Impact of global cotton markets on rural poverty in Benin

World cotton prices have fallen by about 40 percent over the last two years, focusing attention on the effect of subsidies for cotton growers in depressing prices. This paper combines farm survey data from Benin with assumptions about the decline in farm-level prices to estimate the direct and indirect effects of cotton price reductions on rural income and poverty in Benin. The results indicate that there is a strong link between cotton prices and rural welfare in Benin. A 40 percent reduction in farm-level prices of cotton results in an increase in rural poverty of 8 percentage points in the short-run and 6-7 percentage points in the long run. Based on the estimated marginal propensity to consume tradable goods, the consumption multiplier is in the range of 3.3, meaning that one dollar of reduced spending by cotton growers results in a contraction of 3.3 dollars in overall demand. Finally, econometric analysis of the determinants of the demand for hired agricultural labor suggests that falling cotton prices will not greatly reduce labor demand since the labor intensity of cotton is similar to that of competing crops in Benin. Overall, the study highlights the link between rising subsidies for cotton growers in the U.S. and rural poverty in cotton exporting countries such as Benin.

A Guide to Measuring Microenterprise Profits and

Based on a review of previous studies and data from 448 microenterprises in INFORMATION ON ENTERPRISE PROFITS and net worth can be critical to assessing the impact of microenterprise services. Because full measures of profits and net worth can be difficult and expensive to collect, there is a tendency to look for alternative variables, such as changes in sales revenue or changes in the value of fixed assets, to assess the impact of microenterprise support programmes. While these alternative measures offer some indication of the changes in an enterprise's status, profits and net worth are considered to be much better indicators of enterprise growth and stability. This paper will define profits and net worth and describe the measurement problems associated with each. Alternative measures of profits and net worth will then be examined, based on a review of previous studies and survey data from Zimbabwe. Using information from previous studies, a questionnaire was designed to include five alternative measures of enterprise profits and five alternative measures of net worth (a copy of the questionnaire is in Daniels 1999b, and survey questions related to the best profit and net proxies are given in Boxes 1 and 2). The questionnaire was then administered to a random sample of 448 microenterprises in Zimbabwe. The proxies ranged from single-question estimates to full measures for each variable, including up to 209 and 59 subquestions for profits and net worth, respectively. (A subquestion refers to a single line in the questionnaire within a broader question e.g. within the broader question 'cost of inputs' are 21 subquestions for each individual input. Not all enterprises had 21 inputs, so the subquestions refer to the maximum number of questions that would have to be answered.

Impact of a baby-led approach to complementary feeding on iron and zinc intake and status: A randomised controlled trial

Background: Baby-Led Weaning (BLW) is an approach to complementary feeding that is gaining popularity amongst parents worldwide. In this alternative approach to traditional spoon-feeding, infants feed themselves all of their food from the start of complementary feeding, which means that foods offered need to be finger foods that they can hold themselves. Although there are several proposed advantages of BLW, health professionals have expressed some concerns. Iron and zinc are a particular concern because commonly introduced ‘first foods’ that are easily picked up, such as fruits and vegetables, tend to be low in iron and zinc. No studies have yet investigated the impact of a baby-led approach to complementary feeding on biochemical iron and zinc status. Further to this, no studies have determined potentially modifiable ‘predictors’ of zinc status in toddlers from high-income countries. Objectives: The overall aim of the Baby-led Introduction to SolidS (BLISS) randomised controlled trial was to determine whether a modified version of BLW prevents young children from becoming overweight, without increasing their risk of iron deficiency, growth faltering, and choking. The aim of this thesis was to determine the impact of this version of BLW modified to prevent iron deficiency, on iron and zinc intakes and status, and to determine potentially modifiable ‘predictors’ of zinc status in toddlers. Methods: A total of 206 participants were randomised to Control or BLISS groups. Both groups received standard Well Child care from before birth. The BLISS group received eight additional visits (from before birth to 9 months) providing education and support on following the BLISS approach (i.e. BLW modified to increase iron intake). Weighed three-day diet records were used to assess the intake of key nutrients at 7 and 12 months, and a blood sample was collected using trace-element free techniques to determine biochemical iron and zinc status at 12 months. Multiple regression analysis was used for the outcomes of the randomised controlled trial following the principles of modified intention to treat. ‘Predictors’ of zinc status were determined by univariate, then stepwise linear bootstrap, and multivariable regression analysis. Results: There was no evidence of a difference in dietary iron and zinc intakes between the groups at 7 or 12 months (all p>0.42). However, there was a high prevalence of inadequate iron intakes (7 months: 74%, 12 months: 23-36%). There were no statistically significant differences in plasma ferritin (median: 29 μg/L Control, 27 μg/L BLISS; difference -2.6 μg/L; 95% CI -10.9, 5.8; p=0.55) or plasma zinc (mean: 9.6 μmol/L Control and BLISS; difference -0.09 μmol/L; 95% CI -0.67, 0.48; p=0.75) concentrations between the groups at 12 months. The majority (83%) of toddlers were iron sufficient, although a high proportion had low plasma zinc concentrations (63% Control, 57% BLISS). Red meat intake (p=0.028), infant formula intake (p=0.009), and food fussiness (p=0.021) were statistically significant ‘predictors’ of plasma zinc concentration at 12 months. Conclusions: These results suggest that a baby-led approach to complementary feeding does not appear to increase the risk of iron or zinc deficiency when parents are given advice to offer ‘high-iron’ foods at every meal. It is important to note, however, that this study assessed a modified version of BLW so no conclusions can be made about the risk of iron and zinc deficiency in infants following unmodified BLW. Red meat intake, infant formula intake, and food fussiness were all significant ‘predictors’ of zinc status at 12 months. Of particular interest is the association with food fussiness, and further research should investigate whether interventions to improve food fussiness could improve zinc status, or whether improvements in zinc status would improve food fussiness in this age group

Just Environmentalism

Thirty years ago, the environmental justice movement emerged as a powerful critique of traditional environmentalism, which had largely ignored the distribution of environmental harms and the ways in which those harms were concentrated on the poor and communities of color. This Article calls for a similarly groundbreaking reimagination of both mainstream environmental policy and environmental justice: we argue that, to truly embrace justice, environmentalists must take account, not only of the ways that environmental harms uniquely impact vulnerable populations but also of the costs that environmental protection imposes on the most vulnerable among us

Implications of Biblical Principles of Rhythm and Rest for Individual and Organizational Practices

The information technology economy with its endless 24/7 workdays has eroded the normative cycle of work and rest, and as a result, many Americans are experiencing a profound and increasing sense of time pressure. By integrating biblical passages relating to Sabbath observance with psychological and organizational empirical literature, Diddams et al seek describe the principles of rest, reflection, and relationships underlying biblical notions of rhythm; identify their associated influence on psychological wellness; and discuss how organizations can embrace a rhythmic, Sabbath culture

Survival Voting and Minority Political Rights

The health of American democracy has literally been challenged. The global pandemic has powerfully exposed a long-standing truth: electoral policies that are frequently referred to as convenience voting are really a mode of survival voting for millions of Americans. As our data show, racial minorities are overrepresented among voters whose health is most vulnerable, and politicians have leveraged these health disparities to subordinate the political voice of racial minorities. To date, data about racial disparities in health has played a very limited role in assessing voting rights. A new health lens on the racial impacts of voting rules would beneficially inform—and perhaps even fundamentally alter—how we address several common voting rights issues. A new focus on the disparate health effects of voting rules, grounded in the kind of solid empirical evidence we provide, could reinvigorate the Voting Rights Act (VRA) by providing new avenues for assessing voting rights, for litigating and judging voter suppression claims under section 2, and even informing a new coverage formula in a modified section 5. This evidence arrives at a critical juncture for the VRA which has been stripped of much of its bite by the Supreme Court and is currently being debated in Congress. The clear and compelling story told by our data are a clarion call to legislators, courts, and litigators to reconceptualize and strengthen voting rights by accounting for the barriers that health disparities pose to minority access to the ballot

Disaster Vulnerability

Vulnerability drives disaster law, yet the literature lacks both an overarching analysis of the different aspects of vulnerability and a nuanced examination of the factors that shape disaster outcomes. Though central to disaster law and policy, vulnerability often lurks in the shadows of a disaster, evident only once the worst is past and the bodies have been counted. The COVID-19 pandemic is a notable exception to this historical pattern: from the beginning of the pandemic, it has been clear that the virus poses different risks to different people, depending on vulnerability variables. This most recent pandemic experience thus provides a useful vantage point for analyzing vulnerability. Drawing on empirical data from the pandemic and experiences from past disasters, this Article identifies and discusses the policy implications of three dimensions of disaster vulnerability: the geography of vulnerability, competing or conflicting vulnerabilities, and political vulnerability. First, it explores the geography of vulnerability, using statistical analysis and geographic information system (GIS) mapping. The Article presents an innovative COVID-19 vulnerability index that identifies the country’s most vulnerable counties and the leading driver of vulnerability for each county. It demonstrates how this index could have informed voter accommodations during the 2020 elections and mask mandates throughout the pandemic. The Article also shows how, going forward, similar modeling could make disaster management more proactive and better able to anticipate needs and prioritize disaster mitigation and response resources. Second, this Article explores competing or conflicting vulnerabilities––situations where policy-makers must prioritize one vulnerable group or one aspect of vulnerability over another. To illustrate this, it considers two other policy challenges: school closures and vaccine distribution. Finally, the Article explores political vulnerability, analyzing how disasters make already-vulnerable groups even more vulnerable to certain harms, including political neglect, stigmatization, disenfranchisement, and displacement. In sum, this Article draws upon the costly lessons of COVID-19 to suggest a more robust framework for policy-makers to assess and respond to vulnerability in future disaster

Molecular and Cellular Biology Animations: Development and Impact on Student Learning

Educators often struggle when teaching cellular and molecular processes because typically they have only two-dimensional tools to teach something that plays out in four dimensions. Learning research has demonstrated that visualizing processes in three dimensions aids learning, and animations are effective visualization tools for novice learners and aid with long-term memory retention. The World Wide Web Instructional Committee at North Dakota State University has used these research results as an inspiration to develop a suite of high-quality animations of molecular and cellular processes. Currently, these animations represent transcription, translation, bacterial gene expression, messenger RNA (mRNA) processing, mRNA splicing, protein transport into an organelle, the electron transport chain, and the use of a biological gradient to drive adenosine triphosphate synthesis. These animations are integrated with an educational module that consists of First Look and Advanced Look components that feature captioned stills from the animation representing the key steps in the processes at varying levels of complexity. These animation-based educational modules are available via the World Wide Web at http://vcell.ndsu.edu/animations. An in-class research experiment demonstrated that student retention of content material was significantly better when students received a lecture coupled with the animations and then used the animation as an individual study activity

Disaster Vulnerability

Vulnerability drives disaster law, yet the literature lacks both an overarching analysis of the different aspects of vulnerability and a nuanced examination of the factors that shape disaster outcomes. Though central to disaster law and policy, vulnerability often lurks in the shadows of a disaster, evident only once the worst is past and the bodies have been counted. The COVID-19 pandemic is a notable exception to this historical pattern: from the beginning of the pandemic, it has been clear that the virus poses different risks to different people, depending on vulnerability variables. This most recent pandemic experience thus provides a useful vantage point for analyzing vulnerability. Drawing on empirical data from the pandemic and experiences from past disasters, this Article identifies and discusses the policy implications of three dimensions of disaster vulnerability: the geography of vulnerability, competing or conflicting vulnerabilities, and political vulnerability. First, it explores the geography of vulnerability, using statistical analysis and geographic information system (GIS) mapping. The Article presents an innovative COVID-19 vulnerability index that identifies the country’s most vulnerable counties and the leading driver of vulnerability for each county. It demonstrates how this index could have informed voter accommodations during the 2020 elections and mask mandates throughout the pandemic. The Article also shows how, going forward, similar modeling could make disaster management more proactive and better able to anticipate needs and prioritize disaster mitigation and response resources. Second, this Article explores competing or conflicting vulnerabilities––situations where policy-makers must prioritize one vulnerable group or one aspect of vulnerability over another. To illustrate this, it considers two other policy challenges: school closures and vaccine distribution. Finally, the Article explores political vulnerability, analyzing how disasters make already-vulnerable groups even more vulnerable to certain harms, including political neglect, stigmatization, disenfranchisement, and displacement. In sum, this Article draws upon the costly lessons of COVID-19 to suggest a more robust framework for policy-makers to assess and respond to vulnerability in future disasters