scholarly journals Microfinance and Vulnerability to Seasonal Famine in a Rural Economy: Evidence from Monga in Bangladesh

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Berg ◽  
M. Shahe Emran

AbstractThis paper uses a unique data set on 143,000 poor households from Northern Bangladesh to analyze the effects of microfinance membership on a household's ability to cope with seasonal famine known as Monga. We develop an identification and estimation strategy that exploits a jump and a kink at the 10 decimal land ownership-threshold driven by the Microfinance Institution (MFI) screening process to ensure repayment by excluding the ultra-poor. Evidence shows that microfinance membership improves food security during Monga, especially for the poorest households who survive at the margin of one and two meals a day. The positive effects on food security are, however, not driven by higher income, as microcredit does not improve the ability to migrate for work, nor does it reduce dependence on distress sale of labor. The evidence is consistent with consumption smoothing being the primary mechanism behind the gains in food security of MFI households during the season of starvation.

2020 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Berg ◽  
M. Shahe Emran

AbstractThis paper uses a unique data set on 143,000 poor households from Northern Bangladesh to analyze the effects of microfinance membership on a household’s ability to cope with seasonal famine known as Monga. We develop an identification and estimation strategy that exploits a jump and a kink at the 10-decimal land ownership-threshold driven by the Microfinance Institution screening process to ensure repayment by excluding the ultra-poor. Evidence shows that microfinance membership improves food security during Monga, especially for the poorest households who survive at the margin of one and two meals a day. The positive effects on food security are, however, not driven by higher income, as microcredit does not improve the ability to migrate for work, nor does it reduce dependence on distress sale of labor. The evidence is consistent with consumption smoothing being the primary mechanism behind the gains in food security of MFI households during the season of starvation.


2012 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
pp. 134-167 ◽  
Author(s):  
SHEILAGH OGILVIE ◽  
MARKUS KÜPKER ◽  
JANINE MAEGRAITH

The “less-developed” interior of early modern Europe, especially the rural economy, is often regarded as financially comatose. This article investigates this view using a rich data set of marriage and death inventories for seventeenth-century Germany. It first analyzes the characteristics of debts, examining borrowing purposes, familial links, communal ties, and documentary instruments. It then explores how borrowing varied with gender, age, marital status, occupation, date, and asset portfolio. It finds that ordinary people, even in a “less-developed” economy in rural central Europe, sought to invest profitably, smooth consumption, bridge low liquidity, and hold savings in financial form.


2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
V Montalvo ◽  
J Masso ◽  
A Garcia-Faura ◽  
B Marques ◽  
M Lopez-Teijon

Abstract Study question Does Assisted hatching (AH) improve success rates when applied to frozen embryo transfers? Summary answer AH does not improve implantation, ongoing pregnancy or live birth rates when applied to thawed embryos. What is known already Vitrification has been proven to be the most efficient technique to preserve human embryos. However, vitrification has some consequences for the embryos, zona pellucida (ZP) hardening being one of them. Multiple studies suggest the need to apply laser Assisted hatching or ZP thinning to thawed embryos in order to improve success rates. Still, there is not enough evidence to ensure the utility of AH, and considering the great variation in design between studies more evidence is needed. Study design, size, duration Study performed from October 2019 and January 2020. Disregarding embryos with natural Hatching and PGT-A. Embryos that, immediately after thawing, were completely expanded (trophectoderm in contact with ZP) were also excluded from the study. We applied a randomization to choose in which embryos we had to perform AH. Neither the gynecologist nor the embryologist performing the embryo transfer knew whether the embryo had AH performed or not. Participants/materials, setting, methods 353 frozen embryo transfers of one blastocist were considered for the study, 71 excluded for expansion after thawing, 65 excluded because of PGT-A, 103 in which we performed AH (AH+) and 114 without AH (AH-). In the AH+ group we performed laser-AH of 1/3 of the ZP, avoiding to damage the trophectoderm and performing the laser shots as far away to the ICM as possible. We used Chi-square testing to assess the effects of AH. Main results and the role of chance We assessed all relevant clinical data parameters. No statistical differences were found in egg age, maternal age, embryo quality, nor endometrial thickness between groups. Implantation and miscarriage rates were equivalent between AH+ group (40.9%; 20.5%) and AH- group (47.4%; 18.5%). The main outcome of this study was live birth rates. No statistical differences were found between groups (AH-= 38.6%; AH + = 30.1%; p = 03221) proving that making it easier to get out of the ZP does not affect success rates. Analyzing the data from the excluded embryos we found no improvement on live birth rates when embryos were expanded just after thawing (38.0%; p = 0.457). As expected, PGT-A embryos yielded higher live birth rates (52.3%; p < 0,05) Limitations, reasons for caution Preliminary study with a small data set. Wider implications of the findings: This study suggest that thawed embryos have the capacity to get out of the ZP regardless if AH was performed or not. Having no positive effects, AH seems to be unnecessary in this scenario. Trial registration number Not applicable


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-45
Author(s):  
Benjamin Leard ◽  
Joshua Linn ◽  
Yichen Christy Zhou

Abstract During historical periods in which US fuel economy standards were unchanging, automakers increased performance but not fuel economy, contrasting with recent periods of tightening standards and rising fuel economy. This paper evaluates the welfare consequences of automakers forgoing performance increases to raise fuel economy as standards have tightened since 2012. Using a unique data set and a novel approach to account for fuel economy and performance endogeneity, we find undervaluation of fuel cost savings and high valuation of performance. Welfare costs of forgone performance approximately equal expected fuel savings benefits, suggesting approximately zero net private consumer benefit from tightened standards.


Author(s):  
Agustina Malvido Perez Carletti ◽  
Markus Hanisch ◽  
Jens Rommel ◽  
Murray Fulton

AbstractIn this paper, we use a unique data set of the prices paid to farmers in Argentina for grapes to examine the prices paid by non-varietal wine processing cooperatives and investor-oriented firms (IOFs). Motivated by contrasting theoretical predictions of cooperative price effects generated by the yardstick of competition and property rights theories, we apply a multilevel regression model to identify price differences at the transaction level and the departmental level. On average, farmers selling to cooperatives receive a 3.4 % lower price than farmers selling to IOFs. However, we find cooperatives pay approximately 2.4 % more in departments where cooperatives have larger market shares. We suggest that the inability of cooperatives to pay a price equal to or greater than the one paid by IOFs can be explained by the market structure for non-varietal wine in Argentina. Specifically, there is evidence that cooperative members differ from other farmers in terms of size, assets and the cost of accessing the market. We conclude that the analysis of cooperative pricing cannot solely focus on the price differential between cooperatives and IOFs, but instead must consider other factors that are important to the members.


2008 ◽  
Vol 216 (4) ◽  
pp. 198-208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno S. Frey ◽  
Susanne Neckermann

Awards in the form of orders, decorations, prizes, and titles are ubiquitous in monarchies and republics, private organizations, not-for-profit, and profit-oriented firms. This paper argues that awards present a unique combination of different stimuli and that they are distinct and unlike other monetary and nonmonetary rewards. Despite their relevance in all areas of life, awards have not received much scientific attention. Employing a unique data set, we demonstrate that there are substantial differences in the frequency of awards across countries. Moreover, we present the results of a vignette experiment that quantifies and isolates the effects of different award characteristics such as the publicity associated with winning an award.


2017 ◽  
Vol 90 (4) ◽  
pp. 355-377 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angran Li ◽  
Mary J. Fischer

This article examines the relationship between parental networks and parental school involvement during the elementary school years. Using a large, nationally representative data set of elementary school students—the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study–Kindergarten Cohort—and contextual data from the 2000 U.S. Census, our multilevel analysis shows that higher levels of parental networks in first grade are associated with higher levels of parental school involvement in third grade after controlling for individual- and school-level characteristics. Parental networks are positively related to school involvement activities in formal organizations that consist of parents, teachers, and school staff, including participating in parent–teacher organizations and volunteering at school. Furthermore, the positive effects of parental networks on parental school involvement is stronger for families whose children attend schools in disadvantaged neighborhoods. This suggests that well-connected parental networks can serve as a buffer against school neighborhood disadvantages in encouraging parents to be actively involved in schools.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tim Xiao

This paper attempts to assess the economic significance and implications of collateralization in different financial markets, which is essentially a matter of theoretical justification and empirical verification. We present a comprehensive theoretical framework that allows for collateralization adhering to bankruptcy laws. As such, the model can back out differences in asset prices due to collateralized counterparty risk. This framework is very useful for pricing outstanding defaultable financial contracts. By using a unique data set, we are able to achieve a clean decomposition of prices into their credit risk factors. We find empirical evidence that counterparty risk is not overly important in credit-related spreads. Only the joint effects of collateralization and credit risk can sufficiently explain unsecured credit costs. This finding suggests that failure to properly account for collateralization may result in significant mispricing of financial contracts. We also analyze the difference between cleared and OTC markets.


Agro Ekonomi ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 125
Author(s):  
Ajeng Ayu Nabila Mandala ◽  
Suhatmini Hardyastuti ◽  
Slamet Hartono

This study aims to know human assets, natural, physical financial, and social to identify level of poverty and food security in critical and non critical land areas, to analyze factors affecting level of food security, to identify lingkages between poverty and food security. The research was conducted in Keduang Subwatershed Wonogiri District determined purposively covering upstream, widstream, and downstream which describes the land area of critical and non critical. The respondents are 120 farmers, randomly selected woth 20 farmers in each location. The result show that human assets  ( age, education, farming experience, numbe r of household), natural  ( land area, area assets). Physical (vehicles), financial (savings, jewelry, cuttle), social (solidarity, trust, and cooperation, conflict resolution) in the critical land areas are similar to the non critical, while agricultural equipment in critical land areas lower than then non critical. Poverty in the critical higher than the non critical areas based on criteria Sajogyo, World Bank, Asian Development Bank(ADB), and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), whereas according to the criteria of BPS Wonogiri District in areas of critical and non critical landa not classified as poor. Food security in critical is lower than the non critical areas. Factors affecting food security are education, land area, number of households, food expenditure, non food expenditure. . Poverty and food security are intertwined, percentage of vulnerablewithin non poor households ara found enough high where sometime the vulnerable household be able to change into insecure category if the food  supply is not sufficient.


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