Economic Development
How Should Policymakers Respond to Rising Fertilizer Prices?
The Iran war has driven up the cost of fertilizer, squeezing farmers in the developing world. Prof. Kevin Donovan says that governments can respond most effectively by shifting from broad subsidies to a more targeted approach.
How Can We Create an Economics of Hope?
Entrenched inequality is creating a sense of despair for many Americans. Andrea Levere ’83 discusses policies and programs that help more people find opportunities for hope.
How Do You Build Effective Public-Private Partnerships?
The World Bank’s Isabel Marques de Sá explains how these enormously complex contracts can be tools for innovation and capacity building.
The Nobel Prize in Economics and the Dangers of Foreign Aid
Professor A. Mushfiq Mobarak argues that claims about the impact of foreign aid should be tested with careful empirical study.
The Myth of Nepal’s Missing Men
Professor Mushfiq Mobarak and co-author Alix Zwane argue that discouraging labor migration is not the right way to help Nepal recover.
Despite Risks, Garment Factory Jobs Have Long-Term Benefits for Bangladeshi Women
A new study finds that garment factory work reshapes the lives of women in Bangladesh in positive ways.
Corruption Decreases Technology Adoption in Emerging Markets
Technology adoption is lower in emerging markets with corrupt business environments, and higher in those with good transparency and enforcement, according to a new study forthcoming in Marketing Science.
Community Motivation and Subsidies Increase Toilet Use in Developing World
A combination of community motivation and subsidies targeted to the poor is the most effective way to increase toilet ownership and use, and decrease open defecation, in developing countries, according to a new study published in the journal Science.
Balancing the Letter and the Spirit
Should organizations favor the dependable efficiency of rules and standards or a less calculated but more flexible operation that bends to accommodate individual situations? How about both?
Can Insurance Help the Poor Manage Risk?
Rainfall insurance can help a farmer survive a drought year and ultimately increase prosperity in rural areas. So why aren’t more using it? Many people in developing countries rely on informal insurance, such as a family network, rather than formal insurance. Yale SOM professor Mushfiq Mobarak’s research has tested the effects of formal insurance for farmers in India and elucidated how the two systems interact.
Can Teaching Tea Workers In India To Read Have a Larger Impact?
Mercy Corps’ literacy program in Assam, India, works because it is local—designed and taught by staff with an understanding of the culture there. As a global organization, Mercy Corps needs to balance investment in a deep understanding of local issues with the imperative to make a difference in as many lives as possible.
