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Essays in the Non-Separability between Environmental Resources and Human Nutrition, and the Role of Markets in Mitigating the Linkage: Evidence from Malawi and Nepal

Kim, Kichan
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1388-7977
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu162068387502524

Abstract Details

2021, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Agricultural, Environmental and Developmental Economics.
In these essays, I study the soil-to-human mineral transmission and the role of markets in mitigating the linkages in the context of Nepal and Malawi in the first two chapters. And, in the last chapter I explore the adverse impact of rural connectivity on children's unhealthy dietary habits in rural Nepal. The first chapter examines the negative child health impacts of soil zinc (Zn) deficiency in Nepal. Soil Zn deficiency limits the Zn concentration in food crops, leading many to speculate that it underlies human Zn deficiency and child stunting, globally and particularly in South Asia. We find strong evidence that soil Zn deficiency does have a causal impact on child stunting in Nepal's Tarai region, the breadbasket of the country. Using conservative causal bounds, we find that a 1 part per million increase in plant-available soil Zn --- achievable with application of Zn-enriched fertilizer --- decreases child stunting by 9-10 percentage points in the long run, and 4-7 percentage points in the short run. Multiple statistical sensitivity tests indicate that these relationship are not manufactured by omitted, relevant variables. The association is strongest in the most isolated areas and in seasons where dependence on food crops is strongest, as expected if soil Zn deficiency reduces local crop Zn concentration and through that human Zn intake and status. The second chapter investigates the linkage between human selenium (Se) status and the local vs nearby market Se environment, and the role of markets in mitigating the linkage in Malawi. Using nationally representative data on human micronutrient concentration and gridded data on soil characteristics, we find that local soil type (with implications for crop Se concentration) and proximity to Lake Malawi (which holds Se-rich fish) are strongly predictive of human Se status. Furthermore, markets seem to aggregate Se from their catchment area and supply that Se to nearby families. Human Se intake and status therefore appears to depend on both the hyper-local environmental availability of Se and the availability of Se around their nearest market. The globalization of food markets is accompanied by a nutritional and epidemiological transition in developing countries — often manifest as increased dietary diversity but also increased consumption of sugars and fats and an accompanying increase in obesity and diabetes. The last chapter examines how improved rural connectivity catalyzes the nutritional transition among rural households in Nepal. Recent large-scale road and bridge construction concentrated in the urban areas has also dramatically connected rural with urban areas, historically isolated due to Nepal’s dramatic topography. Working with OpenStreetMap data, I identify plausibly exogenous reductions in travel time between rural communities and major cities due to the \textit{non-local} construction. I find that the improved rural connectivity to the closest food trading city or Kathmandu improves child dietary diversity score, mainly through increased consumption of legumes and nuts. At the same time, however, the rural connectivity to Kathmandu, the city where majority of junk foods are produced and distributed, rather increases child junk food consumption and child wasting accordingly, with no evidence on stunting. Therefore, the overall impact of the improved rural connectivity appears to be negative.
Mark Partridge (Advisor)
Leah Bevis (Advisor)
Abdoul Sam (Committee Member)
200 p.
Agricultural Economics; Economics; Health
micronutrient deficiency, non-separability, human-environment, soil fertility, road construction, rural connectivity, junk food, nutritional transition

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Kim, K. (2021). Essays in the Non-Separability between Environmental Resources and Human Nutrition, and the Role of Markets in Mitigating the Linkage: Evidence from Malawi and Nepal [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu162068387502524

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Kim, Kichan. Essays in the Non-Separability between Environmental Resources and Human Nutrition, and the Role of Markets in Mitigating the Linkage: Evidence from Malawi and Nepal. 2021. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu162068387502524.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Kim, Kichan. "Essays in the Non-Separability between Environmental Resources and Human Nutrition, and the Role of Markets in Mitigating the Linkage: Evidence from Malawi and Nepal." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2021. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu162068387502524

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu162068387502524
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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.