Up in Smoke? Agricultural Commercialization, Rising Food Prices and Stunting in Malawi

Diversification into high-value cash crops among smallholders has been propagated as a strategy to improve welfare in rural areas. However, the extent to which cash crop production spurs projected gains remains an under-researched question, especia...

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Main Authors: Wood, Benjamin, Nelson, Carl, Kilic, Talip, Murray, Siobhan
Format: Policy Research Working Paper
Language:English
en_US
Published: World Bank, Washington, DC 2014
Subjects:
TEA
WAR
Online Access:http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2013/10/18371657/up-smoke-agricultural-commercialization-rising-food-prices-stunting-malawi
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/16864
id okr-10986-16864
recordtype oai_dc
repository_type Digital Repository
institution_category Foreign Institution
institution Digital Repositories
building World Bank Open Knowledge Repository
collection World Bank
language English
en_US
topic AGGREGATE HOUSEHOLD INCOME
AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT
AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS
AGRICULTURAL GROWTH
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY
AGRICULTURAL SEASON
AGRICULTURAL SECTOR
AGRICULTURE
ARABLE LAND
CALORIC INTAKE
CASH CROPS
CASH-CROP
CENTRAL REGION
CHILD DEVELOPMENT
CHILD MORTALITY
CHILD NUTRITION
COVARIATE SHOCKS
CROP INCOME
CROP PRODUCTION
CURING
DISASTERS
DIVERSIFICATION
DROUGHT
ECOLOGICAL ZONES
ECONOMIC GROWTH
ECONOMIC SHOCKS
FAMILIES
FAMINE
FARM AREA
FARM HOUSEHOLDS
FARM MANAGEMENT
FARM PRODUCTION
FARMERS
FOOD AID
FOOD AVAILABILITY
FOOD COMMODITIES
FOOD CONSUMPTION
FOOD CROP
FOOD CROP PRODUCTION
FOOD CROPS
FOOD INSECURITY
FOOD MARKETS
FOOD NECESSITIES
FOOD POLICY
FOOD POLICY RESEARCH
FOOD PRICE
FOOD PRICES
FOOD PRODUCTION
FOOD SECURITY
FOOD SELF-SUFFICIENCY
FOOD STOCKS
GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS
GRAIN RESERVES
HAZARDS
HEALTH INTERVENTIONS
HEALTH OUTCOMES
HIGH POPULATION DENSITY
HOUSEHOLD INCOME
HOUSEHOLD SIZE
HOUSEHOLD SURVEY
HOUSEHOLD WELFARE
HOUSING
HUMAN CAPITAL
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
INADEQUATE FOOD
INCOME
INCOME DISTRIBUTION
INCOME GROWTH
INCOME QUINTILE
INEQUALITY
INTERNATIONAL FOOD POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTE
INTERVENTION
IRRIGATION
LAND HOLDINGS
LAND TENURE
MAIZE
MALNUTRITION
MARKET FAILURES
MARKETING
MATERNAL HEALTH
MORTALITY
NUTRITION
NUTRITION OUTCOMES
NUTRITIONAL STATUS
PEDIATRICS
PESTICIDES
POLITICAL ECONOMY
POOR
POOR SMALLHOLDERS
POVERTY ALLEVIATION
POVERTY RATE
POVERTY REDUCTION
PREGNANCY
PRESCHOOL CHILDREN
PRODUCTION FUNCTION
REGIONAL BOUNDARY
RICE
RISK FACTORS
RISK REDUCTION
RURAL
RURAL AREAS
RURAL DEVELOPMENT
RURAL INCOME
RURAL LIVELIHOODS
RURAL POOR
SAVINGS
SCHOOLING
SMALL FARMS
SMALLHOLDER AGRICULTURE
SMALLHOLDER FARMERS
SMALLHOLDER HOUSEHOLDS
SOCIAL CAPITAL
SOCIAL PROTECTION
SPATIAL DIFFERENCES
STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENT
SUBSISTENCE
SUGARCANE
SUSTAINABLE GROWTH
TARGETING
TEA
TOBACCO INDUSTRY
VEGETABLE CROPS
VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT
WAR
WATER AVAILABILITY
WELFARE IMPROVEMENTS
spellingShingle AGGREGATE HOUSEHOLD INCOME
AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT
AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS
AGRICULTURAL GROWTH
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY
AGRICULTURAL SEASON
AGRICULTURAL SECTOR
AGRICULTURE
ARABLE LAND
CALORIC INTAKE
CASH CROPS
CASH-CROP
CENTRAL REGION
CHILD DEVELOPMENT
CHILD MORTALITY
CHILD NUTRITION
COVARIATE SHOCKS
CROP INCOME
CROP PRODUCTION
CURING
DISASTERS
DIVERSIFICATION
DROUGHT
ECOLOGICAL ZONES
ECONOMIC GROWTH
ECONOMIC SHOCKS
FAMILIES
FAMINE
FARM AREA
FARM HOUSEHOLDS
FARM MANAGEMENT
FARM PRODUCTION
FARMERS
FOOD AID
FOOD AVAILABILITY
FOOD COMMODITIES
FOOD CONSUMPTION
FOOD CROP
FOOD CROP PRODUCTION
FOOD CROPS
FOOD INSECURITY
FOOD MARKETS
FOOD NECESSITIES
FOOD POLICY
FOOD POLICY RESEARCH
FOOD PRICE
FOOD PRICES
FOOD PRODUCTION
FOOD SECURITY
FOOD SELF-SUFFICIENCY
FOOD STOCKS
GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS
GRAIN RESERVES
HAZARDS
HEALTH INTERVENTIONS
HEALTH OUTCOMES
HIGH POPULATION DENSITY
HOUSEHOLD INCOME
HOUSEHOLD SIZE
HOUSEHOLD SURVEY
HOUSEHOLD WELFARE
HOUSING
HUMAN CAPITAL
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
INADEQUATE FOOD
INCOME
INCOME DISTRIBUTION
INCOME GROWTH
INCOME QUINTILE
INEQUALITY
INTERNATIONAL FOOD POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTE
INTERVENTION
IRRIGATION
LAND HOLDINGS
LAND TENURE
MAIZE
MALNUTRITION
MARKET FAILURES
MARKETING
MATERNAL HEALTH
MORTALITY
NUTRITION
NUTRITION OUTCOMES
NUTRITIONAL STATUS
PEDIATRICS
PESTICIDES
POLITICAL ECONOMY
POOR
POOR SMALLHOLDERS
POVERTY ALLEVIATION
POVERTY RATE
POVERTY REDUCTION
PREGNANCY
PRESCHOOL CHILDREN
PRODUCTION FUNCTION
REGIONAL BOUNDARY
RICE
RISK FACTORS
RISK REDUCTION
RURAL
RURAL AREAS
RURAL DEVELOPMENT
RURAL INCOME
RURAL LIVELIHOODS
RURAL POOR
SAVINGS
SCHOOLING
SMALL FARMS
SMALLHOLDER AGRICULTURE
SMALLHOLDER FARMERS
SMALLHOLDER HOUSEHOLDS
SOCIAL CAPITAL
SOCIAL PROTECTION
SPATIAL DIFFERENCES
STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENT
SUBSISTENCE
SUGARCANE
SUSTAINABLE GROWTH
TARGETING
TEA
TOBACCO INDUSTRY
VEGETABLE CROPS
VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT
WAR
WATER AVAILABILITY
WELFARE IMPROVEMENTS
Wood, Benjamin
Nelson, Carl
Kilic, Talip
Murray, Siobhan
Up in Smoke? Agricultural Commercialization, Rising Food Prices and Stunting in Malawi
geographic_facet Africa
Malawi
relation Policy Research Working Paper;No. 6650
description Diversification into high-value cash crops among smallholders has been propagated as a strategy to improve welfare in rural areas. However, the extent to which cash crop production spurs projected gains remains an under-researched question, especially in the context of market imperfections leading to non-separable production and consumption decisions, and price shocks to staple crops that might be displaced on the farm by cash crops. This study is a contribution to the long-standing debate on the links between commercialization and nutrition. It uses nationally-representative household survey data from Malawi, and estimates the effect of household adoption of an export crop, namely tobacco, on child height-for-age z-scores. Given the endogenous nature of household tobacco adoption, the analysis relies on instrumental variable regressions, and isolates the causal effect by comparing impact estimates informed by two unique samples of children that differ in their exposure to an exogenous domestic staple food price shock during the early child development window (from conception through two years of age). The analysis finds that household tobacco production in the year of or the year after child birth, combined with exposure to an exogenous domestic staple food price shock, lowers the child height-for-age z-score by 1.27, implying a 70-percent drop in z-score. The negative effect is, however, not statistically significant among children who were not exposed to the same shock. The results put emphasis on the food insecurity and malnutrition risks materializing at times of high food prices, which might have disproportionately adverse effects on uninsured cash crop producers.
format Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper
author Wood, Benjamin
Nelson, Carl
Kilic, Talip
Murray, Siobhan
author_facet Wood, Benjamin
Nelson, Carl
Kilic, Talip
Murray, Siobhan
author_sort Wood, Benjamin
title Up in Smoke? Agricultural Commercialization, Rising Food Prices and Stunting in Malawi
title_short Up in Smoke? Agricultural Commercialization, Rising Food Prices and Stunting in Malawi
title_full Up in Smoke? Agricultural Commercialization, Rising Food Prices and Stunting in Malawi
title_fullStr Up in Smoke? Agricultural Commercialization, Rising Food Prices and Stunting in Malawi
title_full_unstemmed Up in Smoke? Agricultural Commercialization, Rising Food Prices and Stunting in Malawi
title_sort up in smoke? agricultural commercialization, rising food prices and stunting in malawi
publisher World Bank, Washington, DC
publishDate 2014
url http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2013/10/18371657/up-smoke-agricultural-commercialization-rising-food-prices-stunting-malawi
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/16864
_version_ 1764434736511451136
spelling okr-10986-168642021-04-23T14:03:32Z Up in Smoke? Agricultural Commercialization, Rising Food Prices and Stunting in Malawi Wood, Benjamin Nelson, Carl Kilic, Talip Murray, Siobhan AGGREGATE HOUSEHOLD INCOME AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS AGRICULTURAL GROWTH AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY AGRICULTURAL SEASON AGRICULTURAL SECTOR AGRICULTURE ARABLE LAND CALORIC INTAKE CASH CROPS CASH-CROP CENTRAL REGION CHILD DEVELOPMENT CHILD MORTALITY CHILD NUTRITION COVARIATE SHOCKS CROP INCOME CROP PRODUCTION CURING DISASTERS DIVERSIFICATION DROUGHT ECOLOGICAL ZONES ECONOMIC GROWTH ECONOMIC SHOCKS FAMILIES FAMINE FARM AREA FARM HOUSEHOLDS FARM MANAGEMENT FARM PRODUCTION FARMERS FOOD AID FOOD AVAILABILITY FOOD COMMODITIES FOOD CONSUMPTION FOOD CROP FOOD CROP PRODUCTION FOOD CROPS FOOD INSECURITY FOOD MARKETS FOOD NECESSITIES FOOD POLICY FOOD POLICY RESEARCH FOOD PRICE FOOD PRICES FOOD PRODUCTION FOOD SECURITY FOOD SELF-SUFFICIENCY FOOD STOCKS GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS GRAIN RESERVES HAZARDS HEALTH INTERVENTIONS HEALTH OUTCOMES HIGH POPULATION DENSITY HOUSEHOLD INCOME HOUSEHOLD SIZE HOUSEHOLD SURVEY HOUSEHOLD WELFARE HOUSING HUMAN CAPITAL HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INADEQUATE FOOD INCOME INCOME DISTRIBUTION INCOME GROWTH INCOME QUINTILE INEQUALITY INTERNATIONAL FOOD POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTE INTERVENTION IRRIGATION LAND HOLDINGS LAND TENURE MAIZE MALNUTRITION MARKET FAILURES MARKETING MATERNAL HEALTH MORTALITY NUTRITION NUTRITION OUTCOMES NUTRITIONAL STATUS PEDIATRICS PESTICIDES POLITICAL ECONOMY POOR POOR SMALLHOLDERS POVERTY ALLEVIATION POVERTY RATE POVERTY REDUCTION PREGNANCY PRESCHOOL CHILDREN PRODUCTION FUNCTION REGIONAL BOUNDARY RICE RISK FACTORS RISK REDUCTION RURAL RURAL AREAS RURAL DEVELOPMENT RURAL INCOME RURAL LIVELIHOODS RURAL POOR SAVINGS SCHOOLING SMALL FARMS SMALLHOLDER AGRICULTURE SMALLHOLDER FARMERS SMALLHOLDER HOUSEHOLDS SOCIAL CAPITAL SOCIAL PROTECTION SPATIAL DIFFERENCES STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENT SUBSISTENCE SUGARCANE SUSTAINABLE GROWTH TARGETING TEA TOBACCO INDUSTRY VEGETABLE CROPS VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT WAR WATER AVAILABILITY WELFARE IMPROVEMENTS Diversification into high-value cash crops among smallholders has been propagated as a strategy to improve welfare in rural areas. However, the extent to which cash crop production spurs projected gains remains an under-researched question, especially in the context of market imperfections leading to non-separable production and consumption decisions, and price shocks to staple crops that might be displaced on the farm by cash crops. This study is a contribution to the long-standing debate on the links between commercialization and nutrition. It uses nationally-representative household survey data from Malawi, and estimates the effect of household adoption of an export crop, namely tobacco, on child height-for-age z-scores. Given the endogenous nature of household tobacco adoption, the analysis relies on instrumental variable regressions, and isolates the causal effect by comparing impact estimates informed by two unique samples of children that differ in their exposure to an exogenous domestic staple food price shock during the early child development window (from conception through two years of age). The analysis finds that household tobacco production in the year of or the year after child birth, combined with exposure to an exogenous domestic staple food price shock, lowers the child height-for-age z-score by 1.27, implying a 70-percent drop in z-score. The negative effect is, however, not statistically significant among children who were not exposed to the same shock. The results put emphasis on the food insecurity and malnutrition risks materializing at times of high food prices, which might have disproportionately adverse effects on uninsured cash crop producers. 2014-02-04T16:59:28Z 2014-02-04T16:59:28Z 2013-10 http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2013/10/18371657/up-smoke-agricultural-commercialization-rising-food-prices-stunting-malawi http://hdl.handle.net/10986/16864 English en_US Policy Research Working Paper;No. 6650 CC BY 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/ World Bank World Bank, Washington, DC Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper Publications & Research Africa Malawi