupta |
| Abstract: | Cruelty-free practices involve avoidance of animal harm during production. While adopting cruelty-free practices by firms is important for sustainability, overcoming consumer indifference towards cruelty-free products is challenging. Through six studies, we show that consumer speciesism (devaluation of other species) moderates the effect of cruelty-free practices on product evaluation. Cruelty-free practices increase purchase intention among low speciesism but not among high speciesism consumers, mediated by perceived brand moral agency. The study examines how cruelty-free brands can create a win-win strategy that benefits the firm and the environment by using anthropomorphized animals in brand communications to attenuate the unfavorable effect of speciesism. |
| Date: | 2025–01–29 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iim:iimawp:14721 |
| By: | Allen IV, James |
| Abstract: | This report summarizes ongoing analysis of overlap between school and farming calendars in Madagascar in collaboration with the World Bank office in Madagascar. Following IFPRI Discussion Paper 2235 (Allen 2024), I develop a community-based measure of overlap as the number of days that the school calendar overlaps with crop calendars that weights the relevance of each crop by the community crop share and then aggregates across crops. A policy simulation of alternative school calendars identifies early January as the best time to start Madagascar's national school calendar (assuming the same structure as the actual school calendar) to avoid overlap with peak farming periods. Further, it finds additional gains can be made to reducing overlap by decentralizing school calendars to the local level and adopting each community's overlap-minimizing calendar. Next steps in 2025 include an empirical analysis that estimates the correlation between overlap and key education outcomes that simulates the potential gains of a locally decentralized overlap-minimizing school calendar. |
| Keywords: | crop calendar; farming systems; policies; schools; Madagascar; Africa; Eastern Africa; Southern Africa |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:othbrf:163428 |
| By: | Manzke, Leonie (Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg); O'Sullivan, Kevin; Tiefenbeck, Verena |
| Abstract: | Food choices profoundly impact population health and the environment. Related research often relies on self-reported data, which is prone to biases, compromising the accuracy and validity of conclusions about consumer behavior. There are few systematic validations of self-reported data with behavioral data, or examinations of predictors for their accuracy. Consequently, this study compares self-reported with observed food choices, by having participants (N = 290) complete a shopping task in a simulated online grocery store, followed immediately by shopping self-reports and a survey, therefore minimizing recall-related distortions to self-reports due to time delays. Nevertheless, on average, participants had reporting errors in 3.81 out of 29 categories, with accuracy as low as a mean of 44 % for categories with no cues provided. Reporting accuracy significantly increased to 78 % with image-based memory aids for specific product categories (e.g., apples), and to 89 % with text-based memory aids for general categories (e.g., vegetables). Contrary to expectations related to social desirability bias, processed foods, often perceived as unhealthy, were overreported. Regression analysis revealed mental load during shopping, deliberation time per item, and health-related identity as significant predictors of self-report accuracy, with mental load also predicting the accuracy of participants' estimates of the proportion of organic products in their shopping basket. Our findings show that even in conditions that minimize social desirability and recall limitations, substantial self-reporting errors persist. Accounting for mental load and product-specific biases is therefore necessary to enhance the validity of self-reports in food choice research. |
| Date: | 2025–01–15 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:osfxxx:bn6tg |