[E] Droughts and Agricultural Land Concentration in France
Le 2 oct. 2025 de 13h00 à 14h00
Raja CHAKIR, chercheuse INRAE
à Bayonne, en salle 110 ; à Pau, en salle des thèses DEG, via Teams.
Abstract
This paper examines the impact of recurrent droughts on farm size and land concentration in France over the short run (2015–2022) and long run (1988–2020). While droughts in developing countries often drive cropland expansion, evidence from developed economies remains scarce. Using panel data from 716 small agricultural regions and econometric models, we analyze structural shifts in landholding patterns based on average and median farm size. Drought exposure is measured through absolute (Soil Wetness Index, SWI) and relative (zscore) indicators. Our findings show that severe droughts accelerate land concentration, with the strongest effects in summer and autumn. Droughts also reduce agricultural land prices, facilitating acquisitions by larger farms, while forcing smaller farmers to exit. Additionally, total agricultural land use declines, further reinforcing concentration trends. These results highlight the structural consequences of climatic shocks in developed economies, where farm concentration is the dominant adaptation response.
[E] Does Subsidizing Cross-Border Trade Boost Microenterprise Growth? A field experiment in Kenya
Le 9 oct. 2025 de 13h00 à 14h00
Mattea STEIN, Assistant Professor, University of Naples Federico II
à Pau, en salle des thèses DEG ; à Bayonne, en salle 110, via Teams
Abstract
We investigate the impact of an incentive-to-trade scheme on micro-enterprise performance among traders at the Kenya-Uganda border. Through a randomized controlled trial (RCT), we assess the effects of a scalable monetary incentive combined with an information treatment to curb misperception of trading risks. The treatment significantly increases trade volume and leads to sizable growth in revenue and profit, detected six months after the end of the intervention. We explore the underlying mechanisms driving these results, particularly the role of profit reinvestment and changes in traders’ perceptions of risk. This study contributes critical insights into the potential of targeted interventions to enhance cross-border trade and improve the economic outcomes of micro-entrepreneurs in developing regions.
[E] Dividends of Expanding Clean Fuel Access: Rural-Urban Evidence on Infant, Maternal, and Nutrition Gains
Le 6 nov. 2025 de 13h00 à 14h00
Marion Coste & Camille Massié
à Pau, en salle des thèses DEG ; à Bayonne, en salle 110, via Teams
Abstract
Dividends of Expanding Clean Fuel Access: Rural-Urban Evidence on Infant, Maternal, and Nutrition Gains. Access to clean cooking fuels is essential for improving health, equity, and environmental sustainability globally. Despite ongoing policy efforts, a large number of households, particularly in developing countries, continue to rely on polluting cooking fuels, contributing to adverse health outcomes, environmental degradation, and economic hardship. This study uses panel data covering 102 developing countries from 2000 to 2022 to empirically examine the effects of clean cooking access on human wellbeing. Employing fixed effects and instrumental variable approaches, we address endogeneity concerns and identify causal impacts. We also investigate rural-urban disparities and find that urban populations experience larger improvements in health and nutrition per percentage point increase in clean cooking access. Focusing on sub-Saharan Africa, we simulate multiple scenarios of increased clean cooking access and estimate substantial gains: Raising rural access from 10% to 25% could avert approximately 84,000 infant deaths and prevent 1.68 million cases of child stunting. Achieving universal access in urban areas—an increase from 35% to 100%—could avert 377,000 infant deaths and yield over 11 million disability-adjusted life years, reflecting substantial reductions in household air pollution-related disease burden. These findings underscore the need for urgent, inclusive, and context specific policy interventions to close the clean cooking gap to advance global health and development goals. While rural households remain a priority, the scale of potential benefits in urban areas highlights the importance of a dual-focus approach in clean energy planning.
