Abstract
This paper investigates the consequences of the 2004 locust plague in Mali. We argue that in agricultural economies with a single harvest per year, this type of shock can affect households through two channels: first, a speculative/anticipatory effect that kicks in during the growing season, followed by a local crop failure effect after harvest. We document a substantial impact of the plague on crop price inflation before the harvest. Regarding health setbacks, children subject only to the speculative/anticipatory effect suffered as much as those exposed to the actual crop failure effect. The latter is more severe for children born in isolated areas.
Keywords
Desert locust swarms; Agricultural shocks; Local markets; Child health;
JEL codes
- O12: Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
- I15: Health and Economic Development
- Q12: Micro Analysis of Farm Firms, Farm Households, and Farm Input Markets
- Q18: Agricultural Policy • Food Policy
Replaces
Bruno Conte, Lavinia Piemontese, and Augustin Tapsoba, “The Power of Markets: Impact of Desert Locust Invasions on Child Health”, TSE Working Paper, n. 20-1069, January 2020, revised November 2022.
Reference
Bruno Conte, Lavinia Piemontese, and Augustin Tapsoba, “The power of markets: Impact of desert locust invasions on child health”, Journal of Health Economics, vol. 87, n. 102712, January 2023.
Published in
Journal of Health Economics, vol. 87, n. 102712, January 2023