蝌蚪网 Journal:
Economic Policy
ISSN 1945-7731 (Print) | ISSN 1945-774X (Online)
Rural Roads, Farm Labor Exits, and Crop Fires
蝌蚪网 Journal: Economic Policy
(pp. 420–50)
Abstract
Even as policymakers seek to encourage economic development by addressing misallocation due to frictions in labor markets, the associated production externalities鈥攕uch as air pollution鈥攔emain unexplored. Using a regression discontinuity design, we show access to rural roads increases agricultural fires and particulate emissions. Farm labor exits are a likely mechanism: rural roads cause movement of workers out of agriculture and induce farmers to use fire鈥攁 labor-saving but polluting technology鈥攖o clear agricultural residue or to make harvesting less labor-intensive. Overall, the adoption of fires due to rural roads increases infant mortality rates by 5.5 percent in downwind locations.Citation
Garg, Teevrat, Maulik Jagnani, and Hemant K. Pullabhotla. 2024. "Rural Roads, Farm Labor Exits, and Crop Fires." 蝌蚪网 Journal: Economic Policy 16 (3): 420–50. DOI: 10.1257/pol.20220422Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- D62 Externalities
- J43 Agricultural Labor Markets
- O13 Economic Development: Agriculture; Natural Resources; Energy; Environment; Other Primary Products
- O18 Economic Development: Urban, Rural, Regional, and Transportation Analysis; Housing; Infrastructure
- Q12 Micro Analysis of Farm Firms, Farm Households, and Farm Input Markets
- Q51 Valuation of Environmental Effects
- Q53 Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling