Rural Roads, Farm Labor Exits, and Crop Fires
Garg, Teevrat
Rural Roads, Farm Labor Exits, and Crop Fires - American Economic Journal: Economic Policy 2024 - 420-450
Even as policymakers seek to encourage economic development by addressing misallocation due to frictions in labor markets, the associated production externalities-such as air pollution-remain 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-a labor-saving but polluting technology-to 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.
1945-7731
Economic Development: Agriculture
Natural Resources
Agricultural Labor Markets
Rural Roads, Farm Labor Exits, and Crop Fires - American Economic Journal: Economic Policy 2024 - 420-450
Even as policymakers seek to encourage economic development by addressing misallocation due to frictions in labor markets, the associated production externalities-such as air pollution-remain 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-a labor-saving but polluting technology-to 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.
1945-7731
Economic Development: Agriculture
Natural Resources
Agricultural Labor Markets