{"title":"Mosquitoes and Potatoes: How Local Climatic Conditions Impede Development","authors":"Maurizio Malpede, Giacomo Falchetta, Soheil Shayegh","doi":"10.1007/s10640-023-00818-x","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The historical diffusion of the potato in the Old World serves as an example of the contribution of technological innovations to socio-economic growth and development (Nunn and Qian in Q J Econ 126(2):593–650, 2011). Climate-related diseases, on the other hand, might offset some of these benefits. Here we examine the long-term impact of malaria on the potato-driven growth of the population and urbanization in the Old World during the 18th and 19th centuries. We exploit local variations in environmental suitability both for potato and for malaria transmission to estimate and compare the impact of potato cultivation on population and urbanization in highly endemic to non-endemic areas at a high level of spatial disaggregation. We show that local climate conditions ideal for malaria transmission counteracted the potential benefits of introducing the potato to the Old World, which are conversely found to be strong and positive in non-endemic regions. These results highlight the interplay between technological change, public health, and development outcomes.","PeriodicalId":48299,"journal":{"name":"Environmental & Resource Economics","volume":"7 11","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2000,"publicationDate":"2023-11-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Environmental & Resource Economics","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10640-023-00818-x","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"ECONOMICS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Abstract The historical diffusion of the potato in the Old World serves as an example of the contribution of technological innovations to socio-economic growth and development (Nunn and Qian in Q J Econ 126(2):593–650, 2011). Climate-related diseases, on the other hand, might offset some of these benefits. Here we examine the long-term impact of malaria on the potato-driven growth of the population and urbanization in the Old World during the 18th and 19th centuries. We exploit local variations in environmental suitability both for potato and for malaria transmission to estimate and compare the impact of potato cultivation on population and urbanization in highly endemic to non-endemic areas at a high level of spatial disaggregation. We show that local climate conditions ideal for malaria transmission counteracted the potential benefits of introducing the potato to the Old World, which are conversely found to be strong and positive in non-endemic regions. These results highlight the interplay between technological change, public health, and development outcomes.
期刊介绍：
The primary concern of Environmental & Resource Economics (ERE) is the application of economic theory and methods to environmental issues and problems that require detailed analysis in order to improve management strategies. The contemporary environmental debate is in a constant state of flux and new or relatively unexplored topics are continually emerging. The Journal provides a forum for the further exploration of the causes, consequences and policy responses linked to these topics, across a range of spatial and temporal scales up to the global dimension. Contributions to the Journal should directly or indirectly be relevant to the policy formulation and application process. Areas of particular interest include: evaluation and development of instruments of environmental policy; cost-benefit and cost effectiveness analysis; sectoral environmental policy impact analysis; modelling and simulation; institutional arrangements; resource pricing and the valuation of environmental goods; environmental quality indicators. The editors wish to encourage a pluralistic approach to both theoretical and applied contributions. The publication of empirically based, policy-oriented research is given a high priority in the Journal in order to further critical discussion. Environmental & Resource Economics will also accept papers with an interdisciplinary approach, where this helps to improve knowledge of the real world complexities present, provided that the analysis retains links to or components of economic thinking. The Journal is required reading for economists, economic geographers and other academics, professionals and officials with a working interest in environmental matters.
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