In this paper, we examine the relationship between childhood exposure to adverse weather shocks and nutritional and health outcomes of children in Tanzania. Using household panel data matched with spatially disaggregated data on weather shocks, we exploit the plausibly exogenous variations in...

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic affects the activities of the food system (food production, processing, distribution, marketing and consumption) and its outcomes —particularly food security and social well-being. The United Nations Secretary-General has drawn attention to the need...

Sudan has one of the highest wasting rates globally, reflecting endemic child malnutrition. Cross-national research has identified gender inequality as a common predictor for such child health deprivations. At household level, studies support this finding by showing that maternal education...

Variation in human growth and the genetic and environmental factors that are influencing it have been described worldwide. The objective of this study is to assess the geographical variance of under-five children nutritional status and its related covariates across Indian districts. We use the...

This paper examines the intra-gender nutrition outcome both with and without the presence of household level shock using Living Standards Measurement Study-Integrated Survey (LSMS) panel data in Ethiopia. We used a mixed-effect estimation strategy to analyze how parents’ gender preference...

Ensuring a sufficient level of food for the population in both quantitative and qualitative terms is a priority for most countries as well as for governmental and non-governmental bodies – be they national, regional or international. The United Nations (UN) stresses the fact that one of the...

The state of global food security has been considerably improved in the last decades; however, these achievements are attributable to the “green revolutions” in Latin-America and Asia. The food shortage has remained persistent in Sub-Saharan Africa, where the proliferation of...

Marriages between blood relatives - also known as consanguineous unions - are widespread in North Africa, Central and West Asia and most parts of South Asia. Researchers have suggested that consanguinity has adverse effects on child development, but assessing its impact is not straightforward as...

We document a novel fact about neonatal death, or death in the first month of life. Globally, neonatal mortality is disproportionately concentrated in India. We identify a large effect of birth order on neonatal mortality that is unique to India: later-born siblings have a steep survival...

This open access book examines India's economic development, agricultural production, and nutrition through the lens of a "Food Systems Approach (FSA)." Despite economic progress, regional inequality, food insecurity and malnutrition persist. Simultaneously, recent trends in obesity and...

India faces a severe challenge to ensure adequate nutrition for children and women. Chronic child nutrition deficiency is more prevalent in Madhya Pradesh state of India. Spirulina, multicellular and filamentous cyanobacterium are considered an absolute food supplement to combat malnutrition in...

Policy making in Sub-Saharan Africa commonly assume that food and nutrition security programs that target food insecure households would most likely impact on malnourished individuals. This is despite the compelling evidence from elsewhere in the developing world that show a food distribution...

In this paper, we analyze the link between nutrition and poverty in two Asian countries where monetary-based poverty reduction was especially successful. Thailand and Viet Nam are two emerging market economies where poverty rates are now below 10% and are declining further. Despite this success,...

This paper provides evidence of effectiveness for performance pay among government caregivers to improve child health in India. In a controlled study of 160 daycare centers serving over 4,000 children, we randomly assign individual workers to receive either fixed bonuses or incentive payments...

Undernutrition and low dietary quality remain widespread problems especially among smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. Hence, the question as to how smallholder systems can be made more nutrition-sensitive is of particular relevance for research and policy. Recent studies analysed whether...

Success in reducing monetary poverty in Southeast Asia has not fully translated into reduction in malnutrition. Using a two-year panel data from one province each in Thailand, Lao PDR and Vietnam, we study the correlation between monetary poverty and nutritional outcomes of children under five....

The link between demographic pressure and economic conditions in pre-Famine Ireland has long interested economists. This paper re-visits the topic, harnessing the highly disaggregated parish-level data from the 1841 Census of Ireland. Using population per value adjusted acre as a measure of...

The link between demographic pressure and economic conditions in pre-Famine Ireland has long interested economists. This paper re-visits the topic, harnessing the highly disaggregated parish-level data from the 1841 Census of Ireland. Using population per value adjusted acre as a measure of...

The role of economic growth in reducing child undernutrition remains an open and highly debated question that holds important implications for food security strategies. The empirical evidence has been quite contrasted, primarily in regard to the magnitude of the impacts. Yet, most studies have...

More than 800 million people suffer from hunger in the world. Using modern plant breeding methods to generate so-called GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms), agricultural scientists have shown that crop yields and nutritional quality can be greatly improved. Many GMO varieties have been...

Women's empowerment is increasingly put forth as a mean to promote child development. However, little empirical research has evaluated the pathways of women empowerment leading to it. This paper uses a household survey conducted in Karnataka, South India to explore the impact of female status on...

The United Nations in February 2017 declared a famine emergency in light of the imminent danger of starvation facing an estimated 20 million people in four countries, and appealed urgently for US$4 billion to meet immediate needs. Other countries face grave food shortages that present urgent...

Hunger has become ever more complex, and therefore efforts to sustainably eradicate hunger and malnutrition depend on policies and programs that match these complexities. Innovations are critical for progress. However, they require increased public and private investments as well. Key elements...

Diese Dissertation enthält vier Essays über die Messung und Determinanten von Armut, Gender Gap, Ernährungsunsicherheit und Unterernährung in Pakistan. Alle Arbeiten verwenden aktuelle Methoden und Ansätze der einschlägigen Literatur und erweitern teilweise die angewandte Literatur. Eine...

Understanding mortality crises is an important part of understanding some fundamental aspects of preindustrial economies. Understanding the processes leading to their decline and the associated improvements in living standards and life expectancy is a precondition for knowing what is needed to...