This paper analyzes potential changes to the U.S. food stamp program (FSP) that have been suggested by some nutritionists and others with a view to combating obesity among the poor. Specifically, we use models of consumer behavior, firm supply, and market equilibrium to assess the impacts of...

Reported rates of return to agricultural R&D are generally high, but they are likely to be biased, particularly because of attribution problems - mismatching research benefits with costs. The importance of attribution biases is illustrated here with new evidence for Brazil. During 1981-2003,...

Despite solid theoretical foundations for the notion that poor, borrowing-constrained households will intertemporally manage assets to smooth consumption, the consumption-smoothing hypothesis has not always withstood empirical scrutiny. This paper reassesses the intertemporal asset management...

Although there is ample evidence of differences in how and where men and women acquire information, most research on learning and household decisionmaking only considers access to information for a single, typically male, household head. This assumption may be problematic in developing-country...

How and how well growers manage the risks inherent in agriculture has direct welfare implications for producers and consumers at both local and societal levels. While better weather, pest and disease forecast information are rapidly disseminating among producers and are often touted as promising...