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The Power of Markets: Impact of Desert Locust Invasions on Child Health

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  • Bruno Conte
  • Lavinia Piemontese
  • Augustin Tapsola

Abstract

This paper investigates the consequences of a locust plague that occurred in Mali in 2004. 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 show that, in terms of health setbacks, children exposed in utero only to the former suffered as much as those exposed to the latter. We also document a substantial impact of the plague on crop price inflation before the harvest, as well as a stronger crop failure effect for children born in isolated areas.

Suggested Citation

  • Bruno Conte & Lavinia Piemontese & Augustin Tapsola, 2021. "The Power of Markets: Impact of Desert Locust Invasions on Child Health," CESifo Working Paper Series 9130, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_9130
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    Cited by:

    1. Marending, Myriam & Tripodi, Stefano, 2022. "Gone with the Wind: The Welfare Effect of Desert Locust Outbreaks," Working Papers 1-2022, Copenhagen Business School, Department of Economics.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    desert locust swarms; agricultural shocks; local markets; child health;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • I15 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Economic Development
    • Q12 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Micro Analysis of Farm Firms, Farm Households, and Farm Input Markets
    • Q18 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Agricultural Policy; Food Policy; Animal Welfare Policy

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