Harvesting the Toll: Economic losses from poor farmer health in the United States

Rural hospital closures are commonly studied for their effects on health and local economic activity, but little is known about their consequences for agricultural production. This paper examines whether reductions in rural health care access affect farmers’ health and productivity. I exploit the staggered timing of hospital closures between 2010 and 2019 and define treatment at the Hospital Service Area level, capturing both counties where hospitals close and neighboring counties that rely on those hospitals. Using an event-study difference-in-differences design among rural health care markets that eventually experience a closure, I find that hospital closures substantially reduce access to care. Counties lose approximately five primary care physicians over the five years following a closure, while the distance to hospitals increases. These reductions in access are followed by declines in agricultural production and farm income. I find evidence that farmer health is an important mechanism: hospital closures increase farmer suicides and substantially increase the probability that farmers leave employment because of illness or disability, with no comparable effects among non-farmers. The estimated effects imply approximately 143,000 fewer farmers and a 5.3 percent reduction in agricultural production following hospital closures. These findings demonstrate that rural health infrastructure generates economic returns beyond the health sector by supporting the health and productivity of agricultural workers.

Do natural resource booms lead to resource curses? The impact of avocado export restrictions on Michoacan

(Draft available upon request) This paper documents the joint impacts of an export restriction and anti-drug trafficking policy on municipalities in avocado-producing states. I show theoretically that the policies could increase the profitability of avocado production in municipalities but expose them to cartel exploitation. Using a difference-in-difference approach, I show that after the policies are enacted, high-suitability municipalities expand avocado production yet experience only short-term income benefits. Consistent with the model, these municipalities are roughly 24% more likely to face cartel occupation after the policies are enacted. I rule out several alternative explanations and mechanisms for the lack of long-term benefits

When Improving Agricultural Productivity Helps or Hurts: Sector Correlation and Growth Effects of Productivity Shocks

This project investigates how improvements in agricultural productivity affect structural transformation and economic growth. I develop a worker-level model in which the correlation between agricultural and non-agricultural productivity determines whether productivity-enhancing policies shift labor into or out of agriculture. Using district- and household-level data from India and the staggered roll-out of the National Food Security Mission, I estimate sectoral productivity and recover the implied cross-sector productivity correlation. I show that districts with positive correlations experience slower growth following the policy, while those with negative correlations benefit. The findings offer a scalable method for governments to target agricultural interventions to maximize growth.

Mike Gibson, Anja Sautmann, Laura Feeney, and Claire Walsh. Introduction to randomized evaluations. J-PAL Research Resources

This resource gives an overview and non-technical introduction to randomized evaluations, highlighting work from a variety of contexts, including studies on youth unemployment in Chicago, a subsidized rice program in Indonesia, and a conditional cash transfer in Mexico. It includes guidance on when randomized evaluations can be most useful, and also discusses when they might not be the right choice as an evaluation method.

Mike Gibson, Anja Sautmann, Laura Feeney, and Claire Walsh. Elements of a randomized evaluations. J-PAL Research Resources

This resource presents a high-level overview of the steps of a randomized evaluation, while showcasing a selection of J-PAL’s teaching and learning tools that were created as part of their online and in-person capacity building activities.

Mike Gibson, Wim Louw, and Katheryn McDermott. Survey programming. J-PAL Research Resources

This resource covers best practices for programming a survey using computer assisted personal interview (CAPI) software. It primarily relies on examples using SurveyCTO, which is widely used by J-PAL and Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), but applies to all CAPI software

Mike Gibson, and Ben Morse. Data quality checks. J-PAL Research Resources

High-frequency checks, back-checks, and spot-checks can be used to detect programming errors, surveyor errors, data fabrication, poorly understood questions, and other issues. The results of these checks can also be useful in improving your survey, identifying enumerator effects, and assessing the reliability of your outcome measures. This resource describes use cases and how to implement each type of check, as well as special considerations relating to administrative data.

Mike Gibson, Arnesh Chowdhury, Maya Duru, Lipika Kapoor, Sarah Kopper, Wim Louw, Tithee Mukhopadhyay, and Clare Sachsee. Implementation monitoring

Researchers should monitor the implementation of a program to preserve its integrity of the program and collect additional information that can inform the generalizability of the results of the program. There is a variety of methods available to researchers, such as administrative data, site visits, and focus group discussions. This resource provides an overview of monitoring methods, how to select indicators to monitor, and how to choose monitors.

Mike Gibson, Sarah Kopper, Marifatul Amalia, Saurabh Bhajibhakare, Putul Gupta, and Wim Louw. Resources for conducting remote surveys

As with in-person surveys, remote survey work involves considerations at every stage of the project lifecycle. This resource summarizes key points regarding remote surveys and, where applicable, lists J-PAL’s related public resources, in which more detailed guidance can be found.

AREC 365: World hunger, poverty, and nutrition (Professor Kenneth Leonard)

TA: Fall 2021

AREC 240: Introduction to Environmental Economics (Professor Roberton Williams)

TA: Spring 2022

AREC 481: Environmental Economics (Professor Roberton Williams)

TA: Spring 2022

AREC 280: Big Data and Climate Change (Professor Lars Olson)

TA: Fall 2023

AREC 241: Environment, Economics, and Policy (Professor Lars Olson)

TA: Fall 2024, Fall 2026

AREC Special Course: Harvesting History

Instructor of record: Spring 2027