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Revisiting the Role of Education for Agricultural Productivity

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  • Malte Reimers
  • Stephan Klasen

Abstract

Various recent cross-country regressions have detected insignificant or even surprisingly negative effects of schooling on agricultural productivity. Applying advanced panel econometric techniques to a sample of 95 developing and emerging countries from 1961 to 2002, we show that these results are due to a problematic reliance on enrollment and literacy indicators. Using data on educational attainment, we instead find a sizable and significant impact of schooling (avg. increase of approx. 3.2% per year of schooling) on agricultural productivity that is robust to estimation methods and model specification. We also find that returns from schooling are higher in technologically more advanced countries. Copyright 2013, Oxford University Press.

Suggested Citation

  • Malte Reimers & Stephan Klasen, 2013. "Revisiting the Role of Education for Agricultural Productivity," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 95(1), pages 131-152.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:ajagec:v:95:y:2013:i:1:p:131-152
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I20 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - General
    • I25 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Economic Development
    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • O47 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Empirical Studies of Economic Growth; Aggregate Productivity; Cross-Country Output Convergence
    • Q10 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - General

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