The distributional impact of large dams: Evidence from cropland productivity in Africa

We examine the distributional impact of large dams on cropland productivity in Africa. As our unit of analysis we use a hydrology based spatial breakdown of the continent that allows one to exactly define regions in terms of their upstream/downstream relationship at a highly disaggregated level. We then use satellite data to derive measures of cropland productivity within these areas. Our econometric analysis shows that while regions downstream benefit from large dams, no beneficial effects accrue to cropland within the vicinity. Moreover, we find that the productivity enhancing impact of upstream dams is dependent on the local climate. Overall our results suggest that upstream dams have quantitatively on average provided up to 12% of the minimum daily per capita amount of kilocalorie needs in downstream communities and increased agricultural production by 1%.     

Who produces for whom in the world economy?

Abstract For two decades, the share of trade in inputs, also called vertical trade, has been dramatically increasing. In reallocating trade flows to their original input‐producing industries and countries, this paper suggests a new measure of international trade: ‘value‐added trade’ and makes it possible to answer the question ‘who produces for whom?’ In 2004, 27% of international trade was vertical trade. The industrial and geographic patterns of value‐added trade are very different from those of standard trade. Value‐added trade is relatively less important in regional trade but the difference is not more important for Asia than for America.     

Cropland use,yields, and droughts: spatial data modeling for Burkina Faso and Niger

For countries with recurrent droughts, the design of drought impact mitigation measures could benefit from analyses of determinants of yields and prices of local crops at regional and district level. This study applies dynamic spatial panel data regression models to yields and prices of four major food crops across regions of Burkina Faso and Niger, over sample periods between 1984 and 2006. Results lend support to mainly simultaneous spatial spillovers, particularly for millet and cowpea prices and sorghum yields in Niger, and maize yields in Burkina Faso. After accounting for these effects, most crop yields are found to be weakly price‐responsive, as envisaged by a supply‐side geographical diffusion hypothesis. Seasonal rainfall elasticity estimates suggest that dominant food crops have slight advantage margins in terms of relative resilience to rainfall shortages. However, this result is to be weighed against low millet yields in Niger, and marked drops in sorghum yields during officially declared droughts in Burkina Faso.     

Consumer demand for nutrition versus taste in four major food categories

This study addresses the trade‐off between nutrition and taste in expenditure on breakfast cereal, milk, bread, and soft drinks. Within each category, products have similar cost and convenience, but have markedly different flavor and nutritional content. Using annual expenditure data for a large sample of households participating in the ACNielsen Homescan system, we regress a measure of “healthiness” on household demographics and market prices, and find that households with college‐educated heads and higher incomes made significantly healthier choices in all four categories. These effects are puzzling in that the nutritional differences between products were well known to consumers, and there are no cost or convenience differences between them. The presence of children was associated with less healthy choices, especially for cereal and bread, while older households made healthier choices in all categories except milk.     

人工智能在我国公共卫生建设中的应用与思考

新冠疫情的暴发以及长期防治对中国的公共卫生体系造成深远影响,给我国突发公共卫生事件应急与防控机制带来巨大的考验。在疫情防控的过程中,信息化技术为传统医疗机构带来瞩目的帮助与改变,人工智能、大数据、5G高速网络等新兴高科技的蓬勃发展在直接提升医疗水平方面表现出巨大潜力。本文就人工智能在疫情期间的医疗辅助功能展开讨论,并对未来我国公共卫生体系的建设进行了思考。     

Understanding the impact of COVID-19 intervention policies on the hospitality labor market

Using new high-frequency data that covers a representative sample of small businesses in the United States, this study investigates the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting state policies on the hospitality industry. First, business closure policies are associated with a 20–30% reduction of non-salaried workers in the food/drink and leisure/entertainment sectors during March-April of 2020. Second, business reopening policies play a statistically significant role in slowly reviving the labor market. Third, considerable differences exist in the impact of policies on the labor market by state. Fourth, the rise of new COVID-19 cases on a daily basis is associated with the continued deterioration of the labor market. Lastly, managerial, practical, and economic implications are described.     

“新冠肺炎”疫情对我国外贸和就业的冲击及纾困举措

“新冠肺炎”疫情对我国外贸和就业产生何种冲击?本文认为,此次疫情已给我国外贸和就业以及全球产业链和供应链带来严重不利的冲击,需要保持中国出口增长,以支撑进口和就业增长,平稳产业链。此次疫情下我国的内外部经贸环境更加严峻,与2003年“非典”时有着很大的不同。稳就业是当务之急,而稳外贸、稳外资是稳就业的关键支撑力。此次疫情加剧了我国巨量高校毕业生叠加农村城镇化大量人口的就业压力。纾困举措:(1)稳定出口市场维护全球供应链,发挥市场机制的有效配置作用;(2)遏制住疫情,运用财政和货币政策对企业减税降费、增加市场流动性,降低成本和扩大消费;(3)帮助企业有序复工复产,提升营商环境,通过稳外贸和稳外资提升就业;(4)大力提升贸易投资便利化和公共产品服务来支持企业开拓市场;(5)教育部可根据高校实际招生能级,授权其适度增加研究生招生比重来缓解毕业生集中就业压力。     

医疗卫生资源、新型冠状病毒肺炎死亡率与资源优化配置

新冠肺炎疫情发生后,湖北省一直是疫情的重灾区与抗疫的焦点地区,患者死亡率远远高于全国平均水平。本文构建纳入医疗资源条件的新冠肺炎传播的SIER模型进行机制分析和模拟研究,发现改善卫生资源条件会降低疫情的死亡率。针对湖北省疫情数据,使用最小二乘方法进行实证研究后发现,无论是增加医院或者卫生系统内的床位数,还是增加医护人员数,均可显著地降低疫情死亡率。进一步通过时变效应和断点回归模型考察重大突发公共卫生事件一级响应政策效应和外援医疗团队效应,实证结果也佐证了上述推断。结合研究结论和湖北省防疫经验,本文提出先整合医院内部医疗资源,打破医院内部各科室之间分割,再整合地区内医疗卫生系统的资源,同时实施医疗系统外部资源三管齐下的医疗资源配置建议措施,以期为国内外疫情防控贡献中国智慧。     

国家治理现代化背景下企业社会责任实践创新——兼论突发性重大公共危机治理的企业社会责任实践范式

企业是推进国家治理体系与治理能力现代化的重要微观市场主体,如何通过企业社会责任实践参与和推动社会治理创新,应对和解决突发性社会公共问题,成为国家治理体系与治理能力现代化的重要议题。从企业社会责任治理模式、实践议题、实践主体、实践范式等方面阐述国家治理体系与治理能力现代化导向下的企业社会责任转向。更进一步地,以新型冠状病毒疫情应对为例,深入阐述在特大型公共危机治理过程中,企业如何通过社会责任实践参与重大公共危机治理的多元范式（基于传统个体型的原子式、基于供应链的价值链式、基于战略联盟的联动式,以及数字化平台经济时代基于平台企业主导的商业生态圈与基于公共治理平台主导的社会生态圈等5种范式）推动治理主体、治理过程以及治理手段与工具优化创新,从而为企业助力国家治理体系与治理能力现代化提供理论和实践启示。     

新冠肺炎疫情下管理层业绩预告归因行为研究

基于A股上市公司2020年1—4季度业绩预告归因的研究发现,公司将业绩变化归因于新冠疫情的概率呈现随季度下降的趋势,坏消息归因于新冠疫情的概率显著高于好消息,且这种差异未随季度发生显著变化。业绩预告归因反映了管理层自利性归因与新冠疫情的叠加影响,且在特定情境下投资者能够识别自利性归因。研究结论从微观经济主体和利益相关者感知的角度展示了中国抗击新冠疫情的成效,也为监管部门规范重大外生冲击下的信息披露操纵行为提供了借鉴。