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The Impact of Social Disruption on Food Safety: Evidence from COVID-19 and Vegetable Pesticide Residue

Author

Listed:
  • Huang, Kaixing
  • Liu, Pengfei
  • Liao, Yuxi
  • Wang, Zhengcong

Abstract

Vegetable pesticide residues are a pervasive food safety concern. Utilizing over half a million records of vegetable tests from 287 cities, we find that COVID-19 increases the national average pesticide residue by 11% during the peak months of the pandemic in China. The pandemic nearly doubled the pesticide testing failure rate in cities with the highest infection rates. Empirical evidence suggests that the estimated effect stems from pandemic-induced disruptions in vegetable production and transportation, which result in untimely pest control and subsequent overuse of pesticides. Pandemic-related vegetable pesticide residue changes increase health risks by up to 10% in cities with the highest COVID-19 infection rates. Our findings underscore the significant impact of social disruptions on food safety through a channel largely overlooked in the literature.

Suggested Citation

  • Huang, Kaixing & Liu, Pengfei & Liao, Yuxi & Wang, Zhengcong, 2024. "The Impact of Social Disruption on Food Safety: Evidence from COVID-19 and Vegetable Pesticide Residue," MPRA Paper 122599, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:122599
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Coibion, Olivier & Gorodnichenko, Yuriy & Weber, Michael, 2020. "Labor Markets During the Covid-19 Crisis: A Preliminary View," Department of Economics, Working Paper Series qt7rx7t91p, Department of Economics, Institute for Business and Economic Research, UC Berkeley.
    2. Nicholas Bloom & Philip Bunn & Paul Mizen & Pawel Smietanka & Gregory Thwaites, 2025. "The Impact of Covid-19 on Productivity," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 107(1), pages 28-41, January.
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    JEL classification:

    • Q18 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Agricultural Policy; Food Policy; Animal Welfare Policy

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