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on Agricultural Economics |
| By: | Matita, Mirriam; Zingwe, David; Dizon, Felipe Jr Fadullon |
| Abstract: | This study examines the impact of farm input subsidies, food and cash transfers, and irrigation investments on the dietary diversity, food consumption scores, and coping strategy index in Malawi. Despite the potential for synergies to address a range of vulnerabilities affecting food consumption, very few studies focus on combined program effects. The analysis employs three-waves of integrated household panel surveys for Malawi from 2013, 2016, and 2019, and uses instrumental variable Poisson and Tobit regression to address endogeneity. The findings show weak joint program participation effects, which may be due to program design or data limitations in this evaluation. Households that receive food and cash transfers showed improvements in diet diversity and the food consumption score. Input subsidies were less effective in helping households cope with food insecurity and reduced diet diversity and the food consumption score. This suggests that overreliance on agricultural input subsidies may lead to reduced variety in food consumption. Policies that are aimed at more linkages between programs should also diversity and rebalance public spending to reduce food and nutrition insecurity. |
| Date: | 2024–05–20 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:10778 |
| By: | Palmer, Charles; Groom, Ben; Sileci, Lorenzo; Langton, Steve |
| Abstract: | Biodiversity conservation in agricultural landscapes, the world's predominant land use, could involve sparing, or setting aside, agricultural land from production, implying biodiversity–food trade‐offs. Employing bird species and agricultural data in two panel data sets, we evaluate the extent of set‐aside's trade‐offs in England between 1992 and 2007. Mixed biodiversity outcomes are reflected in a marginal effect, of a 100 ha increase in set‐aside, associated with a 1%–2% increase in species abundance and richness, no impact on Shannon‐Wiener diversity, and a 0.03 standard deviation fall in phylogenetic diversity. Lower phylogenetic diversity indicates that populations of less genetically distinct bird species appear when set‐aside increases. These effects are discontinuous for abundance and richness, and larger in the long run than in the short run for richness and phylogenetic diversity. Set‐aside led, on average, to a 7%–9% fall in cereal land. In turn, this led to an up to 2% decline in cereal output. A yield increase of 5%–10% is likely due to the setting aside of mostly marginal land. Biodiversity–food trade‐offs in agricultural landscapes could be minimized with a carefully targeted set‐aside policy, based on clearly defined biodiversity goals, and in settings where there is still scope for intensification. |
| Keywords: | agriculture; biodiversity; food production; land sparing; set-aside |
| JEL: | Q18 Q57 R52 |
| Date: | 2025–02–09 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ehl:lserod:126254 |
| By: | Tommaso Sonno; Davide Zufacchi |
| Abstract: | Large-scale land acquisitions are a key component of agricultural foreign direct investment. In 2023 alone, nearly 6% of the world's arable land was acquired globally. This paper examines their impact on agricultural production, environmental outcomes, and local communities. To identify these effects, we exploit an exogenous increase in palm oil land acquisitions driven by the Ebola epidemic in Liberia. We find a 54% growth in production, primarily due to an expansion in cultivated hectares rather than large improvements in land productivity, accompanied by a significant rise in palm oil exports. Our results indicate that LSLAs have altered the equilibrium of palm oil production, fuelling the adoption of an extensive monoculture system oriented toward international markets. The expansion of this tradable industry generated modest positive effects on the local economy and spurred a process of structural transformation. Women transitioned from agriculture to service and sales jobs, while men shifted into manual labour positions. However, all of this came at a cost: increased deforestation, air pollution, and a decline in local land ownership. |
| Keywords: | large-scale land acquisitions, agricultural production, structural transformation |
| Date: | 2025–02–17 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cep:cepdps:dp2075 |
| By: | Egamberdiev, Bekhzod; Bobojonov, Ihtiyor; Ren, Yanjun |
| Abstract: | Although women play an important role in developing countries, they face persistent social and economic constraints limiting their inclusivity in household decision-makings. The Asian enigma, the case in which economic growth is not followed by expected improvements in nutritional outcomes, states that women’s low social status is to blame. This paper sheds some light on the issue by studying the linkages between the Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) and food security indicators in Tajikistan by using population-based survey in Tajikistan with 2000 households. We apply a latent class approach to represent the relationship between the most disempowering domains and nutritional or food security outcomes. Accordingly, women’s empowerment in the purchase, sale, or transfer of assets has a positive association with improved diet diversity of children. As for food security outcomes, higher women’s empowerment in autonomy in production has a relationship with improved household hunger. Findings clearly indicate that group membership is one of the most promising areas for policy intervention. Precisely, group membership-based women’s empowerment is associated with better diet diversity, decreased number of stunted children and improved household hunger. Considering findings for nutritional outcomes, women’s empowerment and different anthropometric measures have messages for further policy formulations to enhance nutrition-sensitive approaches. |
| Keywords: | Women’s empowerment, food security, latent analysis, hunger |
| JEL: | Q18 O13 P36 E21 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:esprep:312281 |
| By: | Luetkemeier, Robert; Awad, Ahmad |
| Abstract: | Freshwater resources are vital for environmental health and human societies. Understanding their current status and future trends is critical for developing sustainable solutions. This study examines water quantity and quality on global and regional scales, with a specific focus on Germany. To assess water quantity, data from the Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project (ISIMIP) was analyzed, providing insights into past, present, and future conditions. Water availability data and simulations of water withdrawals, incorporating socio-economic drivers, were used to estimate current and future water stress levels. For water quality, indicators from the Sustainable Development Goals Monitoring program and data from the Water Framework Directive were analyzed. The findings highlight uncertainties in assessing water stress and predicting future changes due to limited observational data and socio-economic variability. Models suggest declines in renewable water resources in arid and temperate regions, with possible increases in high-altitude and monsoon areas. While global water stress is expected to rise, reduced withdrawals in Germany may lead to lower stress levels. However, climate change-induced events like droughts and floods remain significant concerns. Water quality challenges show regional disparities. Globally, only 56% of water bodies meet good quality standards, with developed regions outperforming developing areas such as Sub-Saharan Africa and Central Asia in wastewater treatment. In Germany, despite advances in pollution control, water bodies face pressures from chemical pollutants, nutrient loads, and legacy contaminants like mercury. Only 9% of surface water bodies meet good ecological and chemical standards, and groundwater is compromised by nitrate and pesticide contamination, posing risks to drinking water and ecosystems. In conclusion, integrated and adaptive water management strategies are urgently needed to address the impacts of climate change, socio-economic developments, and pollution. Enhancing data quality and availability, especially in underrepresented regions, is essential for reliable projections and informed policy-making. Collaboration among stakeholders, governments, and technological innovations is critical for achieving sustainable water resource management for future generations. |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:efisdi:312419 |
| By: | Steve Penson; Mathijs Lomme; Zacharey Austin Carmichael; Manni, Alemu; Shrestha, Sudeep; Bo Pieter Johannes Andree |
| Abstract: | The Republic of Yemen is enduring the world's most severe protracted humanitarian crisis, compounded by conflict, economic collapse, and natural disasters. Current food insecurity assessments rely on expert evaluation of evidence with limited temporal frequency and foresight. This paper introduces a data-driven methodology for the early detection and diagnosis of food security emergencies. The approach optimizes for simplicity and transparency, and pairs quantitative indicators with data-driven optimal thresholds to generate early warnings of impending food security emergencies. Historical validation demonstrates that warnings can be reliably issued before sharp deterioration in food security occurs, using only a few critical indicators that capture inflation, conflict, and agricultural productivity shocks. These indicators signal deterioration most accurately at five months of lead time. The paper concludes that simple data-driven approaches show a strong capability to generate reliable food security warnings in Yemen, highlighting their potential to complement existing assessments and enhance lead time for effective intervention. |
| Date: | 2024–05–09 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:10768 |
| By: | Jacob Moscona; Karthik A. Sastry |
| Abstract: | An influential explanation for global productivity differences is that frontier technologies are adapted to the high-income countries that develop them and "inappropriate" elsewhere. We study this hypothesis in agriculture using data on novel plant varieties, patents, output, and the global range of crop pests and pathogens. Innovation focuses on the environmental conditions of technology leaders, and ecological mismatch with these markets reduces technology transfer and production. Combined with a model, our estimates imply that inappropriate technology explains 15-20% of cross-country agricultural productivity differences and re-shapes the potential consequences of innovation policy, the rise of new technology leaders, and environmental change. |
| JEL: | O3 O33 O4 O44 Q16 Q56 Q57 |
| Date: | 2025–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:33500 |
| By: | Ghose, Devaki; Pinheiro Fraga, Eduardo; Fernandes, Ana Margarida |
| Abstract: | This paper quantifies the value of fertilizer for agricultural production and trade in a developing economy where agriculture is centrally important by using an unprecedented natural experiment whereby the government of Sri Lanka imposed an abrupt and unexpected ban on the imports of all chemical fertilizers in May 2021. The analysis combines novel high-frequency firm-level trade data, detailed agricultural ground production data, crop yield estimates from state-of-the-art remote sensing techniques, an d dynamic event study designs. The findings show that the fertilizer ban led to dramatic declines in agricultural production, fertilizer imports, and exports of fertilizer-dependent crops. Using a quantitative trade model, the paper finds that the ban’s welfare effects were equivalent to a 1.5 percent income reduction on average, with losses disproportionately concentrated on landowners (whose income is tied to agriculture) relative to workers and on regions specialized in the cultivation of relatively fertilizer-intensive crops. The findings quantify the equilibrium value of fertilizer in agriculture, an important estimate for any fertilizer-related policy (such as fertilizer subsidies) and for the public debate on the costs and benefits of environmental regulation more generally. |
| Date: | 2023–12–12 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:10642 |
| By: | Adewopo, Julius Babatunde; Andree, Bo Pieter Johannes; Peter, Helen; Solano-Hermosilla, Gloria; Micale, Fabio |
| Abstract: | High-frequency monitoring of food commodity prices is important for assessing and responding to shocks, especially in fragile contexts where timely and targeted interventions for food security are critical. However, national price surveys are typically limited in temporal and spatial granularity. It is cost prohibitive to implement traditional data collection at frequent timescales to unravel spatiotemporal price evolution across market segments and at subnational geographic levels. Recent advancements in data innovation offer promising solutions to address the paucity of commodity price data and guide market intelligence for diverse development stakeholders. The use of artificial intelligence to estimate missing price data and a parallel effort to crowdsource commodity price data are both unlocking cost-effective opportunities to generate actionable price data. Yet, little is known about how the data from these alternative methods relate to independent ground truth data. To evaluate if these data strategies can meet the long-standing demand for real-time intelligence on food affordability, this paper analyzes open-source daily crowdsourced data (104, 931 datapoints) from a recently published data set in Nature Journal, relative to complementary ground truth sample. The paper subsequently compares these data to open-source monthly artificial intelligence–generated price data for identical commodities over a 36-month period in northern Nigeria, from 2019 to 2022. The results show that all the data sources share a high degree of comparability, with variation across commodity and market segments. Overall, the findings provide important support for leveraging these new and innovative data approaches to enable data-driven decision-making in near real time. |
| Date: | 2024–04–23 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:10758 |
| By: | Dang, Hai-Anh H.; Hallegatte, Stephane; Trinh, Trong-Anh |
| Abstract: | This paper offers an updated and comprehensive review of recent studies on the impact of climate change, particularly global warming, on poverty and inequality, paying special attention to data sources as well as empirical methods. While studies consistently find negative impacts of higher temperature on poverty across different geographical regions, with higher vulnerability especially in poorer Sub-Saharan Africa, there is inconclusive evidence on climate change impacts on inequality. Further analysis of a recently constructed global database at the subnational unit level derived from official national household income and consumption surveys shows that temperature change has larger impacts in the short term and more impacts on chronic poverty than transient poverty. The results are robust to different model specifications and measures of chronic poverty and are more pronounced for poorer countries. The findings offer relevant inputs into current efforts to fight climate change. |
| Date: | 2024–02–08 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:10697 |
| By: | Zelingher, Rotem |
| Abstract: | The Gaza Strip (GS) is facing a severe food crisis, with a significant portion of the population facing famine conditions, which has aggravated during the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. However, the region's food security challenges are not new, but rather rooted in historical, political, and socioeconomic factors that have shaped the GS's vulnerability and resilience. In this article, we examine the complex causes and consequences of chronic food insecurity in the Palestinian territories, while comparing both regions: the West Bank (WB) and GS. The article draws upon recent reports by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), as well as other sources. We also discuss the urgency of action and the potential long-term solutions to address the food security crisis, focusing on the role of the Gazan government and the international community. We argue that global efforts should aim to encourage the Gazan government to invest in social equity, prioritising food security, health, and other vital aspects, while also supporting humanitarian relief and peace-building initiatives. |
| Date: | 2024–04–09 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:socarx:7w6fz_v1 |
| By: | Wollburg, Philip Randolph; Markhof, Yannick Valentin; Bentze, Thomas Patrick; Ponzini, Giulia |
| Abstract: | Disasters affect millions of people each year and cause economic losses worth many billions of dollars globally. Reporting on disaster impacts in research, policy, and news primarily relies on macro statistics based on disaster inventories. The macro statistics suggest that a relatively small share of disaster damages accrues in Africa. This paper, instead, uses detailed survey micro-data from six African countries to quantify disaster damages in one key sector: crop agriculture. The micro-data reveals much higher damages and more people affected than the macro statistics would indicate. On average, 36 percent of the agricultural plots in the sample suffer crop losses due to adverse climatic events. In the countries and time period analyzed, these losses reduced total crop production by an average of 29 percent. Importantly, many of these losses are underreported or undetected in key disaster inventories and therefore elude macro statistics. In the case of droughts and floods, the economic losses recorded in the micro-data are $5.1 billion higher than in the macro statistics, affecting 145 million to 170 million people, more than four times as many as the macro statistics suggest. The difference stems mostly from smaller and less severe but frequent adverse events that are not recorded in disaster inventories. |
| Date: | 2024–01–09 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:10660 |
| By: | World Bank |
| Abstract: | The environment has long been the foundation of human flourishing, but its continued degradation is threatening to reverse recent development gains, especially in human health. This paper analyzes the possible complementarity between natural and human capital by linking high-resolution deforestation data with health outcomes for 0.7 million children across 46 countries. Forest loss is often a consequence of economic activities that may confer market and other benefits. At the same time, it can adversely affect the provision of forest ecosystem services and reduce the associated socioeconomic and environmental benefits for rural communities. The net effect is thus ambiguous. The paper focuses on the hydrological services provided by forests and exploits quasi-random variation in deforestation upstream to assess the impacts on waterborne disease outcomes for rural households downstream. The results not only indicate increases in diarrheal disease incidence among children under 5 years old, but also offer new evidence of early-life exposure to deforestation on childhood stunting, a well-known indicator of later-life productivity. A case study for Peru shows similar results for diarrheal disease, but a weaker effect of forest loss on stunting. The paper concludes that maintaining natural capital has the potential to generate meaningful improvements in long-run human capital. |
| Date: | 2023–11–27 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:10617 |
| By: | Sánchez, Laura Jimena; Del Valle Coa Tiapa, Zunielys; Cantú, Diana Karen Contreras; Rodríguez, Paulina Cañedo; Dextre, Raissa Zurelly Caque; Palencia-Sánchez, Francisco (Pontificia Universidad Javeriana) |
| Abstract: | The objective of this policy brief was to propose a comprehensive strategy together with the food bank of Bogota to reach the food services of the organizations enrolled in the program "Juégatela por la nutrición integral" to regulate the supply of unhealthy foods, replacing them with more nutritious and healthy options, this by controlling the delivery and distribution of healthy foods by the food bank. To meet this objective, we reviewed the current regulations in Colombia, compared with international policies in countries such as Perú, Chile, and México; and made a detailed analysis of the beneficiary population through the current databases of the food bank of Bogotá. In conclusion, a viable proposal was obtained, which will later be implemented throughout the national territory by regulating the sale of unhealthy food in school stores, to take this strategy to an international scale, since the implementation of this strategy would not only promote healthier eating among beneficiaries but would also lay the foundations for a culture of self-care and wellness. |
| Date: | 2024–05–11 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:socarx:aqtj4_v1 |
| By: | Gascoigne, Jon; Baquie, Sandra; Vinha, Katja Pauliina; Skoufias, Emmanuel; Calcutt, Evie Isabel Neall; Kshirsagar, Varun Sridhar; Meenan, Conor; Hill, Ruth |
| Abstract: | This paper quantifies the impact of drought on household consumption for five main agroecological zones in Africa, developing vulnerability (or damage) functions of the relationship between rainfall deficits and poverty. Damage functions are a key element in models that quantify the risk of extreme weather and the impacts of climate change. Although these functions are commonly estimated for storm or flood damages to buildings, they are less often available for income losses from droughts. The paper takes a regional approach to the analysis, developing standardized hazard definitions and methods for matching hazard and household data, allowing survey data from close to 100, 000 households to be used in the analysis. The damage functions are used to quantify the impact of historical weather conditions on poverty for eight countries, highlighting the risk to poverty outcomes that weather variability causes. National poverty rates are 1–12 percent higher, depending on the country, under the worst weather conditions relative to the best conditions observed in the past 13 years. This amounts to an increase in the total poverty gap that ranges from US$4 million to US$2.4 billion (2011 purchasing power parity). |
| Date: | 2024–01–29 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:10683 |
| By: | Feriga, Moustafa Amgad Moustafa Ahmed Moustafa; Lozano Gracia, Nancy; Serneels, Pieter Maria |
| Abstract: | What is the impact of climate change on labor Reviewing the evidence, this paper finds five areas of potential impact. Climate change may have an immediate effect on labor demand, labor supply and time allocation, on-the-job productivity, and income and vulnerability among the self-employed. In the medium term, climate change may lead to a reallocation of labor across economic activities and across space. Impact estimates typically rely on fixed effect estimation. These estimates require care when interpreted as they typically reflect the short-term direct impact of past events and abstract from potential adaptation. The paper discusses emerging work trying to address this, analyzing the responses by firms, farms, households, and workers. Together, the existing evidence points toward six potential areas of government response. Potential labor policies include green jobs, green skills, labor-oriented adaptation, flexible work regulation, labor market integration, and social protection. The paper concludes by setting out avenues for future research in this field. |
| Date: | 2024–01–24 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:10682 |
| By: | Goicoechea, Ana; Lang, Megan Elizabeth |
| Abstract: | Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) face a disproportionate burden from climate change, potentially threatening the operations and profitability of firms. Simultaneously, firms in LMICs may contribute to climate change through the emissions associated with production. This paper synthesizes the empirical evidence on the links between climate change and firms in LMICs. It identifies three major gaps: poor geographic coverage, little discussion of how market failures interact with climate change in ways that constrain firm decisions, and an overall greater focus on policies for mitigation than adaptation. |
| Date: | 2023–12–13 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:10644 |
| By: | Siekmans, Kendra; Fracassi, Patrizia; Kato, Tomoko; Seow, Ti Kian; Carter, Diana; Horton, Susan E.; Dizon, Felipe Jr Fadullon; Shibata Okamura, Kyoko |
| Abstract: | Understanding the economic costs attributable to unhealthy diets is crucial to inform health and agrifood investments in low- and middle-income countries experiencing nutrition transition. To review the current evidence on the association between diet quality and economic costs in low- and middle-income countries, this paper first conducted a literature search to identify studies that include a dietary exposure, nutrition, or health outcome, and a cost estimate. Given the limited studies in terms of life stage groups represented, a second search was conducted for systematic reviews and meta-analyses of observational studies, with effect size estimates for the risk of nutrition or health outcomes associated with diet quality. Of 21 studies (search 1), most were based on the Global Burden of Disease model and estimated the fraction of diet-related noncommunicable disease outcomes attributable to individual or groups of dietary risk factors. The search found 82 systematic reviews and meta-analyses (search 2) that estimated the burden of malnutrition associated with dietary risk factors. Low dietary diversity was associated with increased risk of undernutrition and anemia in pregnant women and children. Dairy consumption was protective for low birthweight, child obesity, and diabetes and hypertension. Low animal source food intake increased the risk of anemia and zinc deficiency during pregnancy. Unhealthy food consumption, including ultra-processed foods and sugar-sweetened beverages, increased the risk of overweight/obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. Healthy dietary patterns were protective during pregnancy for maternal and birth outcomes, and for diabetes and hypertension in adults. The results highlight gaps in quantifying the contribution of diet quality to multiple forms of malnutrition and noncommunicable diseases. |
| Date: | 2024–04–04 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:10747 |
| By: | Bedi, Tara Sylvia; Buehren, Niklas; Goldstein, Markus P.; Ketema, Tigist Assefa |
| Abstract: | Does it matter whether poverty reduction programs target the female or male spouse A randomized controllled trial in Ethiopia is used to study the differential impacts of easing information and financial constraints on agricultural productivity and household welfare, using data from 1, 214 households in two regions of Ethiopia. The program targeted the husband, the wife, or both in a married household. The results indicate that the targeted spouse determines the type and channel of impacts. Targeting both spouses increased agricultural productivity in the short run and the monetary value of small ruminants and poultry in the long run, with a marginal positive impact on nonfood expenditure. Targeting only the female spouse resulted in increased business income from businesses with female involvement. This consequently increased household use of formal savings devices. This is in line with female preferences outside agriculture and for off-farm activities, and it results in little impact on agricultural productivity, despite an increase in women’s access to extension services. Targeting only the male spouse has no impact on household savings or expenditure even though it increases men’s wage income. The results suggest that the sharing of knowledge about the intervention changed household decisions. This would explain the different outcomes when both spouses were targeted, rather than only one. |
| Date: | 2023–12–18 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:10651 |
| By: | Alviarez, Vanessa; Pedroni, Peter; Powell, Andrew; Quevedo Rocha, Ingri Katherine |
| Abstract: | This study investigates the disconnect between falling agricultural commodity prices and persistent food inflation by applying a Heterogeneous Vector Autoregression (VAR) model to a panel of 203 countries using data from 1961 to 2022. It analyzes the impact of global crops, fertilizer, and oil prices on domestic inflation and explores the asymmetries in the pass-through of global shocks. Results show that fertilizer price shocks significantly influence crop prices, especially maize and soybeans, while production shocks have a weaker effect. Demand-driven price changes exhibit higher pass-through to food inflation compared to supply-driven shocks, with country-specific characteristics shaping these responses. A historical decomposition reveals that global factors played a larger role in inflation during 2021, particularly for emerging economies, while advanced economies were more affected by domestic shocks. These findings highlight the importance of tailored policies to mitigate inflation in the face of global commodity price volatility. |
| JEL: | E30 E31 Q02 Q11 |
| Date: | 2025–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:idb:brikps:13986 |
| By: | Fernando Martins; João Nuno Quelhas |
| Abstract: | This paper studies the price-setting behaviour in food products, using the microdata underlying the Portuguese Consumer Price Index (CPI). We document that, on average, more than onequarter of food prices changed every month and half displayed price spells shorter than 5.3 months. Positive price changes were more frequent and had a higher magnitude than price decreases. There is a strong heterogeneity across type of industry and outlet. We find that, from 2009 to 2019, food inflation was primarily driven by the frequency of price changes rather than the magnitude, and price changes were more frequent at the producer than at the consumer level, but in a lower magnitude. Finally, we report that frequency and magnitude estimates are higher when using daily online price data, meaning that intra-month patterns in price dynamics, not captured by the official inflation statistics, are relevant. |
| JEL: | E30 E31 D40 |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ptu:wpaper:w202415 |
| By: | Wollburg, Philip Randolph; Bentze, Thomas Patrick; Kilic, Talip |
| Abstract: | Against the background of high inflation, climate shocks, and concerns about rising food insecurity, this study documents the state of economic sentiments and expectations of households in five African countries—Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Malawi, Nigeria, and Uganda—that are home to 36 percent of the Sub-Saharan African population. Leveraging nationally representative phone survey data, 57 percent of households across the five countries report that their financial situation and their country’s economic situation have worsened significantly in the past 12 months. While expectations for the future are more positive, there are marked differences across countries that suggest uneven recovery prospects and nonnegligible uncertainty about the future. Households overwhelmingly report prices to have increased considerably over the past 12 months and expect prices to increase faster, or at the same rate, over the next 12 months. Close to 54 percent of households—home to 206 million individuals—further expect that climate shocks will have adverse impacts on their finances in the next year. Economic sentiments are closely related to livelihood outcomes such as food insecurity, lack of access to staple foods, income loss, and unemployment, and sentiments about the household financial situation, country economic situation, price increases, and climate shocks are also interdependent. Households whose financial situation has worsened in the past year are consistently more pessimistic about their financial future. Food insecure households, in particular, are not only more likely to report a worsening financial situation in the recent past and pessimism about the future, but also more likely to expect to be adversely impacted by climate shocks. |
| Date: | 2023–11–13 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:10604 |
| By: | Rexer, Jonah Matthew; Sharma, Siddharth |
| Abstract: | Adapting to climate change is an increasingly urgent policy priority in lower- and middle-income countries. This systematic review summarizes the current state of the literature on adaptation to climate change, and conducts a quantitative meta-analysis of the effectiveness of climate adaptation. The meta-analysis reveals that observed adaptations offset 46 percent of climate losses on average, with firms using more effective adaptation strategies than households and farmers. The review identifies several key lessons. First, purely private adaptations to climate shocks tend to be less effective than those from public infrastructure and services, although neither by itself is generally sufficient to fully offset the effects of climate change. Second, some adaptations may reduce climate losses in the present, but in the long-run, households, firms, and farmers might be better-served by reducing their climate exposure. Third, the literature tends to focus on adaptation by households and farmers, neglecting firms. Finally, productivity losses from climate shocks may be offset if capital and labor can adjust across sectors and locations, but constraints on these reallocations have not been sufficiently studied. |
| Date: | 2024–03–21 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:10729 |
| By: | Tobón-Cuenca, Juan Pablo; De La Fuente Solari, Jacinta; Rojas, Mariana González; Ayala, Renata Cavazos; Sotelo, Saragoza Nieves Ccarhuas; Palencia-Sánchez, Francisco (Pontificia Universidad Javeriana) |
| Abstract: | Food insecurity is defined as the “impossibility of not being able to buy enough food or nutritious food for general health and well-being”. According to PAHO, this problem has evidenced an increase in the regions of Latin America and the Caribbean, which led to the fact that between 2019 and 2021 the number of hungry people in the region has increased by 13.2 million, reaching a total of 56.5 million hungry people in 2021. This situation has affected the population in general, including school children. Faced with this problem, the implementation of a single isolated public policy would not allow a definitive solution, so it must be approached from multiple aspects in order to mitigate the impact of this on society. A clear example is the measure carried out in Colombia, which consisted of a Protocol for urban and peri-urban agroecological agriculture in public spaces. In this way, a single public health measure was obtained with an environmental, population and economic impact, which can be developed to mitigate food insecurity in schoolchildren. |
| Date: | 2024–05–14 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:socarx:ftjvz_v1 |
| By: | Norris Keiller, Agnes; Van Reenen, John |
| Abstract: | Climate change is making natural disasters more frequent, yet little is known about the capacity of firms to withstand such disasters and adapt to their increased frequency. We examine this issue using the latest wave of the World Management Survey (WMS) that includes new questions on firms' climate change perceptions and adaptation behaviour. Combining this with geocoded data on natural disasters and previous WMS waves, we create a panel spanning 8, 000 firms across 33 countries and three decades that shows exposure to disasters decreases growth inputs, outputs and firm survival. More importantly, firms with structured management practices are more resilient, suffering much smaller drops in jobs and capital. To understand the mechanisms behind this resilience, we use the new WMS climate questions to show better managed firms have more accurate perceptions of climate-related risks to their businesses. Such firms are also more likely to have implemented measures to adapt to climate change both overall and in response to their perceived climate risk. Other aspects of firm organisation, such as decentralisation, also help protect against disasters, but their adaptation behaviour is not well-targeted. These results show that improving management is one way to help protect economies from climate change shocks. |
| Keywords: | climate; natural disasters; management practices; firm performance |
| JEL: | Q54 M11 L25 H10 |
| Date: | 2024–06–13 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ehl:lserod:126782 |
| By: | Matekenya, Dunstan; Mulangu, Francis Muamba; Newhouse, David Locke |
| Abstract: | Hidden hunger, or micronutrient deficiencies, is a serious public health issue affecting approximately 2 billion people worldwide. Identifying areas with high prevalence of hidden hunger is crucial for targeted interventions and effective resource allocation. However, conventional methods such as nutritional assessments and dietary surveys are expensive and time-consuming, rendering them unsustainable for developing countries. This study proposes an alternative approach to estimating the prevalence of hidden hunger at the commune level in Madagascar by combining data from the household budget survey and the Demographic and Health Survey. The study employs small area estimation techniques to borrow strength from the recent census and produce precise and accurate estimates at the lowest administrative level. The findings reveal that 17.9 percent of stunted children reside in non-poor households, highlighting the ineffectiveness of using poverty levels as a targeting tool for identifying stunted children. The findings also show that 21.3 percent of non-stunted children live in impoverished households, reinforcing Sen's argument that malnutrition is not solely a product of destitution. These findings emphasize the need for tailored food security interventions designed for specific geographical areas with clustered needs rather than employing uniform nutrition policies. The study concludes by outlining policies that are appropriate for addressing various categories of hidden hunger. |
| Date: | 2023–12–05 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:10627 |
| By: | Hai-Anh H. Dang (World Bank, GLO, IZA, Indiana University, London School of Economics and Political Science, University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City); Stephane Hallegatte (World Bank); Minh Cong Nguyen (World Bank); Trong-Anh Trinh (Centre for Health Economics, Monash Business School, Monash University) |
| Abstract: | Despite a vast body of literature documenting the harmful effects of climate change on various socio-economic outcomes, little cross-country analysis exists on the global impacts of higher temperatures on poverty and inequality. Analyzing a new global panel dataset of subnational poverty in 137 countries covering the past decade, we find that a one-degree Celsius increase in temperature leads to a 17.1% increase in poverty, employing the US$2.15 daily poverty threshold, and a 1.1% increase in the Gini inequality index. We also find negative effects of colder temperature on poverty and inequality. Yet, while poorer countries—particularly those in Sub-Saharan Africa—are more affected by climate change, household adaptation could have mitigated some adverse effects in the long run. The findings provide relevant and timely inputs for the global fight against climate change as well as the current policy debate on cost-sharing between richer and poorer countries. |
| Keywords: | Climate change, temperature, poverty, inequality, subnational data |
| JEL: | Q54 I32 O1 |
| Date: | 2025–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:mhe:chemon:2025-08 |
| By: | Laszlo Tetenyi; Karol Mazur |
| Abstract: | Governments operate agricultural input subsidy programs worldwide. Using a general equilibrium heterogeneous agent model featuring transaction costs, we quantitatively evaluate the macroeconomic consequences of such policies. Focusing on Malawi’s Farm Input Subsidy Program, we find that while this large program decreases undernutrition, it reduces welfare by exacerbating misallocation and benefiting the wealthier urban population.We show that partial equilibrium analysis leads to contrary conclusions and that halving the subsidy rate or investingin infrastructure improves outcomes. Finally, we demonstrate that the microdata from Malawi and cross-country data from Sub-Saharan Africa are consistent with the predictions of our model. |
| JEL: | O11 |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ptu:wpaper:w202422 |
| By: | Valve, Helena; D'Amato, Dalia (University of Helsinki, Finland); Hebinck, Aniek; Lazurko, Anita; de Pater, Mara; Březovská, Romana Jungwirth; Saarikoski, Heli; Laspidou, Chrysi; Keune, Hans; Ziliaskopoulos, Konstantinos |
| Abstract: | Individual actors and actor groups are vital catalysts of transformative change as they are able to initiate bottom-up interventions that nurture and protect biodiversity. This paper analyses biodiversity-focused practices across the civil, market and public spheres to identify the modes of intervention that actors in Europe utilise when they seek to fight biodiversity loss as part of their every-day work or voluntary activism. Studying how actors locate and engage with biodiversity issues allowed us to develop a typology of intervention modes and to unravel interlinkages between biodiversity governance and bottom-up action in a new manner. The seven modes of intervention identified from the rich qualitative data demonstrate how modes of biodiversity action vary in terms of the tangible issues they seek to address. Practitioners and activists locate options for change in resource management practices, production and consumption systems, market conditions, and land-use, amongst others. The findings enact a Europe in which cohesion policies, land-use pressures and power lobbies controlling resource management generate resistance and spark innovation. The aspirations to affect policymaking and biodiversity governance vary from one mode to another. The typology also grants visibility to potentially unrecognised modes and mediations along which transformative change is and might be further catalysed. The categorisation of the modes of intervention thus helps policymakers learn from and engage with innovations and niches. It also makes explicit the critical roles that some grassroots actors have adopted, as governance bodies have not done their share in fostering of transformative change. |
| Date: | 2024–05–30 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:socarx:e6vfx_v1 |
| By: | Triyana, Margaret Maggie; Turk, Andy Jiang; Hu, Yurui; Naoaj, Md Shah |
| Abstract: | There is a rapidly growing literature on the link between climate change and poverty. This study reviews the existing literature on whether the poor are more exposed to climate shocks and whether they are more adversely affected. About two-thirds of the studies in our analyzed sample find that the poor are more exposed to climate shocks than is the rest of the population and four-fifths of the studies find that the poor are more adversely affected by climate shocks than is the rest of the population. Income and human capital losses tend to be concentrated among the poor. These findings highlight the potential long-term risk of a climate-change induced poverty trap and the need for targeted interventions to protect the poor from the adverse effects of climate shocks. |
| Date: | 2024–03–29 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:10742 |
| By: | Ashish Ashok Uikey (Symbiosis International (Deemed University)); Ruturaj Baber (Christ University, Bengaluru, India); Zericho R Marak (Symbiosis International (Deemed University)) |
| Abstract: | The present study leverages the Stimulus-Organism-Behavior-Consequence (SOBC) framework to investigate how green transparency influences green brand loyalty and repurchase intention among electric vehicle consumers. Specifically, it examines the mediating roles of brand image and brand credibility in the relationships among green transparency, green brand loyalty, and repurchase intention. Data collected from 386 electric vehicle users were analyzed using Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Results reveal that green transparency positively impacts brand image and brand credibility, which subsequently enhances green brand loyalty and repurchase intention. Mediation analysis further highlights brand image and brand credibility as critical mechanisms linking green transparency to green brand loyalty. This study extends the SOBC framework to green marketing, offering theoretical and practical insights into fostering sustainable consumer behavior. By emphasizing the role of green transparency in building credible and compelling brand narratives, the findings guide marketers in cultivating consumer trust and loyalty while supporting policymakers in formulating transparency regulations for a sustainable marketplace. |
| Keywords: | Brand credibility, Brand image, Electric vehicles, Green brand loyalty, Green marketing, Green transparency, Repurchase intention |
| Date: | 2025–01–31 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04925852 |