Work

Agricultural Productivity and Fertility Rates

Year: 2021

Type: article

Abstract: We analyze the link between agricultural productivity growth and fertility rates, using the oil palm boom in Indonesia as an empirical setting. We find consistent negative effects of oil palm expansion on fertility during the period 1996-2016. This finding appears to be linked to rising farm profits that led to consumption growth, an expansion of the non-agricultural sector, increasing wage returns to education and higher school enrollment. Together, these findings suggest that agricultural productivity growth can play an important role in accelerating the fertility transition, as long as the economic benefits are large enough to translate into local economic development.

Source: The Journal of Human Resources

DOI: 10.3368/jhr.0520-10905r1

Authors: Esther Gehrke, Christoph Kubitza

Institutions: Wageningen University & Research, German Institute for Global and Area Studies

Language: English

Topic: Demographic Trends and Gender Preferences

Subfield: Gender Studies

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Decent work and economic growth, Zero hunger

Open Access status: green

Funder: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft