Minnesota Agricultural Economist 701

International Relations/Trade,

Impacts of Rising Food Prices on Poverty and Welfare in Vietnam

In 2007 and 2008, international prices of rice and other grains sharply increased, raising fears that poor households in developing countries would become poorer. Yet, these fears often ignored that many of these poor households were food producers. This study examines the impact of rising food prices on welfare in Vietnam. Our results show that, overall, higher food prices raised the average Vietnamese household’s welfare. However, higher food prices made most households worse off. Average welfare was found to increase because the average welfare loss of households whose welfare declined (net purchasers) was smaller than the average welfare gain of those whose welfare increased (net sellers).food prices, poverty, rice prices, Vietnam, welfare, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Food Security and Poverty,

Economic mobility in Vietnam in the 1990s

Vietnam's high economic growth in the 1990s led to sharp reductions in poverty, yet over the same time period inequality increased. This increased inequality may be less worrisome if Vietnamese households experience a high degree of income mobility over time. This is because high mobility implies that the long-run distribution of income is more equally distributed than the short-run distribution, since some individuals or households are poor in some years, while others are poor in other years. The authors examine economic mobility in Vietnam using recent household survey panel data. The problem of measurement error in the income variable, which exaggerates the degree of economic mobility, is directly addressed. Correcting for measurement error dramatically changes the results. At least one half of measured mobility is because of measurement error.Statistical&Mathematical Sciences,Roads&Highways,Economic Theory&Research,Housing&Human Habitats,Environmental Economics&Policies,Economic Theory&Research,Housing&Human Habitats,Statistical&Mathematical Sciences,Inequality,Governance Indicators

The Impact of Income Growth and Provision of Health-Care Services on Child Nutrition in Vietnam

Vietnam enjoyed rapid economic growth and a sharp reduction in child stunting in the 1990s. Economic growth can increase children's nutritional status in two ways. First, by raising household incomes, which can be used it to purchase more food, medicine and medical services. Second, by raising government revenue, which can be used to improve publicly provided medical services. This paper estimates the impact of household per capita expenditures on children's nutritional status. All the estimation methods used indicate that household income growth explains at best only part of the decrease in child stunting. The paper also examines what aspects of public and private medical services improveme child health.child nutrition and health, economic growth

Many Children Left Behind? Textbooks and Test Scores in Kenya

A randomized evaluation suggests that a program which provided official textbooks to randomly selected rural Kenyan primary schools did not increase test scores for the average student. In contrast, the previous literature suggests that textbook provision has a large impact on test scores. Disaggregating the results by students? initial academic achievement suggests a potential explanation for the lack of an overall impact. Textbooks increased scores for students with high initial academic achievement and increased the probability that the students who had made it to the selective final year of primary school would go on to secondary school. However, students with weaker academic backgrounds did not benefit from the textbooks. Many pupils could not read the textbooks, which are written in English, most students? third language. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that the Kenyan education system and curricular materials are oriented to the academically strongest students rather than to typical students. More generally, many students may be left behind in societies that combine 1) a centralized, unified education system; 2) the heterogeneity in student preparation associated with rapid expansion of education; and 3) disproportionate elite power.

Local Seed Markets and the Determinants of Crop Variety Diversity in Marginal Environments: The Case of Millet in Semi-Arid India

The purpose of the research paper is to characterize biological diversity related to millets in the semi-arid regions of India at various spatial scales of analysis (e.g., farm household versus community levels) and place that evidence in a broader seed systems (includes both formal and informal) context. An important finding of this research is that producer access to millet genetic resources is affected by the extent to which seed is traded via formal markets or through other social institutions, along with farm and household characteristics. Findings also underscore the need for an enhanced theoretical understanding of local seed markets in analyzing crop variety choices and the diversity of materials grown in less favored environments.Crop Production/Industries,