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Finance and hunger : empirical evidence of the agricultural productivity channel

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  • Claessens, Stijn
  • Feijen, Erik

Abstract

Using cross-country and panel regressions, the authors show that financial sector development significantly reduces undernourishment (hunger), largely through gaining farmers and others access to productivity-enhancing equipment, translating into beneficial income and general effects. They show specifically that a deeper financial sector leads to higher agricultural productivity, including higher cereal yields, through increased fertilizer and tractor use. Higher productivity in turn leads to lower undernourishment. The results are robust to various specifications and econometric tests and imply that a 1 percentage point increase in private credit to GDP reduces undernourishment by 0.22-2.45 percentage points, or about one-quarter the impact of GDP per capita.

Suggested Citation

  • Claessens, Stijn & Feijen, Erik, 2006. "Finance and hunger : empirical evidence of the agricultural productivity channel," Policy Research Working Paper Series 4080, The World Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:4080
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Katsushi S. Imai & Raghav Gaiha & Ganesh Thapa & Samuel Kobina Annim, 2013. "Financial Crisis In Asia: Its Genesis, Severity And Impact On Poverty And Hunger," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 25(8), pages 1105-1116, November.
    2. Unal Seven & Semih Tumen, 2020. "Agricultural Credits And Agricultural Productivity: Cross-Country Evidence," The Singapore Economic Review (SER), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 65(supp01), pages 161-183, December.
    3. Simplice A. Asongu, 2013. "Investment And Inequality In Africa: Which Financial Channels Are Good For The Poor?," The African Finance Journal, Africagrowth Institute, vol. 15(2), pages 43-65.
    4. Asongu, Simplice & Nwachukwu, Jacinta C., 2015. "Finance and Inclusive Human Development: Evidence from Africa," MPRA Paper 71787, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Simplice Asongu & Rexon Nting, 2021. "The role of finance in inclusive human development in Africa revisited," Journal of Economic and Administrative Sciences, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 38(2), pages 345-370, February.
    6. Claessens, Stijn & Perotti, Enrico, 2007. "Finance and inequality: Channels and evidence," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 35(4), pages 748-773, December.
    7. Dessy, Sylvain & Mbiekop, Flaubert & Pallage, Stéphane, 2010. "On the mechanics of trade-induced structural transformation," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 32(1), pages 251-264, March.
    8. Simplice Asongu & Vanessa Tchamyou, 2015. "Inequality, Finance and Pro-Poor Investment in Africa," Working Papers of the African Governance and Development Institute. 15/052, African Governance and Development Institute..
    9. Katsushi Imai & Raghav Gaiha & Ganesh Thapa, 2009. "Has Poverty Reduction Slowed Down in the Developing World? Evidence Based on New Poverty Estimates," Economics Discussion Paper Series 0902, Economics, The University of Manchester.
    10. Katsushi Imai & Raghav Gaiha & Ganesh Thapa, 2008. "Finance, growth, inequality and hunger in Asia: Evidence from country panel data in 1960-2006," Economics Discussion Paper Series 0813, Economics, The University of Manchester.
    11. Stijn Claessens & Erik Feijen, 2006. "Financial Sector Development and the Millennium Development Goals," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 7145, December.
    12. Simplice A., Asongu, 2011. "Finance and inequality: exploring pro-poor investment channels in Africa," MPRA Paper 34994, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Mr. Calixte Ahokpossi & Kareem Ismail & Mr. Sudipto Karmakar & Mr. Mesmin Koulet-Vickot, 2013. "Financial Depth in the WAEMU: Benchmarking Against Frontier SSA Countries," IMF Working Papers 2013/161, International Monetary Fund.
    14. Kassouri, Yacouba & Kacou, Kacou Yves Thierry, 2022. "Does the structure of credit markets affect agricultural development in West African countries?," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 588-601.
    15. Weal M.Gh. M. Arafat & Ihtisham ul Haq & Bahtiyar Mehmed & Azeem Abbas & Sisira Kumara Naradda Gamage & Oruj Gasimli, 2022. "The Causal Nexus among Energy Consumption, Environmental Degradation, Financial Development and Health Outcome: Empirical Study for Pakistan," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-20, March.
    16. Katsushi Imai & Raghav Gaiha & Ganesh Thapa, 2008. "Financial crisis in Asia and the Pacific Region: Its genesis, severity and impact on poverty and hunger," Economics Discussion Paper Series 0810, Economics, The University of Manchester.

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    Keywords

    Economic Theory&Research; Rural Poverty Reduction; Achieving Shared Growth; Inequality;
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