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Poverty measurement using durable ownership data is an attempt to infer income constraints by observing consumption choices. But what drives household spending choices on durable goods? How do these choices relate to poverty and class? What does it mean to be 'relatively' poor and why should we care to measure it? In this paper, we propose an economic theory of household decision-making that links these questions using a novel wealth-begets-wealth mechanism. We show that the steady state distribution of total (accumulated) household durable expenditures in this model exhibits natural clusters (classes). Furthermore, certain households may be vulnerable to a long run 'poverty of opportunities', being unable to access any of the channels of income generation available in society. Our model shows that relative poverty can be understood as the endogenous outcome of an intergenerational process that perpetuates unequal access to opportunities. This finding has novel implications for the measurement of poverty, which has traditionally hinged on definitions that assume exogenous (often arbitrary) cutoffs. The contribution of this paper also lies in its novel methodology, viz., formulating a theoretical model as the foundation of a data-generating process for synthetic observations, using patterns observed therein to inform the process of poverty measurement. The methodology delivers a framework for generating testable hypotheses around the long-run effect of policy changes (such as income transfers or education subsidies) on relative poverty – an approach that can be applied generally to understand the observed behaviour of economic agents in complex dynamic settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the second populous country in the world, China is confronted with the significant and rapid challenge of population ageing. The household savings rate is inevitably impacted by population ageing. Most existing research has been conducted using macro data from 31 provinces in China. However, most of them lacks consideration of urban-rural differences. Furthermore, there are concerns regarding the applicability of using macro data to study household-level microeconomic issues. Against this backdrop, the objectives of this paper are twofold: first, to investigate the effect of population ageing on the savings rates of urban and rural households in China. Second, this work examines whether urban–rural heterogeneity is evident in the impact of population ageing on household savings in China. This paper conducts a regression analysis on pseudo-panel data from 2010 to 2018 in China using micro-level household data from China Family Panel Studies and employing a Feasible Generalized Least Squares model. The key contribution of this paper is converting cross-sectional microdata into pseudo-panel data, enabling regression analysis within a logical and rigorous theoretical framework. It addresses limitations on existing literature, which predominantly relies on macro data. Additionally, the study takes into account heterogeneity, individual differences, and multicollinearity in regression model selection, thereby remedying the shortcomings of model selection in the majority of the existing literature based on pseudo-panel data. The findings reveal the heterogeneity of household savings rates in urban and rural China, as well as the heterogeneity of the impact of population ageing on the savings rates of urban and rural households in China. Specifically, population ageing significantly reduces household savings rates in both China and rural areas, but significantly increases the savings rates of urban households. Moreover, in the context of population ageing, urban household savings rates are significantly lower than those in rural areas. Policymakers should strengthen urbanization efforts to reduce the urban-rural disparity. In addition, to mitigate the impact of population ageing on savings rates, policymakers should encourage fertility in order to improve household demographics. They should also strengthen investment in education to reduce the burden of household expenditure on education. In addition, policymakers should promote entrepreneurship, provide job training in order to increase household incomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The motives behind transfers from adult children to parents hold significance in the well-being of the elderly. In the context of China's land titling program, we utilize a dominant child model to study the trade-off between altruism and exchange motives. Based on data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, this paper employs the endogenous switching model to investigate the effects of land titling on children's pecuniary and time transfers. The results of the average treatment effect on the treated (ATT) indicate that for children whose parents receive land titling, land titling has significantly increased their pecuniary transfers while decreasing their time transfers. Mechanism analysis reveals that the land titling program results in higher parental income by incentivizing parents to rent out their land and engage in off-farm employment. These findings reveal the exchange motive, suggesting that children provide transfers out of concern about their parents' wealth. Heterogeneous analysis demonstrates that both sons and daughters lean towards exchange motives. Land titling effects are pronounced among children without siblings, those from parental households with lower land per capita, and those with higher income. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the impact of the accumulation of tangible capital, ICT and intangible capital assets like software and databases or R&D on employment growth and the changes in labour income shares at the country-industry level. The econometric analysis is derived from a Cobb–Douglas production function taking into account the stylised fact that the capital–output ratios are rather constant or increasing over time with the latter being the case particularly for ICT and intangible assets. The accumulation of tangible assets like machinery and transport equipment then has a relatively strong positive relation to employment growth. Further in line with the theoretical outline, the accumulation of ICT assets or intangible assets are less strongly related to employment growth. Both these conjectures are confirmed econometrically. The impact on labour income shares is mixed, but generally small. • Capital–output ratios are increasing with capital accumulation of ICT and intangible asset types. • Accumulation of tangible capital is positively related to employment growth. • ICT and intangible capital accumulation is also positively but only weakly linked to employment growth. • Impact on labour income shares is mixed and small. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the implications of fiscal policy for labor income inequality through two causal channels. First, I estimate how fiscal policy reacts to negative income shocks happening at different points on the labor income distribution, to examine whether fiscal policy responds differently when there are changes in income for low-income earners, versus median-income earners or high-income earners. Secondly, I estimate the impact that various fiscal policies have on labor market income at the low, median, and high ends. I consider eight different fiscal policy variables, including four types of government transfer variables shown to be countercyclical, government consumption and government investment, and personal versus corporate tax revenue. Embedding each fiscal policy variable into a Bayesian structural vector autoregression, I estimate both the reaction of each fiscal policy variable to shocks to labor income at three points of the labor income distribution, and the impact of shocks to each fiscal policy variable on labor income along the same three points of the distribution. Impulse response functions show most fiscal policies are more responsive to shocks to the low end of the income distribution. The impulse response functions also show that it is often the median and upper-end of the income distribution that benefit most from fiscal expansions, leading to greater income inequality. The results also reveal that the fiscal policies most effective for boosting income at low income levels also lead to the largest increases in income inequality. Finally, I find that the fiscal policies most effective for stimulating labor income are also the least responsive to labor income shocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By means of counterfactual simulation methods, this paper quantifies the role of tax–benefit policies in mitigating the shock of the COVID-19 pandemic to household income in the European Union. The tax-benefit microsimulation model for the European Union EUROMOD is used to decompose changes in the income distribution into the effects of: (i) earnings losses due to COVID-19, (ii) automatic stabilizers, (iii) monetary compensation schemes introduced during the pandemic; and (iv) COVID-19-specific reforms to taxes and benefits implemented by European Union governments. The results show a great deal of heterogeneity between countries in terms of earnings losses and the effect of tax-benefit policies during the COVID-19 pandemic. In most countries, the largest contribution to cushioning the economic shock of the pandemic comes from monetary compensation schemes. Automatic stabilizers also play a role, mainly through the effects of social insurance contributions, taxes, and unemployment insurance benefits. Tax-benefit systems cushioned incomes to a large extent even among those most severely affected by the shock to earnings, with an important role for monetary compensation schemes, but also a larger stabilizing effect of unemployment insurance. Among automatic stabilizers, social assistance benefits played an important role in cushioning the income shock for the poorest quintiles among the most severely affected, but only in selected countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Unveiling insights into the Chinese low consumption puzzle by emphasizing the impact of monopolistic and strategic land supply on the final consumption rate. • Monopolistic land supply suppresses the final consumption rate by expanding government income share and widening urban-rural income gaps. • Strategic land supply suppresses the final consumption rate by driving up the share of capital income and housing prices. • Reducing land transaction monopolies and optimizing supply structures can yield substantial benefits for economic rebalancing. The challenge of low consumption presents a complex development issue in China, one that has been insufficiently analyzed through the lens of land supply. This paper introduces a fresh perspective to the Chinese low consumption puzzle by shedding light on the constraints imposed by monopolistic/strategic land supply on the final consumption rate. Our findings reveal that China's distinctive land supply patterns systematically restrict consumption, as monopolistic land supply hinders total consumption by widening the share of government sector income and the urban-rural income gap. Additionally, strategic land supply curtails consumption by increasing the share of capital income and driving up housing prices. This study underscores the significance of land supply-side reforms in bolstering consumption, offering valuable policy insights for China and other transitioning economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines how the perceived importance of family background affects distributional preferences using two large-scale survey experiments. In the first experiment, we randomly inform respondents about the relationship between parental income and economic success later in life, making their social mobility perceptions more pessimistic. However, this changes neither revealed distributional preferences nor pro-social behavior toward the rich and poor. The second experiment shows that respondents do not account for parental influence on economic success when making (re-)distribution decisions, suggesting that people view parental influence as a legitimate reason to justify some inequality. This can explain why distributional preferences are immune to changes in perceptions of social mobility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the household response to health shocks and the mitigating effect of broadband infrastructure using micro survey data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). This study contributes to the literature by exploiting the "Broadband China" policy to address endogeneity issues and constructing multidimensional health indicators to assess the distinct effects of various health status changes on household outcomes. We find that household income from agricultural productivity and food consumption are well insured against health shocks, while health shocks significantly reduce income from self-employed activities and increase nonfood consumption. In addition, our findings suggest that broadband infrastructure plays an important role in reducing the negative impact of health shocks through two important channels: optimizing financial asset management and increasing public transfers from the government. These findings highlight the importance of broadband development, which can help rural households better cope with unexpected health shocks and reduce the likelihood of falling into poverty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent times, the landscape of financial literacy has been evolving to accommodate new trends driven by the growing prominence of digital finance. This shift has underscored the vital need for developing digital financial literacy (DFL). Scientists and researchers have increasingly recognized the crucial importance of acquiring the knowledge and skills required to navigate the complexities of digital transactions, crypto currencies, online banking, and digital investment platforms. In our study conducted in Bosnia and Herzegovina, we utilized the 2022 OECD survey questionnaire for this purpose. Employing various data collection methods, including Paper and Pencil Interviewing, Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing, and Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing, we gathered a substantial dataset comprising 1,096 fully completed questionnaires. Our primary contribution lies in the assessment of DFL scores among adults in Bosnia and Herzegovina, marking the first study of its kind in this transitional and developing nation. Furthermore, our research identifies notable personal background and socio-demographic disparities in DFL levels, rooted in factors such as age, gender, urban or rural residence, education, income and internet access, but also self-awareness of financial knowledge, owning a current account and a credit card. The survey results underscore the prevailing low levels of DFL in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with an overall score of 3.83 out of 10, highlighting the urgency for government intervention in addressing this issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When externalities are present, is the inclusion of the affected stakeholders in the firm's decision process a better solution than the shareholder governance? This paper argues that the internalization of the externality hinges on the available information and the market strategy used by the firm rather than its governance structure. In the absence of income effects (i.e., if preferences are quasi-linear), a market for "customer rights" reveals all the necessary information about the surplus of a homogeneous consumer population. In that case, a Coase-type equivalence obtains: whether the firm uses the information in the interest of its shareholders or all its stakeholders, the outcome in each case is an efficient allocation. With income effects, the market for customer rights may fail. Still, if appropriate information can be obtained, efficiency can be achieved under both governance structures (or neither). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the spatial spillover effects of built environment features on household car and motorcycle ownership through aggregate ward-level analysis and household-level disaggregated analysis. Using a primary data collected in Hubli-Dharwad city in Southern India, the paper estimates Spatial Durbin models to assess the direct and spillover effects of socio-economic characteristics (household income, the number of children and household size), built environment characteristics (population density, diversity, distance, and subjective built environment measures), travel attitudes (pro-car, pro-NMT and pro-public transport), and commute behavior (distance and time) on household car and motorcycle ownership. The paper finds that spatial dependencies exist in both aggregate and disaggregate levels of analysis. There is a significant spatial dependency in car ownership due to household income, household size, the number of children, and pro-car attitude, and the correlations are significant in both aggregate and disaggregate levels of analysis. The positive lag effects of these variables suggests that socio-economic settings and attitudes of neighboring wards affect car and motorcycle ownership in a ward. The effects of diversity on car and motorcycle ownership maintain similar correlations in both levels of analysis. The likelihood of motorcycle ownership increases with improvements in diversity, while car ownership likelihood decreases. The study also shows that the spatial effects of built environment features could vary between the aggregate and disaggregate levels of analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Focuses on CBIs/AFNs as platforms for societal sustainability transition in the food realm and their members as transition stakeholders. • Fills research gap on Portuguese CBIs with empirical case study on the Lisbon-based food cooperative Fruta Feia. • Analyses how Fruta Feia membership can positively influence changes in their members' sustainability concerning values, food consumption decision-making choices as well as daily practices. • Shows that income is not a central explanatory factor for sustainability in food consumption decision-making and daily practices. • Critically reviews assumptions linked to the marginalisation and inequality discourse on environmental and sustainability agency by identifying low-income consumers as sustainability agents. Alternative Food Networks gain increasing importance in sustainability transitions of food production, retail, and consumption. This paper explores the role of AFN consumers as critical food sustainability change agents, with a special focus on low-income consumers. It challenges preconceived notions that associate sustainable living exclusively with affluent communities, highlighting the substantial influence of economically disadvantaged individuals in shaping sustainable food consumption patterns. Based on a survey of the Portuguese Fruta Feia cooperative, the paper examines how perceived income affects sustainable food values, decisions, and practices. Results highlight low-income consumers' significant, yet often overlooked, role in driving changes towards environmentally responsible food systems and practices. This research shifts the focus of sustainability change agency, underscoring the critical role of diverse, particularly financially disadvantaged, consumer groups in championing sustainability in the food sector. It also confirms the importance of AFNs and their members as critical transition stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While e-shopping may trigger more but shorter trips, i.e., within walkable distances, frequent e-shoppers see private car as more reliable. However, research addressing the interplay between e-shopping and transport mode choice is scarce and mostly focused on urban areas. Against this background, the paper complements current literature by answering the following research question: Is e-shopping behaviour associated with walking to in-store retail instead of using a private car, and what are the differences between urban and rural environments? Germany serves as the spatial laboratory, with the data from the 2017 Mobilität in Deutschland (MiD) survey providing comprehensive insights on mobility and its socio-economic elements. Three logistic regression models are carried out to explore the impact of e-shopping frequency on transport mode choice for three different spatial settings: large agglomerations (≥100,000 inhabitants), urban counties, and rural counties. The results show that people who buy online more frequently in urban and rural counties tend to reach in-store destinations by car instead of walking. On the other hand, the frequency of e-shopping and walking mode choice do not present any association on large urban agglomerations. The socio-economic analysis shows that car owners tend to reach in-store retail by car, while those with higher household incomes are more likely to walk. The paper ends with a discussion of how the results can inform sustainable transport systems to find a balance between online and in-store shopping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A growing body of literature demonstrates that the accessibility of urban green spaces may differ across ethnic, minority, racial, and socioeconomic groups. In post-socialist Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries, income has become the most critical factor influencing where people may reside in a city, as well as to the extent to which they can access city services. This paper investigates socioeconomic disparities in access to green areas in Budapest, Hungary, taking multiple types of green areas into account, such as urban green spaces (e.g., urban parks and gardens), urban forests, and residential greenery (e.g., private gardens and street trees). People's incomes were considered a proxy measure for socioeconomic status, and the spatial distribution of green areas were analyzed with geographic information system (GIS) tools. The results show that the advantage of wealthier people in terms of urban green space provision is not so pronounced, which is the outcome of a multi-layered historical urban development. However, considering the accessibility of urban forests and residential greenery, high-income people are in a more favorable position than those from other socioeconomic groups. In addition, geography seems to be a crucial constraint for high- and upper-middle income inner-city residents to access urban forests and residential greenery, indicating that factors outside of socioeconomic status influence access to green areas. Future planning policies should attempt to alleviate inequalities in green area provision; however, some inherited and recent issues may jeopardize municipalities' ability to achieve this goal. • This paper investigates socioeconomic disparities in access to green areas in Budapest. • We demonstrated that wealthy people are somewhat privileged in terms of access to green areas. • We found that previous planning regimes have impacted the current spatial patterns of green areas. • Three risk factors were detected that can jeopardize the improvement of urban green space provision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is a controversial question of whether environmental regulation can achieve the double dividend of improving environmental quality and increasing employment and income. This paper takes Chinese migrant population as the main research object and uses the Chinese Household Income Projects data (CHIPS) and the emission data of major pollutants at the prefecture-level city jointly. Based on the classic Mincer wage equation, we investigate the impact and mechanisms of environmental regulation on the income of Chinese migrant population. The results show that: (1) The intensity of environmental regulation significantly improves the income level of the migrant population, and for every 1% increase in the intensity of environmental regulation, the wage income of the mobile population will rise by 4.96%. (2) The documented positive effect of environmental regulation is more significant in non-public firms, the eastern regions and high-skilled workers. Conversely, for the female and elderly group, 1% increase in environmental regulations will restrain their income growth by 4.95% and 0.37%, respectively. (3) The influencing mechanisms include both the direct effect of labor demand and the indirect effects of firm performance and technological innovation. (4) we find that 1% increase in environmental regulations respectively raise the income of the low- and moderate-income migrant population by 10.834% and 3.579%, while having no significant impact on the high-income group, thus reducing the income gap of the migrant population. The findings of this paper provide theoretical support and practical evidence for achieving a coordinated development of ecological environmental protection and income improvement for socially disadvantaged groups in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban green spaces in the city of Niamey are under the threat of rapid urbanization in the context of climate change. The urban green space management becomes paramount and solicits the stakeholders' participation. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the determinants of the urban green space management practiced by the dwellers in Niamey City. Based on the questionnaire, the multinomial logistic model was applied to the primary data collected from close to 390 randomly selected households. The results show that the variables shade from urban green spaces, gender, household size, education level, monthly income, work status, length of time living in the districts, the status of peripheral areas, status of transitional areas, cost of the management, and plant market are the determinants of the urban green space management practices. These results give a signal to urban managers, and decision-makers on the factors to be addressed for better delivering urban green spaces likely to enhance urban climate resilience. • This paper analyze the determinants of urban green space management practices in the City of Niamey as insight of West African cities, • This paper applied the econometrical modeling namely multinomial logistic model as tool to estimate the determinants of the urban green space management practices; • The analysis shown that the urban green spaces benefits especially shade, gender, household size, education level, monthly income, length of time living in the districts, status of peripheral areas, and plant market are the main drivers of the urban green space management practices in the city of Niamey; • This paper calls for the city authorities to establish and implement a program that facilitates the dwellers' access to plants for their private green that can enhance their climate resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the realm of cancer care, the toll extends beyond physical and emotional strain to include substantial financial burdens. This paper embarks on an exploration of financial toxicity among cancer patients, employing observational study methods to delve into the determinants shaping these economic challenges. By uncovering key factors, we aim to inform targeted interventions to alleviate the financial burden associated with cancer treatment. The study was conducted at single cancer institute over a nine-month period, from May 2023 to January 2024, involving 250 cancer patients. Financial toxicity was assessed using the COST scale, while quality of life was evaluated using the WHO BREF scale. Statistical analysis, including the Wald's method of logistic regression analysis, was utilized to identify determinants affecting financial toxicity among the participants. The subjects, predominantly female (52.00%), had a mean age of 54.94 years (±13.51 SD). A portion of 30.40% presented with metastatic conditions, while 59.60% exhibited ECOG scores of 3 or 4. Regarding financial toxicity, 26.8% encountered Grade 1, 60.8% Grade 2, and 5.6% Grade 3, with the remaining subjects reporting no financial toxicity. The analysis unveiled statistically significant correlations between financial toxicity and education (p = 0.000), annual family income (p = 0.044), functioning scale (p = 0.000), and symptom scale (p = 0.039). The study reveals a high prevalence of financial toxicity among cancer patients, predominantly Grade 2. Significant correlations were found between financial toxicity and education, annual income, physical functioning, and symptom severity, emphasizing the need for interventions addressing socioeconomic disparities to alleviate financial burden and enhance patient well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study sought to examine children's immigration status as predictors of immigration related psychological distress and poverty among household with unauthorized parents. Immigration related psychological distress included stressors associated with working in United States without legal working papers and living in constant fear of deportation. Poverty was assessed by looking into income-to-needs ratio. Children's immigration status accounted for unique significant variance for poverty. The results indicated that households with unauthorized children were more likely to experience poverty than households with mixed-status children. Similarly, household with mixed status children were more likely to experience poverty than household with documented children. Although immigration-related psychological distress initially differed by children's immigration status, these differences disappeared after accounting for the income-to-needs ratio, highlighting poverty as a key factor in this distress. The findings that households with unauthorized parents, regardless of their children's immigration status, face higher poverty rates and that poverty drives immigration-related distress highlights the need for policies like DAPA, which could alleviate economic hardship and mental health challenges for these families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the international commitments to cut CO 2 emissions by 50–70% by 2030 and 100% by 2050–2070, the search for cost-efficient tools is continuously ongoing. In theory, CO 2 taxes are one of the most efficient and simple tools. However, despite their excellent economic properties, CO 2 taxes are not always preferred by the public and can impact social inequality. Another issue is that other CO 2 reduction interventions, such as increased renewable energy like wind power, can substitute the CO 2 tax. Nevertheless, wind power is also controversial, and the local acceptance of new, mainly onshore, wind power projects can be very low. In this paper, we test how these two issues are related. Using data from a national survey with 2386 respondents, we test how the existing and potential future wind power landscape (number of turbines) relates to the CO 2 consumer tax support. The average results show no relations. However, conditional on gender, age, and income, female respondents, older respondents, and respondents from low-income households who can see many turbines from the residence are more positive towards consumer CO 2 taxes than male respondents, younger respondents, and respondents from higher-income households who see two or more turbines. We also find that low-income households with knowledge about local wind turbine projects support a consumer CO2 tax more than higher-income houses with the same knowledge. Finally, the density of turbines on the postal area level correlates differently and significantly with the support of a consumer CO 2 tax between male and female respondents. First, our results illustrate the dynamic properties of wind turbine exposure and the correlation with the support for CO 2 consumer taxes. Secondly, our results also denote the complexity of substitution between acceptance of CO 2 consumer taxes and wind power development across generations and household income levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many studies have investigated the distribution of greenhouse gas emissions associated with household consumption, highlighting that richer households have a substantially larger carbon footprint than poorer households. While these studies have typically used income or household expenditures as a proxy of households' living standards, the association between emissions and wealth has hardly been studied. Wealth is not just an important component of households' material living standards, known to be imperfectly correlated with income and expenditures, but it is also a very relevant dimension for climate policies. For instance, affluent households have more scope to invest in reducing emissions (e.g. insulation of their homes). Therefore, in this paper, we compare the inequality of emissions over wealth groups as well as groups defined by other living standard concepts such as income, expenditure and the joint distribution of income and wealth to add a focus on wealth to the analysis of emission inequality. Our study focuses on Belgium and the United Kingdom, which differ considerably in their level of wealth inequality. Our results highlight that the social distribution of emissions varies between expenditures, income, wealth and the joint distribution of income and wealth, with per capita emissions being more strongly associated with the joint distribution of income and wealth than with income alone. We also show that a significant share of households has both low income and low wealth, and may thus be lacking the means to prepare for a carbon-neutral future. Although increasing wealth taxation could provide much-needed revenues for low carbon investments, our results suggest that it would have a lower direct impact on the level of emissions and emission inequality compared to increasing taxes on high incomes. • Wealth is positively correlated with emissions. • Emission inequality according to wealth is higher than according to income. • People with low income and low wealth face a cumulative disadvantage. • Wealth inequality is a relevant dimension when designing climate policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent years have seen a growth in academic literature proposing a variety of ecosocial policies that seek to simultaneously advance environmental and social goals. However, the many proposals largely remain fragmented and scattered, making it difficult to see the ecosocial project as a broader coherent political agenda. This paper seeks to address this issue, through a systematic literature review, focusing on ecosocial proposals that directly or indirectly facilitate a downscaling of production and consumption in high-income countries. The review revealed 126 different policy proposals across 73 academic texts. These were categorized into five broad themes: democracy & participation, income & employment, redistributive taxation, consumption regulation, and social services. The categories illustrate the ecosocial project as consisting of unifying goals associated with these five themes. While the existing literature illustrates that the ecosocial project has much to offer in terms of addressing the socio-ecological and democratic crises in high-income countries, considerable gaps remain. Specifically, more research is arguably needed on (1) political strategy (2) detailing of individual policy proposals and (3) policy mixes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a critical shortage of health professionals globally which is affecting the possibility of attaining universal health coverage. Developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa such as Ghana and Nigeria are disproportionately affected and the shortfall in health professionals is envisaged to worsen over the next decade. Countries have responded differently in addressing this shortage. To understand the differing response to the same policy issue in two countries that share similar characteristics in terms of geolocation, socioeconomic indices and disease burden, this paper offers a comparative policy analysis of the two countries using the 3-I framework and punctuated equilibrium theory as comparative policy analysis tools. The analysis identified the ideas, interests, and institutions at play and how they have led to different policy outcomes in both countries. The analysis also shows the interaction between subsystems, policy images and policy venues and how this interaction led to policy change, in the case of Ghana and lag in the case of Nigeria. Our findings show four critical areas in addressing health workforce shortages in both countries – a general approach to addressing the issue, welfare and remuneration, workforce autonomy and career progression, and financing for workforce improvement. For Ghana, there has been significant policy change including implementing strategies for increasing the production of health professionals and addressing remuneration and welfare issues. For Nigeria, there has been seems to be a lag in policy change. While the findings show that Ghana's approach has seemingly put them on a good path toward universal health coverage, applying any lessons should, however, be contextual, considering other country-level and health systems factors that are relevant to addressing health workforce shortages. • African countries bear the disproportionate burden of global health worker shortage. • Different countries in the region have had different policy responses to the issue. • Ghana's response has been strategic, positive, and leading them towards UHC. • Nigeria has witnessed policy stagnancy, encumbered by health systems politics. • To achieve UHC, health worker shortages need strategic context-based policy solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Interval regressions are applied to examine predictors of online gambling (OG) among Spanish adolescents. • The prevalence of OG is almost ten times higher in males than in females. • OG is positively correlated with spent income and bullying victimization. • OG is positively correlated with having a bad relationship with the mother. • Conflictual relationships increase the proportion of spent income adolescents devoted to OA. This paper analyzes a new topic in gambling among adolescents: the association between the amount of available income that is spent weekly and online gambling, and further examines the possible role of conflictual relationships as a moderator of this association. To that end, interval regression analyses are used with a nationally representative sample of Spanish adolescents (n = 38,010; M age = 15.69; 51.4 % females). The results indicate that spent income, bullying victimization and poor-quality or conflictual relationships with the mother are positively associated with online gambling. Moreover, the last two predictors moderate the association between spent income and online gambling. The results also indicate that parents and schools have some room to maneuver. Thus, informative campaigns at school integrating parents could reduce online gambling directly and indirectly via the improvement of adolescents' conflictual relationships. Moreover, special attention should be paid to boys, among whom most online gambling takes place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To reduce deforestation and mitigate climate change, the Peruvian government proposed and partially implemented incentive- and disincentive-based forest conservation policies, especially in the Amazon, where most of the country's deforestation occurs. However, to date, little is known about the magnitude of the trade-offs between cost-effectiveness and welfare effects of such a policy mix. To explore this question, this paper develops a spatially explicit simulation model of landholders' deforestation decisions based on fines, payments for ecosystem services (PES), and the probability of enforcement that incorporates enforcement costs and deforestation dynamics. Simulations show that a policy approach solely based on disincentives (i.e. fines) could avoid annual deforestation at 2128 soles 1 1 1 sol ∼ USD 0.28 in 2022. /ha (0.81 USD/tCO 2) and a total income loss of 425 million soles for sanctioned landholders due to fines and lost agricultural rents (10-year net present values). On the other hand, a policy approach based only on PES could reduce deforestation at 7692 soles/ha or ∼2.6 USD/tCO 2 with a total income gain of 146 million soles for landholders receiving PES. Our findings show where and by how much mixing different levels of fines and PES could mitigate such trade-offs and attaining similar levels of avoided deforestation. • Imposing fines proves most cost-effective for deforestation reduction. • Adding incentives alleviates trade-offs between cost-effectiveness and income loss. • Collecting fine revenues further enhances the cost-effectiveness of command-and-control. • We use the Poisson distribution for generating deforestation scenarios. • We consider the field operations costs to calculate the enforcement probability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The income inequality effect of infrastructure investment is under-researched despite the fact that the world has been confronted with the formidable challenge of worsening income distribution. This paper addresses this gap by: (i) highlighting deficiencies in conventional inequality modeling, (ii) proposing an empirical framework that entails estimation of both income growth and income inequality effect of infrastructure using one model, and (iii) applying this model to individual-level data from rural China to estimate income growth and income inequality effect of specific public utility infrastructures. Our findings reveal that the usage of telephone and tap water infrastructure fosters rural income growth, particularly benefiting lower-income individuals, indicating benign income inequality effect. These effects are particularly notable in inland China. An investigation into underlying mechanisms shows that public utility infrastructures help improve educational attainment and health status in lower-income rural households, stimulating growth in income and reducing income inequality. These findings imply that development of public utility infrastructure can serve as a powerful policy instrument for government interventions to reduce income inequality and promote growth, especially in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on energy poverty dynamics by answering one question: Does energy poverty trap exist in Chinese cities? For this purpose, we examine the co-evolution between per capita energy consumption and income for 286 prefectural-and-above level cities in China over the period 2002 to 2014. A nonparametric joint-distribution dynamics approach is employed in the analysis. Both static and dynamic distribution analyses demonstrate significant evidence of club convergence in energy consumption across Chinese cities, and there are multiple equilibria between per capita energy consumption and income in the long-run distribution. The results also suggest that considerable cities fall into energy poverty trap, a chronic state with low income and low energy consumption. Therefore, we can argue that energy poverty is not a transitory state for those cities and support the existence of energy poverty trap in China. Our findings highlight the need to tailor policies aimed at reducing energy poverty in low-income cities. • We examine the co-evolution between per capita energy consumption and income in China. • A dataset of China's 286 prefecture-level cities during 2002–2014 is explored. • The results argue club convergence in energy consumption across Chinese cities. • Considerable cities fall into energy poverty trap. • The study supports the existence of energy poverty trap in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farmers' participation in rural public goods provision (PGP) is vital to improving rural public goods conditions and achieving rural revitalization in China. The factors influencing farmers' participation are, however, far from clear. This paper aims to investigate how social capital and income, the two most prominent factors, affect rural residents' participation in PGP. We use the Heckman sample selection model to empirically estimate the effects of both social capital and family income on farmers' participation and contribution to PGP based on a household survey conducted in four representative provinces in China. We further investigate the moderating effect of village location and elite ability on the effect of social capital on farmers' participation. Our results show that social capital generally has a positive impact on farmers' participation. Specifically, improving the formal norm, size of networks, and density of network would increase farmers' participation propensity. Enriching norms, particularly formal norms, can significantly improve farmers' contribution to public goods. Surprisingly, family income, mainly non-farm income, has a slightly negative effect on farmers' participation. Moreover, village-county distance can undermine the effect of social norms on farmers' participation, while elite ability can enhance the effect of social trust on farmers' participation. Thus, we suggest authorities should focus on enhancing social capital in the rural community to promote farmers' participation in PGP. • Nearly 50% Chinese farmers have never participated in public goods provision. • Social capital such as formal norms has a positive effect on farmers' participation. • Social capital matters more than income in promoting farmers' participation. • The distance to county capital moderates the effect of social capital on farmers' participation. • The elite ability can enhance the effect of social capital on farmers' participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, rural land transfer (RLT) is a common phenomenon with recurring characteristics. As the most populous country on Earth, China's RLT affects the stability and sustainability of global food production. Studies to date examining RLT and subjective welfare changes among rural residents, and few studies have explored the perspective of middle-aged rural residents. This paper empirically explores the impact of land transfer out on the living satisfaction of middle-aged rural residents using ordered probit regression models, based on the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) data. The findings reveal that RLT has a significant negative impact on the living satisfaction of middle-aged rural residents. Group regression tests based on household income structure and security ability show that land attachment is an important mechanism by which land transfer out affects the living satisfaction of middle-aged rural residents. The higher the intensity of dependence on the land, the more significant the inhibitory effect of land transfer out on living satisfaction. However, RLT has no significant effect on the living satisfaction of female middle-aged rural residents. Additionally, expanding social networks and use of the Internet to access more sources of information are conducive to mitigating the negative effect of land transfer out on the living satisfaction of middle-aged rural residents. Lastly, the negative effect of land transfer out on the living satisfaction of middle-aged rural residents is significant in the eastern district or the region with lower willingness to migrate. Overall, our research can offer ideas for understanding the living satisfaction of middle-aged rural residents and exploring the improving path of the social network size and Internet information channel use on the living satisfaction of middle-aged rural residents under the rural revitalization background. Further, it can provide scientific reference for rural land use management, land policy decisions related to land transfer out initiatives, and ultimately contributing to a well-structured approach towards rural revitalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past 20 years, China has undergone a rapid process of electrification, which has contributed to the modernization of people's lives. This paper associated household electricity consumption, appliance service function, total cost of electricity consumption to life well-being for the first time, and explained the structural characteristics of these changes. The welfare index from appliance services is defined as the result of the interaction between electricity consumption and appliance operation, and is used as an indicator to assess the improvement of household well-being. We sorted out 9 types of service functions of appliances, estimated the structure of household electricity consumption, total electricity cost and welfares received, and analyzed the factors that enhance welfare and their contributions. The results show that the electricity consumed by 12 main household appliances per household per year increased from 358 kWh in 2000 to 1419.5 kWh in 2020, and the total household electricity cost increases from 1315.74 yuan (RMB) to 6772.68 yuan. The quantity and structure of both have changed greatly. The service functions provided by appliances are increasingly diversified, have expanded from the basic services such as lighting, watching TV, refrigerated food to nine aspects including communication and transportation. The quality of life of residents continues to be improved, and the welfare index has increased from 2.48 to 7.82. There is a good linear relationship between the index and the three independent variables. The unit contributions of household disposable income, total electricity cost and household population size to the welfare index were 0.0836, 0.1195 and −1.6161, respectively. To accelerate electrification and enhance people's well-being, China needs to further improve the power and communication infrastructure, promote the application of intelligent technology, and implement precise encouragement policies. • Electricity consumption and appliance services cloud be linked to residential welfare. • The changes of household electricity structure and cost are quantitatively measured. • The welfare index from home appliance services are estimated for the first time. • The well-being is influenced by ability to pay, willingness to pay and family size. • The domestic electrification has greatly improved people's quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy poverty is the inability to meet necessary household energy needs and has threatened human well-being and exacerbated climate change. However, there has been a lack of systematic analysis regarding the driving factors of energy poverty and their interaction mechanisms, which is crucial for achieving effective energy poverty reduction. This paper proposes a novel integrated technique composed of the Backpropagation Neural Network (BPNN) and Weighted Influence Non-linear Gauge System (WINGS) method to identify the most important driving factors of energy poverty and understand their interaction mechanism by using household-level survey data in China from 2016, 2018, and 2020. The findings reveal that per capita household income is the most important cause-driving factor. Household heads' education attainment and policy support, such as government subsidy and housing provident fund, are also significant causes of energy poverty. Factors, such as household central heating system usage and house ownership, are in the downstream of the interaction mechanism chain to be considered as the effect-driving factors. Finally, a robustness test is conducted to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method and the obtained findings, which could assist energy-related decision-makers with the most significant drivers for reducing energy poverty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper reestimates global inequality between 1820 and 1980, reappraises the results up to 2013, and presents new inequality estimates for 2018. It shows that historically, global inequality has followed three eras: the first, from 1820 until 1950, characterized by rising income differences both between and within countries; the second, from 1950 to the last decade of the 20th century, with very high global and between-country inequality; and the current one of decreasing inequality thanks to the rise of Asian incomes, and especially so Chinese. The present era has seen the emergence of the global "median" class (people with per capita annual incomes ranging between $PPP 3,000 and $PPP 5,000) and the greatest reshuffling in income positions between the West and China since the Industrial Revolution. Absolute income differences in the past 30 years have however increased, and the income gap between the "core" and the poor "periphery" (if China is excluded) remains large: the ratio between median income in the core and periphery in 2018 exceeds 8 to 1 in PPP terms, and 22 to 1 in nominal dollars. The evolution of global inequality in the future will much more depend on what happens to the growth rates and inequality in India and large African countries than on China, as well as on the negative impact of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed unprecedented challenges to the livelihoods of rural households, especially in developing countries. The reverse migrated workers faced the most economic crisis. They have created additional pressure on local resources and opportunities to maintain their livelihood. In this connection the agriculture-livestock-forestry nexus plays a significant role by providing them livelihood opportunities. This paper attempts to understand the resource use patterns during the post-COVID period, and analyse the impact of agriculture-livestock-forest nexus on household income diversification and poverty reduction. The present study uses a novel approach to fulfil the objectives of the study. A well-designed survey was conducted to collect the necessary primary data from sixteen sample villages of West Bengal, India. The scientific design of the survey and data collection procedure is maintained. Moreover, geospatial techniques are used to examine the land use and land cover patterns of the study areas. The econometric models are estimated to inspect the role of agriculture-livestock-forest nexus and household characteristics on household level income diversification and the reduction of poverty. Our analysis reveals that a significant number of the sample households depend on agriculture, livestock and forestry to maintain their livelihoods. The reverse migration of workforce has created additional pressure on these activities. This is mainly due to non-availability of other non-farm employment opportunities locally. The analysis of econometric models shows that while engagement in different activities of the primary sector makes income diversified, it is more so when the households possess necessary technologies, skills and financial supports. All of these are crucial given that income diversification helps households to overcome of poverty. The intricate web of the agriculture-livestock-forestry nexus serves as a critical source of livelihood for a substantial number of households, yet the challenges and opportunities it presents necessitate targeted policy interventions. Enabling technology transfer, fostering skill development, and extending financial support emerge as key measures to diversify rural livelihoods, thereby fostering sustainable rural development and poverty reduction in the post-pandemic landscape. The integration of socioeconomic data and geospatial satellite information offers an invaluable basis for formulating effective policy strategies in this evolving era. [Display omitted] • Examines the agriculture-livestock-forest nexus and its impact on income diversification during the post-COVID period. • Analysing resource use and livelihoods with primary data, geospatial and econometric methods. • Technology transfer, skill development, and financial aid boost rural income diversification. • Socio-economic and satellite data integration aids in crafting impactful policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of inequality of opportunity and its main drivers is a major task in the field of economics. This paper aims to estimate a comprehensive database of socio-economic variables for five African countries (Ethiopia, Ghana, Uganda, Malawi, and Nigeria) using imputation techniques, with the ultimate goal of approximating the degrees of intergenerational transmission and social mobility. To achieve this goal, the transition matrix methodology is used in three domains: education, occupation, and income. The results show that the domain with the highest levels of mobility, in general terms, is education, and the lowest, income. Key findings reveal significant variations in the levels of social mobility across these domains depending on the studied country, such as in income mobility with respect to parents: Ethiopia is at the top with a high percentage of individuals experiencing upward mobility, and Malawi at the bottom, with a high percentage of individuals experiencing downward mobility. Moreover, the mobility levels of individuals tend to be higher for mothers than for fathers, which implies a greater improvement when compared to the most vulnerable group, i.e., women. No very significant differences have been found in the levels of mobility between baron sons and women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing use of the payment for ecosystem services (PES) represents a prominent institutional shock triggered by external interventions on livelihoods of natural resource managers. To reconcile the needs for both conservation and development, a deep understanding on the influence mechanisms of PES on farmer livelihood resilience is paramount, particularly in dynamic and uncertain contexts. Taking the Rangeland Ecological Protection Subsidy and Reward scheme that has been implemented in pastoral China since 2011 as a case study, the paper empirically investigates the impacts of PES on livelihood resilience of livestock farmers in Qinghai Province. Based on a comprehensive evaluation of herder livelihood resilience from three dimensions—buffering, self-organizing and learning capacities, multiple linear regression was applied to examine the PES impacts. Resilience enhancement was mainly found in buffering capacity for herders with a medium to large herd size. Results of univariate parallel mediation models further reveal that household income growth and diversification and livestock upsizing were three key intermediary processes that mediated the enhancement and together contributed 28.83% of the total effect. The findings help narrow a knowledge gap in understanding whether, how and for whom PES contributes to improve farmer livelihood resilience. To achieve "win-win" outcomes, we stress that greater attention should be given to tailoring design and implementation of PES programs to align with the specificity of local contexts. • Impacts of one rangeland PES program on herder livelihood resilience are examined. • Ecological compensation has significantly enhanced the livelihood resilience of herders. • Buffering capacity is enhanced more than self-organizing and learning capacity. • Income growth and diversification as well as herd upsizing are three crucial mediators. • Larger-scale herders are improved stronger than smaller-scale ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China has formed a national natural gas pipeline network, and reasonable and accurate pipeline capacity allocation scheme has important significance for improving the utilization rate of pipeline network, improving the income of pipeline network operators and ensuring the gas consumption of downstream users, which poses greater challenges to the formulation of pipeline capacity allocation rules and mechanisms. This paper takes the natural gas pipeline network system as the research object, and studies the rules and mechanisms of pipeline capacity allocation. A capacity allocation model of natural gas pipeline network is proposed with the net present value of pipeline network operator's income as the goal, considering the gas consumption characteristics of downstream users, the dynamic change of gas source node capacity, pipeline hydraulic characteristics, pipeline flow direction, compressor and other constraints. Based on the simulation of the actual pipeline network by the proposed model, seven allocation rules and one mechanism are proposed. Specifically, the user priority of non-interruptible type, the pipeline path adjustable type and the gas source node adjustable type is higher than the corresponding comparison type. In the pipeline capacity allocation mechanism, the amount compensation mechanism for pipeline capacity transactions is as follows: When the pipeline capacity transaction occurs between users, the transaction information is submitted to the pipeline network operator. The pipeline network operator proposes the corresponding amount compensation according to the transaction information, and the transaction parties negotiate the proportion of the amount compensation and submit it to the pipeline network operator. In addition, it is recommended that pipeline network operators vigorously develop LNG receiving stations and downstream interruptible and compressible users in the future. • A capacity allocation model for complex pipeline network is constructed. • The model considers users type, user allocation weight and user purchase plan. • The allocation scheme considers process constraints to ensure technical feasibility. • The rules of pipeline capacity allocation are proposed by analyzing different allocation scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we documented the association between specific wordings regarding domestic violence within gender equality laws and women's attitudes towards domestic violence in African countries. To do so, we used data on the longitudinal Demographic and Health Survey conducted between 2003 and 2018, and we empirically conducted a difference-in-differences analysis that captures variations in the country and timing of the inclusion of specific wordings addressing domestic violence in the legislative framework that encompasses the general principle of gender equality. The empirical analysis showed that the inclusion of a specific article criminalizing domestic violence within a country's general gender equality law contributed to a statistically significant and substantial decrease in the likelihood of women deeming wife-beating behaviors justifiable. We further conducted an analysis of heterogeneity by socioeconomic status, as defined by urban status, wealth, literacy, and access to information; we found that the association between laws' wordings and attitudes towards domestic violence appeared statistically significant and sizeable in all socioeconomic groups. • Many African countries lack specific domestic violence laws. • We explore the effects of specific wording regarding domestic violence. • Specific laws of domestic violence decrease women's justification for it. • Effects are sizeable across socioeconomic groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The study constructs the green business environment index system. • The study analyzes the impact of the green business environment on FDI quality and its spatial spillover effect. The green business environment significantly improves the quality of FDI, with different spatial spillovers in different areas. • The test results of driving mechanism and influence path show that: public service, market environment, financial environment, ecological environment, human capital and legal environment are all necessary factors to improve the quality of FDI, and these factors have different impacts on the quality of FDI in different regions. The green business environment improves the quality of FDI by reducing risks. • The heterogeneity test results indicate that the green business environment can enhance FDI quality for cities with varying income and pollution levels. The world's leading recipient of foreign direct investment (FDI), China should pay attention to both the volume and quality of FDI as it seeks to integrate more fully into globalization. At this stage of development, establishing an environmentally friendly business environment has become a critical strategy for improving the quality of FDI. So, this paper constructs the index system of the urban green business environment and the measurement of FDI quality to test the driving mechanism of the urban green business environment on FDI quality. The study draws the following conclusions. Firstly, the green business environment can significantly enhance FDI quality, and this impact exhibits a positive spatial spillover effect overall. However, regionally, only the eastern region demonstrates a positive spillover effect. Secondly, the mechanism test results reveal that public services, financial services, market environment, ecological environment, human resources, and legal environment are the key driving factors of the urban green business environment on FDI quality. Moreover, the intermediary effect test establishes that the urban green business environment enhances FDI quality by mitigating risks. Thirdly, the heterogeneity test results indicate that the green business environment can enhance FDI quality for cities with varying income and pollution levels. The research results provide a new perspective for improving FDI quality and optimizing the green business environment. They hold significant implications for enlightening the coordinated development of the urban green business environment and FDI quality in different regions, as well as for maximizing the influence of the green business environment on FDI quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change and extreme weather events undermine smallholder household food and income security in many rural areas of developing countries. Nature-based solutions and the use of climate resilient and nutrient dense Neglected and Underutilized Species into the local farming system have been claimed to sustainably help farmers adapt to climate change and to manage risk more effectively. This paper investigated the potential implementation of three options based on the collective cultivation and management of olive groves and wild forests for production purposes in a mountain region of Nepal. The analysis was aimed at assessing the potential benefits of such strategy in comparison with the status-quo. The study conducted an ex-ante simulation exercise for evaluating three options: 1) 1500 ha of new and restored wild forests; 2) 500 ha of olive groves; and 3) A combination of option 1 and 2. We calculated the financial, economic, social, and environmental costs and benefits of such options using agricultural and economic data collected from representative households identified from a sample of 31 small, 9 medium, and 3 large farm households. To conduct the economic, social and environmental analysis (ESE), we calculated the Social Return on Investment and we integrated it into the economic analysis. Then we compared the results to assess which was the most profitable option. The results of the analysis showed that all three proposed options are stable with an Internal Rate of Return always above 27% with values over 100%. The greatest increase in terms of NPV is observed when shifting from the financial to the ESE analysis in options 1, 2, and 3 (+397.5%, +132.0%, +187.2% respectively) as the benefits increase more than the costs. The results further suggested that the integrated option is the most profitable one also in terms of labour generation. Indeed, we observed a substantial increase in the Return to Labour indicator especially in the ESE analysis (from 1.9 in the financial analysis to 2.8 in the economic analysis to 6.0 in the ESE analysis). This study provides evidence of the potential that similar strategies based on the use of local resources and species, if properly designed, implemented and managed, may have to restore the ecosystem and enhance the livelihoods of local communities. The most innovative element of this study is the proposed ESE analysis, which takes into account the social and environmental dimension besides the economic one. [Display omitted] • Olive growing would be a nature-based solution to sustainably diversify the local production system. • Assessing the benefits of the collective management of wild olive forests and olive orchards in a mountain region of Nepal • Investing in wild and domesticated olive would increase household income and generate labour in Western Nepal. • Investment in olive could have long-term economic, social, and environmental positive effects on smallholders' livelihoods. • The use of local resources and species could improve the resilience and well-being of other local communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is much concern about future fish consumption based on expected population growth as well as due to the large number of people still suffering from undernourishment. At the same time, there may be limits to the potential for expanded production from fisheries and aquaculture. What is often overlooked in many studies of future food security is the economic impact of changes in supply and demand, for example, due to changes in food prices, household income, and consumer preferences. This paper takes an economic approach to analysing the supply of and demand for fish up to 2030, with an emphasis on aquaculture. Four scenarios are considered, with the average annual growth rate in production varying between 2.4 and 5%, but with little change in capture fishery production. Variations in the aquaculture growth rates are found to have important consequences not only for future fish prices but also for per capita fish consumption up to 2030. Sub-Saharan Africa is particularly affected by the growth rate of aquaculture production. • Modelling of fish supply and demand to 2030. • Capture fish production expected to be stagnant in the future. • Different scenarios for future aquaculture production. • Aquaculture essential for future fish supply. • High growth in aquaculture production necessary for Sub-Saharan Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 spread very quickly around the world following its discovery in China, in December 2019. Lockdowns implemented in China and the Global North to control the propagation of the virus and to save human lives have resulted in a global recession. The transmission of the recessionary effects from the Global North to the Global South is reflected in the decline in sub-Saharan Africa's (SSA) GDP and the associated increase in poverty. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how the recession induced in China and the Global North by COVID-19 lockdowns may have had indirect effects on SSA mortality that are higher than those directly attributed to the pandemic itself. Our methodology relies on a three-step relationship: (i) the impact of lockdowns on the recession in the North, (ii) the impact of the recession in the North on income in SSA countries, and (iii) the impact of a decline in income on mortality in SSA. We show that COVID-19-induced lockdowns in the Global North, through the severe recessions they induced in the Global South, resulted in the transfer of between 538,000 and 679,000 deaths in one year to SSA, including the deaths of 140,000 to 177,000 children aged 0–5 years. This corresponds to a 6–7% increase in the crude death rate and a 5–6% increase in under-5 mortality. These figures are much higher than the number of deaths directly attributable to COVID-19 in SSA. Thus, policymakers must not lose sight of the indirect excess mortality caused by global economic recession triggered by the pandemic. Our results reveal the need to increase the resilience of SSA countries to exogenous shocks, including COVID-19, which, in addition to increasing poverty, may induce excessive mortality due to the high sensitivity of mortality in SSA countries to economic recession. • Theoretical model of COVID-19 deaths transfer from the Global North to the Global South. • Lockdowns in the Global North generated recession in the Global North. • Spillover effects of the recession from the Global North to sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). • Focus on the impact of income declines on mortality in SSA. • The indirect mortality through recessions in SSA would be higher than the direct mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of walkability encompasses a multitude of features of the built and social environments that impact walking behavior, leading to the creation of a wide range of walkability indices. While past studies have compared the research outputs from multiple walkability indices, little research has looked at how relevant each index is across sociodemographic groups and how the relationship between sociodemographic characteristics and behavior vary from one index to another. Using trip data from Montréal, Canada, this paper evaluates two commonly used walkability indices at different scales – Walk Score© (meso-scale) and the MAPS-Mini audit tool (micro-scale) – and their interactions with sociodemographic characteristics. Weighted binary logistic regressions are used to model the probability of adults taking a homebased utilitarian walking trip. A total of ten models are generated, including eight models in which one of four socio-demographic variables – gender, age, household income, and presence of children below 13 years old in the household – is interacted with one of the two walkability indices. Sensitivity analyses are then conducted using the interaction variables' outputs by varying the values of the interacted sociodemographic variable. Results show significant interactions for all variables for both indices except from Walk Score©'s interaction with gender. Opposite effects are observed between the two indices in the sensitivity analysis for household income. The differential results observed between the indices and between sociodemographic groups underscore the need to properly test the equity implication of using certain walkability measures in research. • Interactions between sociodemographic characteristics and walkability are tested. • Walkability impacts individuals differently based on their sociodemographics. • Different walkability indices do not interact similarly with all sociodemographics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]