The Tobin Tax A Review of the Evidence

The debate about the Tobin Tax, and other financial transaction taxes (FTT), gives rise to strong views both for and against. Unfortunately, little of this debate is based on the now considerable body of evidence about the impact of such taxes. This review attempts to synthesise what we know from the available theoretical and empirical literature about the impact of FTTs on volatility in financial markets. We also review the literature on how a Tobin Tax might be implemented, the amount of revenue that it might realistically produce, and the likely incidence of the tax. We conclude that, contrary to what is often assumed, a Tobin Tax is feasible and, if appropriately designed, could make a significant contribution to revenue without causing major distortions. However, it would be unlikely to reduce market volatility and could even increase it.Tobin tax, financial transaction taxes, volatility, revenue, incidence, feasibility

Market participation, innovation adoption and poverty in rural Ghana

Agricultural commercialisation via increased market participation and innovation adoption has been widely argued to reduce poverty. However, empirical evidence suggests that both of these are persistently low in developing countries. Recent analyses suggest that different types of transaction costs and social capital may influence both market access and innovation adoption decisions. This thesis investigates these two factors in agricultural commercialisation and poverty reduction. Using data from three GLSS survey rounds, Chapter 1 investigates the determinants of the decision to sell as well as the decision of how much to sell, focusing on the role of transaction costs. The empirical analysis is carried out at household level and for a specific crop (maize). A Heckman two-step model is used to control for self-selection into market participation, using measures of fixed transaction costs as identifier variables. The overall results, although generally consistent with previous literature, show an unexpected positive relationship between remoteness and market participation, which might reflect peculiarities of Ghanaian crop marketing systems. Chapter 3 investigates the relationship between social capital and innovation using primary data on 305 Ghanaian farmers collected during field work in 2012 (described in Chapter 2). The chapter analyses innovation (the decision to adopt, its timing and intensity) at crop level, focusing on a non-traditional cash crop, exotic varieties of mango. The analysis investigates the role of different types of social capital, both in disaggregated and aggregated forms. The results suggest that social capital should not be overlooked in the innovation process, supporting recent evidence that there exists a positive relationship between the “know-who” and adoption dynamics. Finally, Chapter 4 investigates the impact of innovation adoption on objective and subjective measures of poverty. Matching techniques are used to estimate the Average Treatment Effect on the Treated, using primary data. The results show that adoption does not impact objective poverty but it does have a significant positive impact on self-perceived poverty status

Food value chains: Increasing productivity, sustainability, and resilience to climate change

Climate change will drive responses and adaptations throughout agrifood systems. Changes in growing conditions for many crops will alter agricultural production patterns. Along with these shifts in crop production, rising temperatures, changes in humidity levels, and increased extreme weather will also affect the value chains through which agricultural products are traded, aggregated, processed, and sold to consumers. This chapter illustrates how incentives for producers and other value chain actors will change as climate change reduces the effectiveness of inputs, such as herbicides and pesticides, increases the risks of spoilage faced by middlemen and retailers, and potentially leads to increases in transaction costs. Whole value chains may be affected from farmer to consumer; for example, if international shipping costs rise with increasing fuel costs, export-oriented chains for select products in some countries may become unprofitable and even disappear. Although research has largely neglected the impacts of climate change on value chains beyond the farm, one thing is clear — many value chain actors along with farmers will need to adapt to new realities, as they showed they were capable of in the face of disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic

Exploring the Nexus between Climate Change and Human Rights

Climate change is described as the defining challenge of our generation. It poses direct and indirect threats to food security, human security and global health. This study explores the impact of climate change on the rights to food, security and health within the context of sub-Saharan Africa by analysing data for correlation. To evaluate the relationships, both a global and sub-Saharan African analysis are done. To understand the extent to which people’s rights can be protected from these impacts, this paper also examines existing legal protections that exist to protect people against climate change. Data showed that climate change is correlated with the rights to food, security and health but is not the most significant determinant. The results also reveal interrelations between the rights, with health and food security having the strongest correlation. These findings are significant since it highlights the indivisibility of rights and the importance of a rights-based approach to climate change

CGIAR’s critical contribution to SDG 16 - a universe of untapped impacts, partnerships and resources

The development of CGIAR FOCUS Climate Security has revealed CGIAR’s untapped potential to contribute to SDG16 and the Humanitarian Development and Peace (HDP) nexus. Here we explain why CGIAR’s contribution is of such importance, and how it should articulate its contribution to SDG16 followed by specific comments on the One CGIAR strategy

How does climate exacerbate root causes of conflict in Mali? An econometric analysis

This factsheet gives answers on how climate exacerbates root causes of conflict in Mali, using a two-stage econometric approach. The findings show that food insecurity is the mechanism through which climate change influences conflict. Climate change indirectly exacerbates conflict by adversely affecting agricultural production and food security. This publication is part of a factsheet series reporting on the findings of the CGIAR FOCUS Climate Security Observatory work in Africa (Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan, Uganda, Zimbabwe). The research is centered around 5 questions: 1. How does climate exacerbate root causes of conflict? 2. Where are hotspots of climate insecurities ? 3.What is the underlying structure of the climate, conflict, and socio-economic system? 4. Are climate and security policies coherent and integrated? 5. Are policy makers aware of the climate security nexus

The Climate Security and Energy (Transition) Nexus: Winds of Change

Global climate change will likely add pressure to international, national and sub-national security due to its nature as a threat multiplier. The energy system is at the heart of this challenge. On the one hand, two thirds of global emissions come from burning fossil fuels. On the other hand, energy – in particular fossil fuels – have been in the past highly geopolitically influential. But global energy systems are changing. Will this global transition away from fossil fuels to renewables present an opportunity to build peace, or will it instead work to further undermine peace and security worldwide? Energy transitions present a formidable opportunity not only to decarbonize our economies, but also to build a more equitable and decentralized energy system. However, if deployed improperly, and without consideration of the needs of communities, renewable energies might end up repeating past mistakes of the fossil fuel energy regime. Energy transitions harbor both risks and uncertainties when it comes to peace and stability, but with the proper policies in place and research, renewable energies can be made a global success, both in mitigating the worst impacts of the climate crisis and in contributing to peace and stability worldwide

How does climate exacerbate root causes of conflict in Sudan? An econometric analysis

This factsheet gives answers on how climate exacerbates root causes of conflict in Sudan, using a two-stage econometric approach. The findings show that food insecurity is the mechanism through which climate change influences conflict. In other words, climate change indirectly exacerbates conflict by adversely affecting food security. This publication is part of a factsheet series reporting on the findings of the CGIAR FOCUS Climate Security Observatory work in Africa (Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan, Uganda, Zimbabwe). The research is centered around 5 questions: 1. How does climate exacerbate root causes of conflict? 2. Where are hotspots of climate insecurities ? 3.What is the underlying structure of the climate, conflict, and socio-economic system? 4. Are climate and security policies coherent and integrated? 5. Are policy makers aware of the climate security nexus

How does climate exacerbate root causes of conflict in Uganda? An econometric analysis

This factsheet gives answers on how climate exacerbates root causes of conflict in Uganda, using a two-stage econometric approach. The findings show that climate shocks negatively affect household’s food security status (manly through temperature anomaly), and that food security variables significantly impact the probability of conflict incidence. This publication is part of a factsheet series reporting on the findings of the CGIAR FOCUS Climate Security Observatory work in Africa (Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan, Uganda, Zimbabwe). The research is centered around 5 questions: 1. How does climate exacerbate root causes of conflict? 2. Where are hotspots of climate insecurities ? 3.What is the underlying structure of the climate, conflict, and socio-economic system? 4. Are climate and security policies coherent and integrated? 5. Are policy makers aware of the climate security nexus