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The increasing availability of gambling opportunities worldwide has the potential to impact youth gambling behavior and the prevalence of gambling-related harm. This paper studies whether starting gambling at an early age (i.e., below the minimum legal gambling age) increases an individual's likelihood of suffering some kind of gambling-related harm in the future. Data taken from the Study on the Prevalence, Behavior and Characteristics of Gamblers in Spain provide information on respondents' gambling starting age and assess gambling risk based on criteria established by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). Estimates from an ordered probit model suggest that starting to gamble while under the minimum legal age is associated with a higher likelihood of problem gambling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study contributes to the literature examining public acceptance of carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects in the US. The examination of factors that shape public support for CCS projects provides policymakers with insights to address public concerns, balance CCS development with public sentiments, and make informed decisions about optimal locations and timing. Based on a nationally representative survey on 1850 respondents, the study finds that in the US, there is very low familiarity (6.4%) regarding CCS technology and some limited opposition (11.5%) to increased CCS development. Regression results suggest that support for increased CCS projects in the US is influenced by perceptions of technical and social risks (leakage and community danger, respectively) but not cost of living risks, perceptions of environmental and economic benefits, familiarity with the technology, confidence in government regulations, and a desire for the US to lead in CCS. We fail to find the 'Not-in-My-Backyard' effect, and individuals supporting the development of more CCS in their states also support it at a national level. Understanding these factors helps policymakers anticipate challenges in implementing CCS initiatives and allows for the development of strategies to address concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: There is a global priority to ensure food security, environmental conservation and sustainability. The adoption of inputs such as organic manures, biofertilisers, and biopesticides has been widely promoted as a way to enhance agricultural sustainability, yet their adoption rates remain notably low. The study examines the determinants and impact of the adoption of multiple sustainable inputs by paddy farmers in India. The study also examines the drivers behind the intensity of their adoption and their technical efficiency. Methods: The study utilises the survey dataset on paddy farmers from "Situation Assessment of Agricultural Households and Land and Livestock Holdings of Households in Rural India" of the 77th National Sample Survey (NSSO) round. The reference period for data collection was the agricultural year from July 2018 to June 2019. The analytical methods employed include the Multivariate Probit and Ordered Probit models, Seemingly Unrelated Regression, Regression Adjustment model, and Stochastic Frontier method. Results: The empirical findings reveal that the adoption and intensity of sustainable inputs depend significantly on factors such as the household head's age and education, household size, and access to extension services. Adopting sustainable inputs has significant benefits, such as increased harvest value. However, the currently available technical advisory services are limited in effectively promoting the expenditure on sustainable inputs. Technical efficiency analysis underscores the potential for improvement and the importance of utilising optimal input levels. The research findings provide strong evidence in favour of advocating for the use of sustainable inputs in paddy farming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of the first driver behavior questionnaire (DBQ) study on analyzing Indian drivers’ aberrant behavior for red light violations (RLVs) at signalized junctions. An ordered probit model is developed using the drivers’ socio-demographic variables. The model results indicate that age has the strongest influence on drivers’ RLV behavior, followed by driving experience and level of education. The level of perceived RLV appears to increase with higher driving frequency and two-wheeler ownership. This research is also the first to analyze the aberrant behavior differences among male and female drivers concerning their demographics and driving experiences. It is unique to note that at a certain combination of various demographics (e.g., driving experience, education level, and daily trip frequency), the men and women are becoming equal in their aberrant behavior while committing RLVs. This finding is an interesting input for developing driver training and education programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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ABSTRACT: While food risks are increasing in many countries, consumers in Turkey are also worried about the risks of agricultural products. Uncontrolled agricultural production in Turkey both threatens consumer health and prevents export earnings. Agricultural products that cannot be exported in Turkey are easily marketed in the country. Low-income level in Turkey limits the consumption of certified safe food. This study particularly focused on consumers whose demands direct the production of safe food. This study determined the food safety perception of consumers, their demands for safe agricultural products with good agricultural logo, and their willingness to pay extra. Please no new line Data were obtained through face-to-face interviews with 422 individuals over the age of 18 residing in the city center of Tokat in Turkey. This study provided information on the necessity of good agriculture for consumer health, agriculture sustainability , sustainability of agricultural exports and willingness to pay for safe products with the GAP logo in Turkey. In Turkey, consumers’ awareness of food safety is low, only 20.85% of the participants know the concept of food safety and only 52% recognize the good agriculture logo. Twenty-seven per cent of the participants stated that they would pay 10% higher for products with good agriculture logos while 23% of them would pay 20% higher. According to ordered probit analysis, it was determined that there was a relationship between knowing the good agriculture logo, knowing the logo of organic agriculture, adopting innovations, marital status, and willingness to pay extra for safe food.

Abstract Background While economics is growing in Indonesia, its Happiness Index remains steady. Regarding the average concentration of dissolved particles, Indonesia is ranked sixth globally. Many factors can affect happiness. Environmental conditions, especially air quality, are considered to influence individual happiness. Therefore, this research investigates the impact of air quality and health on happiness. Methods Data used in this study is the microdata of Indonesia’s Happiness Survey (SPTK) in 2021. With more than 70,000 respondents, the study uses Ordered Probit as an analysis method with subjective happiness as the dependent variable. The independent variables used in this study are air quality, age, gender, housing area per capita, marital status, and health status. All independent variables except age are categorical. The variable of interest, air quality, is coded “1” if the IKU achieves the Strategic Plan’s target of 84.2 and “0” otherwise. IKU is a regional air quality index that combines two substances. Results At a significance level of 5%, there is a positive relationship between subjective happiness and air quality. In other words, if air quality (IKU) meets the Strategic Plan target (≥ 84.2), then a person is more likely to have a higher level of happiness. It can be explained more with the marginal effect. The marginal effect concludes that if the target is achieved, the probability of having a lower level of happiness decreases by up to 2.8%, and a very high level of happiness rises by 5.1%. Regarding health status, the rarer someone gets sick, the happier she/he is. Conclusion The study finds that air pollution could lower happiness, while better health increases happiness. Therefore, it is important to meet the target of IKU and to improve public health. Some good practices can be adopted to achieve this goal.

The consumption of salad mixes has increased because of their convenience and nutritional value, resulting in significant sales increases during the past decade. Conversely, the uses of pest-control chemicals, long-distance transportation of salad mixes, and plastic packaging have raised environmental concerns among “green consumers.” Because proenvironmental products are becoming more widespread, this study delved into market segments of salad mix consumers based on their preferences for proenvironmental labels. Data for this study were collected via a 2020 web-based survey of 2100 salad mix consumers in the United States. We performed a comprehensive two-stage cluster analysis that integrated both hierarchical and partitioning methods. This analysis was based on consumers’ preferences and evaluations of production (low energy use, low fertilizer use, low greenhouse gas emissions, low water use, and pollinator-friendly) and marketing-related (biodegradable packaging, low carbon footprint, and low food miles) proenvironmental labels. Three segments were identified. We used ordered probit regression to assess the impact of consumer demographic characteristics, market preferences, and environmental perceptions on cluster membership. The deep-rooted segment, which represented 36% of the sample, highly valued all proenvironmental labels related to salad mixes and had a particular preference for labels that included low fertilizer use, pollinator-friendly production methods, and low greenhouse gas emissions. The indecisive segment comprised 40% of the sample and moderately valued all proenvironmental labels; this group mainly comprised individuals with lower income levels and those living in rural areas. The skeptic segment represented 23% of the sample and valued environmental labels less than the deep-rooted and indecisive segments did; additionally, they reported the lowest consumption of salad mixes. These findings can help retailers and policymakers communicate information about proenvironmental labels more effectively to each segment of salad mix consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth of Malaysia's gig sector has been driven by the flexibility of gig work, digitalization, and the rise in unemployment. However, the lack of social protection and insurance has underscored the importance of understanding gig workers' financial resilience. This study examined the current state of Malaysian gig workers' financial resilience and identified its components. Analyzing responses from 452 gig workers to a structured survey conducted between June and November 2022 revealed that Malaysian gig workers exhibited low financial resilience when facing adverse shocks. This paper identified financial literacy, income level, and age as significant determinants of financial resilience. These findings underscored the necessity of financial literacy programs, income support initiatives, age-specific support programs, and regulatory framework enhancements to mitigate income volatility and assist gig workers in navigating financial and economic challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: While economics is growing in Indonesia, its Happiness Index remains steady. Regarding the average concentration of dissolved particles, Indonesia is ranked sixth globally. Many factors can affect happiness. Environmental conditions, especially air quality, are considered to influence individual happiness. Therefore, this research investigates the impact of air quality and health on happiness. Methods: Data used in this study is the microdata of Indonesia's Happiness Survey (SPTK) in 2021. With more than 70,000 respondents, the study uses Ordered Probit as an analysis method with subjective happiness as the dependent variable. The independent variables used in this study are air quality, age, gender, housing area per capita, marital status, and health status. All independent variables except age are categorical. The variable of interest, air quality, is coded "1" if the IKU achieves the Strategic Plan's target of 84.2 and "0" otherwise. IKU is a regional air quality index that combines two substances. Results: At a significance level of 5%, there is a positive relationship between subjective happiness and air quality. In other words, if air quality (IKU) meets the Strategic Plan target (≥ 84.2), then a person is more likely to have a higher level of happiness. It can be explained more with the marginal effect. The marginal effect concludes that if the target is achieved, the probability of having a lower level of happiness decreases by up to 2.8%, and a very high level of happiness rises by 5.1%. Regarding health status, the rarer someone gets sick, the happier she/he is. Conclusion: The study finds that air pollution could lower happiness, while better health increases happiness. Therefore, it is important to meet the target of IKU and to improve public health. Some good practices can be adopted to achieve this goal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing demand for sustainable products has helped spur demand for native plants. This study used an online survey of 2066 US consumers, a factor analysis, and Ward’s linkage cluster analysis to identify unique customer segments in the native plant marketplace. The following three clusters were identified: native averse (31.6%), native curious (35.7%), and native enthusiast (32.7%). The native enthusiast cluster agreed strongly with positive statements related to native plant perceptions and attributes. The native averse cluster exhibited the lowest level of agreement with these items and the greatest level of agreement with negative or neutral statements about native plants. The native curious cluster was intermediate between the other clusters but generally agreed with positive attributes. Demographic characteristics impacted cluster membership. The marketing implications are discussed.

Purpose. This paper aims to identify the major determinants of agricultural credit and their marginal effects, along with describing the pattern of the predicted probability of getting credit from the agricultural credit cooperatives. Methodology / approach. We used a multi-stage stratified random sampling method to collect data from the paddy farmers of Kerala, India. Descriptive statistics are used to describe the profile of the farmers. Ordered logistic and probit regression models are used to model the credit categories. The authors analyzed the determinants of credit and their marginal effect, while the pattern of the predicted probability is described using tables and graphs. Results. Results show that age, household size, farming experience, and farm size significantly influence the probability of a farmer falling into a particular credit category. However, the estimated coefficients of other factors, like gender and occupation, are not statistically significant. The results from the study clearly show that relatively large paddy farms are not getting enough credit from the cooperatives, contrary to the common perception. An evaluation of the predicted probabilities shows that the very high and shallow categories are much more dispersed than the middle categories. Originality / scientific novelty. This is the first study that describes the predicted probability of credit availability pattern from the agricultural credit cooperatives to the paddy farmers. Moreover, this study describes the determinants and their marginal effects by credit category. Practical value / implications. The results indicate the probability of a farmer falling into a specific credit category based on his/her characteristics or background. The results can help them frame a strategy while approaching a credit cooperative for a loan. The inverse relationship between age and the likelihood of getting higher credit amounts requires government policy intervention. It will be hard for farmers to continue farming while aging if they do not get sufficient credit. The government must develop policies to counteract the influence of age on credit availability, like special schemes for older age groups.

Abstract Background In Sub-Saharan Africa, drought is one of the prevailing climatic conditions that has led to the modification of improved seeds to be resilient enough to improve yield and increase farm households' welfare. However, like most climate-smart agricultural practices, the adoption of drought-tolerant maize varieties is low. This study examines the simultaneous adoption decisions of drought tolerant maize varieties and other climate-smart agricultural practices such as intercropping, row-planting, inorganic fertiliser, manure, and residue incorporation using nationally representative survey data from 1370 rural households in Nigeria. Multivariate Tobit and ordered probit models are applied to assess the complementarity and or substitutability effect among CSAPs, the predictors of the joint adoption, and the adoption intensity of CSAPs. Results The results show a significant positive correlation between DTMVs and inorganic fertilisers, DTMVs and intercropping, and DTMVs and manure. However, the strongest adoption complementarity is found between DTMVs and manure. The probability and the extent of adoption of CSAPs are commonly determined by household wealth, access to loans, access to training in improved production practices, and membership in input supply and farm cooperatives. Conclusion The study suggests that the adoption of DTMVs has varying degrees of relations with other CSAPs informing the need for policies aimed at increasing its adoption to consider existing CSAPs among maize farm households.

Farm households in Africa adopt resource allocation tools such as crop diversification to minimize risk exposure and safeguard their food and nutrition security. This study uses primary data and an ordered probit model to examine how crop diversification impacts the food security outcomes of rural farmers in northern Ghana. The findings revealed that along with other factors like access to extension services and use of soil fertility management practices, crop diversification increased food access and reduced the food insecurity experience of households. As a result, policies targeted at improving the food and nutrition security of peasant households should promote adoption of diversified crop production and use of sustainable soil management practices like composting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the importance of firm strategic management in the time of crisis, this study investigates Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) approaches to persistence during the international sanctions against Iran. Using data from a questionnaire of 486 firms between December 2019 and September 2020, we found that reducing research and development (R&D) expenditures, marketing costs and fixed/overhead costs and investing in information technology (IT) are positively related to firm persistence. Conversely, managerial decisions to reduce production and cut or freeze staff pay have negative and significant impacts on a firm's ability to persist during sanctions. Moreover, micro‐firms are more resilient than their small and medium counterparts. The findings also confirm that age has a significant and positive impact on firm persistence. Finally, the results show that having a business plan, access to finance and technology, owner education, export orientation, business networking and consulting services are the key drivers of withstanding pressure from sanctions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Education plays a crucial role in determining the quality of life through economic returns and subjective well-being. However, almost no previous research has examined how education affects subjective well-being indicators beyond happiness. To address this gap, this study used Ordinary Least Squares and the Ordered Probit technique to investigate the effect of education on happiness, self-acceptance, and family harmony. Using the recent microdata from Statistics Indonesia in 2021 the empirical results reveal that education positively affects happiness, self-acceptance, and family harmony. The effect of education remained statistically significant even after incorporating socioeconomic and individual characteristics such as income, gender, age, marital status, home ownership, household size, area classification, health status, and leisure time. The result of this study highlights that individuals with higher levels of education reported higher happiness, greater self-acceptance, and higher satisfaction with family harmony than those with lower levels of education. Although more than half of the magnitude of the education effect decreases after incorporating socioeconomic and individual characteristics variables, the direct effect of education remained significant on happiness, self-acceptance, and family harmony.

Objective: To analyzes the duration of unemployment and its relationship with the search channels in the labor market of the Mexican economy during the first quarter of 2018 and 2021. Methodology: With microdata from the National Occupation and Employment Survey (ENOE, in Spanish), an ordered multiple response probit model is estimated. It explores how different search channels and personal characteristics of the individual impact on the probability that unemployment is short, medium, or long term. Results: It is found that having work experience facilitates the labor insertion process, making the unemployment period relatively short. Using search channels such as going to job boards or private placement agencies and accessing temporary employment programs increases the probability that the duration of unemployment does not exceed one quarter. Living in a state on the northern border of Mexico increases the possibility that unemployment will be shortlived. Limitation: The work does not analyze the relationship of interest in sectoral terms. Conclusions: Work experience facilitates the labor insertion process and formal search channels allow unemployment to be short-term, schooling increases the probability that unemployment is not long-term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture is a significant contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions, and reducing carbon emissions in this sector is essential for mitigating global warming. To achieve China's targets of carbon peak by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060, promoting low-carbon agricultural technology (LCAT) is fundamental. This study examines the impact of farmers' risk perception on LCAT adoption behavior and its productivity effects with the Ordered Probit regression method, using micro survey data from 531 farmers in Shaanxi Province, China. The results show that farmers with stronger risk perceptions were more likely to adopt LCAT, based on their loss aversion characteristics. Additionally, farmers' perceptions of yield, market, and climate risks positively influence the adoption of LCAT, with market risk perception having the strongest effect. Adopting LCAT has significant production and spillover effects, improving the output rate of farmers' operating farmland and neighboring plots by 2.4% and 1.2%, respectively, for each additional measure adopted. This study contributes to the perception and loss aversion literature by examining farmers' adoption of low-carbon agricultural practices. This study sheds light on the importance of risk perception in the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices and can inform policies aimed at promoting the adoption of LCAT for achieving sustainable agriculture and mitigating climate change, highlighting the crucial role of sustainable environmental management in the agricultural sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research investigates rural area students' online adoption during the fourth wave of the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The main objective of this study was to identify the factors affecting the adoption of online education in rural areas in Sri Lanka. This case study was carried out based on data gathered from the online survey during the pandemic covering 16 districts in Sri Lanka. Using the ordered probit regression model through the stepwise technique, the study investigates the factors affecting the adoption of online education in rural areas in Sri Lanka. According to the results generated, attitude, perceived use, awareness, and new technology adoption have a positive impact on student adoption of online education in Sri Lanka. Online education so far is one of the effective and feasible solutions for providing education in a pandemic situation in any country. These findings are helpful for responsible educational institutions to address and contribute to key issues such as low perceived use, poor attitude, low awareness, and poor technology adoption. The study will also assist policymakers in preparing a roadmap, at the policy level with the perceived benefits of online education during similar future crises in Sri Lanka. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the background of the marketization of agricultural products, the lack of farmers’ risk analysis mechanism has resulted in a structural imbalance between the supply and demand of funds in rural areas. The increase of the rural economy is significant to social development and stability. Then the article uses the ordered Probit model to carry out statistical regression analysis on the rural economic samples. The study found that the lack of supply institutions, the incompatibility of loan supply and demand, and the single type of insurance caused the development of the rural economy to be limited.

The main purpose of this study is to investigate the extent and manner of the impact of political economy factors on the de facto exchange rate regime in developing countries and to extract implications for the political economy of the Iranian exchange rate regime. In this study, using ordered logit and probit models, we examine the impact of trade, financial, and political economy factors on the real exchange rate regime in middle-income developing countries during the period 1996-2012. The results of the research show that in the sample, an increase in the size of the economy increases the likelihood of choosing a floating exchange rate regime, and an increase in institutional quality, government strength, the power of interest groups, the level of democracy, and oil rents increases the likelihood of choosing a fixed exchange rate regime. Another conclusion is that the political economy factors have different effects on the choice of exchange rate regime in developing countries with upper-than-average incomes and developing countries with lower-than-average incomes. As a result, given that in developing countries the political economy factors have a significant impact on the choice of exchange rate regime, and since the influence of political economy factors on the choice of exchange rate regime leads to the adoption of a non-optimal currency system, policymakers in these countries need to reconsider how they choose the currency system. Also, according to the experimental results of this study, developing countries with poor institutional quality such as Iran are not able to maintain a stable exchange rate regime.

Storage of food commodities for some time after harvest can play an important role in alleviating the downside of price fluctuations in developing countries. While storage can offer smallholder farmers substantial inter‐temporal arbitrage opportunities, existing evidence shows that many farmers in developing countries store little of their harvest. Using a cross sectional survey of 502 households in Nyandarua and Bomet Counties of Kenya, this paper assessed smallholder farmers' willingness to pay (WTP) for cold storage and compares their WTP with the arbitrage opportunities. Our results reveal that the storage of potato was generally limited with only 26% storing in the season preceding the study. Using a hypothetical scenario with double‐bounded contingent valuation formats, our findings show that a considerable proportion of households (70.7%) were willing to rent cold storage facilities. The WTP for storing a 90 kg bag of Shangi, a common variety with a short shelf life (1 month) was Kenya shillings (KES) 104 (1.16/kg/month) compared KES 96.4 (1.07/kg/month) for the Unica variety (slightly longer shelf life). The probit model results show that gender (being female), and transaction costs associated with access to markets (e.g., geographical location and distance to the road) were positively associated with WTP. Furthermore, household endowment, reflected in household expenditure, income and level of potato commercialization had a positive influence on WTP to store. In addition, institutional characteristics of collective action, previous experience with storage and use of certified seed (often associated with extension) enhanced households WTP for potato storage. The results on potato prices over a 5‐year period (2014–2019) show that seasonal price gaps were higher than the estimated WTP, suggesting that potato storage could be economically viable. These findings have significant policy implications not only for commodities whose harvest is perishable and season bound (e.g., vegetables, fruits) where arbitrage may offer price stabilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Most of the 10 million Kenyans lacking food security lived in the arid and semi-arid northern part of the country in a climatic condition of high temperatures and very little rainfall throughout the year. Frequent droughts had devastating effects on the livelihoods and food availability of the population. Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess the food security status of the households in Northern Kenya and examine the factors contributing to their food security. Methods: De-identified secondary data were used from the 2015 Feed the Future household survey conducted in 9 counties of Northern Kenya. The experience-based indicator of food security was derived from the 6-item Household Food Security Survey Module (HFSSM), which categorized sample households into 3 groups: food secure, having low food security, and having very low food security. An ordered probit model and machine learning algorithm, namely ordered random forest, were used to find the most important determinants of food security. Results: Findings suggest that the daily per capita food expenditure, level of education of the household head, and durable asset ownership are the key predictors of food security. Households living in rural areas were likely to have low food security, but their probability of being food secure increased with at least primary education and livestock ownership, thus reflecting the importance of education and livestock production among rural communities in Northern Kenya. Access to improved water and participation in food security programs were found to be more important for food security among rural households than they were for urban households. Conclusions: These results implied that long-term policies on improving access to education, livestock ownership, and improved water may shape the food security status of rural households in Northern Kenya. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coal has been the fundamental energy source supporting China's energy supply and consumption. This paper examines convergence clubs for per capita coal consumption among 30 provinces of China between 1997 and 2019 by means of a nonlinear time-varying factor model. Meanwhile, the ordered probit model is further used to identify the causes affecting convergence. The results of analyses of data strongly support the existence of convergence clubs, indicating that there are four convergence clubs and one divergence group at the interprovincial level. Among the factors that potentially influence provincial coal consumption, the GDP-per capital, industrial structure, intensity of environment regulations and carbon emissions are positively related to per capita coal consumption, while investment in fixed assets, degree of openness to the outside world and technological progress are negatively related to per capita coal consumption. Increases in GDP-per capital, industrial structure, intensity of environment regulations and carbon emissions enhance the odds of belonging to a high coal consumption intensity club. Increases in investment in fixed assets, degree of openness to the outside world and technological progress reduce the odds of belonging to a high coal consumptions intensity club. These findings help policy makers to set coal production and consumption targets for different regions and reduce the differences in coal consumption across regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study empirically tests whether there is evidence of convergence in ecological footprint among 189 countries for the period 1990–2017. Using the novel log (t) regression model that accommodates likely transitional heterogeneity in the panel, the results provide evidence for the divergence of ecological footprint (EF) for the world sample. A similar empirical outcome was obtained for sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), Europe and Central Asia (ECA), East Asia and Pacific (EAP), Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), and Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Nevertheless, the study found three convergence clubs for the world sample, SSA, ECA, and LAC, while two clubs were found for EAC and MENA. Further empirical results from the ordered logit and probit model suggest initial EF and natural resource utilization are the most critical driver of club membership in SSA. Since we established three club formations, the study recommends different environmental protection policies should be adopted for the countries in these convergence clubs. It is also important for SSA governments to implement strong environmental regulations in respect of the exploitation of resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Storage of food commodities for some time after harvest can play an important role in alleviating the downside of price fluctuations in developing countries. While storage can offer smallholder farmers substantial inter‐temporal arbitrage opportunities, existing evidence shows that many farmers in developing countries store little of their harvest. Using a cross sectional survey of 502 households in Nyandarua and Bomet Counties of Kenya, this paper assessed smallholder farmers' willingness to pay (WTP) for cold storage and compares their WTP with the arbitrage opportunities. Our results reveal that the storage of potato was generally limited with only 26% storing in the season preceding the study. Using a hypothetical scenario with double‐bounded contingent valuation formats, our findings show that a considerable proportion of households (70.7%) were willing to rent cold storage facilities. The WTP for storing a 90 kg bag of Shangi, a common variety with a short shelf life (1 month) was Kenya shillings (KES) 104 (1.16/kg/month) compared KES 96.4 (1.07/kg/month) for the Unica variety (slightly longer shelf life). The probit model results show that gender (being female), and transaction costs associated with access to markets (e.g., geographical location and distance to the road) were positively associated with WTP. Furthermore, household endowment, reflected in household expenditure, income and level of potato commercialization had a positive influence on WTP to store. In addition, institutional characteristics of collective action, previous experience with storage and use of certified seed (often associated with extension) enhanced households WTP for potato storage. The results on potato prices over a 5‐year period (2014–2019) show that seasonal price gaps were higher than the estimated WTP, suggesting that potato storage could be economically viable. These findings have significant policy implications not only for commodities whose harvest is perishable and season bound (e.g., vegetables, fruits) where arbitrage may offer price stabilization.

The issue of food insecurity has been well documented to be severe in northern Ghana. Several attempts have been made to curb the situation, but the effects of these interventions are unknown. Using responses from 405 rural households, this paper estimates the determinants of food insecurity in the Upper East region. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and an ordered probit regression. The Household Food Security Access Scale (HFIAS) and the Household Hunger Scale (HHS) were the two measures of household food security used in the study. This paper validates and compares the two measures used to check whether determinants and status of household food security differ between the two measures. The findings show that the two measures of food security agreed on most of the significant determinants of household food security. Factors such as education of household head, households’ farm size, access to credit and access to extension services were significant determinants of household food security by both measures. Factors such as household size, access to good roads, access to formal cooperative and availability of paid jobs were found to be significant determinants of household food security with the HFIAS, while gender of household head and distance to market were significant determinants of food security in the HHS model. The study recommends improved education, social structures such as good roads and markets as well as support services such as credit and extension to combat food insecurity. These key steps should be taken as pillars to the sustainable implementation of Agenda 2063 for a food secure Africa.

Food insecurity is a global issue that the world has been attempting to address for decades but has yet to achieve a conclusive victory. The objective of this research was to assess the current levels of rural household resilience to food insecurity and to analyze its determinants. Multi stage sampling technique was employed to generate data from 187 sampled household heads. The collected data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics, household resilience index, and econometric model. Household resilience to food insecurity were selected as the dependent variables and measured by household resilience index by using principal component analysis resulting from five variables. The study employed 18 Independent variables; ordered probit regression was used to identify the key determinants of household resilience to food insecurity. The findings of the survey results revealed that 57.2% were non-resilient, 18.2% moderately resilient, 15.0% resilient and 9.6% highly resilient. Ordered probit model estimation results showed family size, diversity of income sources, livestock ownership, use of improved seeds with fertilizer, access to credit services, and assistance received; were six significant explanatory variables that determinants of household resilience to food insecurity at 95% CI or P

Farming in coastal areas has unique challenges as climate change threatens coastal people's livelihoods and food security. Therefore, household food security remains a major concern, especially in Bangladesh's climate-sensitive coastal districts. This study compared the food security status and identified the factors influencing households' food security in the exposed and interior coasts of Bangladesh. A total of 750 households (exposed coast: 375 and interior coast: 375) were surveyed from six coastal areas. The Food Consumption Score (FCS), descriptive statistics, and a set of econometric models were used to achieve the objectives. Around 20% of households in the exposed coast were in the borderline category of FCS. The FCS of the interior coast households was significantly higher than the exposed coast households. The analysis results revealed that a 1 USD increase in the price of rice per kg would decrease the likelihood of being in the food secure category by more than 40%. Households who engaged in homestead gardening had a 4.30% and 9.15% higher likelihood of being in the food secure category in the interior and exposed coasts, respectively. Access to credit increased the likelihood of being in the food secure category by 7.15% in the exposed coast area. Economic status-related factors, such as higher farm and non-farm incomes, also increased the likelihood of being food secure in both coastal areas. To improve the household-level food security in coastal areas, location-specific sustainable farming practices, non-farm employment opportunities, rice price stabilization, agricultural training, and capital availability are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After WWII, the demographic transition exhibited features of convergence between developing countries and the forerunner countries with low fertility. Although today fertility is low in the majority of countries, significant differences persist. In this article, I study club convergence of fertility in 190 countries over the period 1950 to 2018. First, I apply a novel econometric method for convergence analysis and club clustering. I find no evidence of global fertility convergence, and I classify the 190 countries into four clubs. I further classify countries into two clubs at the beginning of the period and identify a club of countries transitioning from high to low fertility. Second, I interpret fertility convergence clubs as a feature of the long-term process of economic development and estimate an ordered probit model of the probability that a country enters one of three clubs characterized by high, medium, and low barriers to global fertility convergence. Here, the focus is on ancestral fundamental factors of diversity in economic development. Estimates show a statistically significant inverted U-shaped relationship between interpersonal population diversity and the probability of lower barriers, consistent with the literature on diversity and development. Estimates also highlight that genetic distance to the USA and years since the Neolithic transition to agriculture cause higher barriers to fertility decline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adopting improved management practices for rearing carp can play a vital role in developing the aquaculture sector of Bangladesh. This study identifies the factors that facilitate the adoption of improved management practices and their relationship with productivity. Primary data was collected from 300 carp farmers through face-to-face interviews. Improved management practices were divided into three categories: simple, intermediate and complex. Findings indicated that high adopters (those who adopted at least one simple, one intermediate and one complex practice) were only around 10% of respondents. The adoption of improved management practices was influenced by spousal education level, training, extension contact, and off-farm income sources. Productivity of high adopters was 38% higher than that of non-adopters. Policy implications from this research included improving extension facilities from public agencies to facilitate adoption of improved practices and to increase and sustain productivity in carp farming. Modifying the current extension approach and diversifying income sources among farmers will facilitate widespread adoption of improved management practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are rarely advanced econometric studies showing the relationship between ranges of annual salary and several socioeconomic, institutional, and location variables in Canada. A sample of 12, 228 was extracted from 2016 census data. The annual salary data were grouped into seven non-overlapping homogeneous categories as outcome variables to reduce very high heterogeneity in the observations. The Ordered Probit regression underpinned the covariate analysis to understand the influence of various independent variables on annual salary for full-time employees in Canada. The prediction probability for an annual salary ranging from CDN$28,000 to 77,999 is 65.6 percent while for the CDN78,000 to 127,999 range is 32.5 percent; implying that 98.1 percent of full-time employees who completed at least high school and were aged 18 to retirement age received between minimum annual salary CDN$28,000 and maximum CDN$127,999. The remaining 2 percent received the highest salary ranging from CDN$128,000 to 400,000. The results indicate that all age groups, ethnicity except white, residential types, education levels, household size, marital status, and province (or location) factors significantly influenced annual earnings; however, the magnitude and the direction of influence depends on the annual salary earning brackets. The study, therefore, recommends that the government of Canada looks at different socio-economic variables to adjust the salaries to mitigate inequalities of earnings in diverse and multicultural Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the relevance of the quarterly Consumer Confidence Survey conducted by the Reserve Bank of India by analyzing consumers' spending behaviour vis-a-vis their expectations and perceptions of inflation in the Indian context. The ordered probit regression results demonstrate the positive influence of expected and perceived inflation and the negative influence of expected change in current real income and perceived change in current real income on the expected change in real spending. These results are not commensurate with underlying economic theories, which render the relevance and purpose of these surveys questionable. A few other results and observations from the respondents' demographic profile further strengthened our argument. In an emerging economy such as India, such surveys and their analyses are at a budding stage, and this is the first study to question the validity and relevance of these surveys. The present study also contributes to our understanding of how households expect and perceive inflation and incorporate them into their decision-making, which is pertinent for the efficacy of central banks as inflation targeting is the main objective of monetary policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adoption of improved technologies is widely recognized as key to improving agricultural productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study analyzes adoption patterns and intensity of multiple banana technologies in Uganda which have been promoted over time. We used primary data collected from 383 banana farmers sampled using a multi-stage sampling procedure. Multivariate probit (MVP) and ordered probit analyses were applied to establish the adoption patterns and adoption intensity, respectively, and any factors affecting them. The findings highlight that 15 pairwise correlation coefficients among banana technologies were statistically significant implying that banana farmers adopt technologies simultaneously. The household size, total banana area, ecological location, membership to farmer groups, access to formal credit sources, and the type of market accessed had significant effects on household adoption patterns and intensity. Thus, it is recommended that such factors should be seriously considered in addition to technology characteristics when planning promotion programs. Simultaneous adoption implies that each of the technologies should be considered as a package which contributes to the increased farmer options and maximum synergistic effects among them. This study contributes to the existing literature by highlighting the key variables which affect the pattern and intensity of adopting technological packages involving both input intensification and low-external-input technologies in Uganda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored poverty attribution in terms of socio-economic factors, based on a survey of 1,110 participants living Turkey's three largest cities, namely Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir. We include the following socio-economic variables: income, subjective class status, subjective destiny perception, education level, political position, gender, marital status, and age. Participants with higher education levels mostly explain poverty using structural reasons whereas participants with lower education levels tend to explain it with fatalistic reasons. Left- wing participants tend to explain poverty in terms of structural factors for reasons whereas right-wing participants tend to give individualistic reasons. Finally, men tend to offer more individualistic attributions of poverty than women do. Individualistic and structuralist approaches agree on several specific policies for reducing poverty whereas the fatalistic approach suggests different policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This analysis introduces a conceptual framework for economic enfranchisement and studies its effect on an individual's likelihood to set strong financial goals. A conceptual and empirical model is developed to investigate how economic enfranchisement influences an individual's likelihood to set a goal and the strength of that goal. The empirical analysis employs an ordered probit to account for the two-stage goal-setting and goal strength decision process. Results show that economic enfranchisement has a significant effect on an individual's likelihood to set financial goals where more enfranchised individuals are more likely to set strong goals than their disenfranchised counterparts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates factors that explain pedestrian injury severity levels in Saint Petersburg, Russia during the 2015–2021 period. The research takes into account such factors as weather conditions, infrastructure factors, human factors, and lighting conditions to assess their influence on pedestrian injury severity in pedestrian–vehicle crashes. The most influential factors are lighting conditions, particularly the lack of lighting when it is dark, which are associated with a 14.9% increase in fatal accidents. The greatest impact on the increase of fatal accidents due to road infrastructure conditions relates to road barrier shortcomings (4.7%). Such infrastructure road conditions as restraint system for pedestrians and horizontal markings also have a significant effect on fatal outcomes, increasing them by 1.4% and 0.7%, respectively. The obtained results may serve as a basis for St. Petersburg authorities to develop new road safety policies.

The problem of land degradation has resulted into low agricultural productivity over the last two decades in Nigeria thus encouraging sustainable land management practices. Thus, we examined the determinants of choice of sustainable land management practices and the factors influencing the adoption of multiple sustainable land management practices including the effects of adoption of sustainable land management practices on maize productivity using endogenous switching regression model (ESRM) in Nigeria. The result of the multivariate probit model found that gender, household size, marital status, farming experience, farm size, years of formal education, access to extension contacts, access to credit and owning a land influenced the maize farmers’ decision to choose between the different sustainable land management practices. The result of the ordered probit model showed that gender, marital status, farming experience, access to extension contacts, access to credit and owning a land influenced farmers decision to adopt multiple sustainable land management practices. Furthermore, the results of the effect of variables such as age, gender, marital status, farming experience, farm size, membership in association and access to extension services translates into increased maize productivity for the maize farmers who adopted sustainable land management practices. The result of the IPWRA showed that adoption of SLMP improves the productivity of the maize farmers. Enacting policy measures that will promote the adoption of SLMP where there is an improvement in farmers having access to financial support and improved extension services towards the smallholder farmers is required.

In this paper, we aim at explaining a specific type of heterogeneity in the euro area pertaining to the diverging responses of countries and sectors to the European Central Bank's Unconventional Monetary Policy. Equipped with stock markets indices of 17 sectors for each euro area country, we first preform an event-study analysis to assess the reaction of the markets. Next, we regress the responses on a set of country-specific drivers. Our main findings show that variables related to the nature of banking industry (e.g. cost-to-income, return on assets), macroeconomic environment (e.g. gross debt) and macroprudential policy all contribute to observe diverging responses to ECB's monetary policies. While some sectors and countries responded more negatively than positively to the policies, the Unconventional Monetary Policy impacts the markets positively on average. A policy implication is that the heterogeneous response calls for domestic structural reforms that should target the discrepancies in the banking and the macroeconomic environments across euro area countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We focus on forecasting the probability that euro-area inflation will fall into one of three intervals by employing an ordered multinomial model augmented with macroeconomic variables. We directly forecast the probability that the expected euro area HICP price index inflation rate (12-month percent changes) over the next 12 and 24 months will be less than 1.5 percent, exceed 2 percent, or be between these two values. The model includes many predictors, and deal with dimensionality issues by an approach which mixes factor models with Bayesian shrinkage. Our results show that macroeconomic variables' inclusion improves the model's forecast quality, especially at the longer horizon considered. The Deflationary Pressure Index coincides with the probability that inflation is below 1.5 percent on average in the next 24 months, and it is useful as a policy monitoring tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production of sweet potato has the potential to address food insecurity and malnutrition in the context of climate change. However, sustainable production of sweet potato is hampered by poor access to quality seed. We assess the level and determinants of farmers' willingness to pay (WTP) for clean seed among smallholder sweet potato farmers and compare the estimated WTP with the cost of seed multiplication. Data for the paper were collected from 383 sweet potato farmers and 30 sweet potato seed multipliers in Kenya. WTP was estimated using the double bounded contingent valuation method while the determinants of WTP were analysed using an ordered probit regression model. Results show that the mean WTP for clean seed was KES 578.94 (about US$ 5.68) for a 90 kg bag with variations in WTP observed across geographical regions and prior use of clean seed. Results further show that WTP increases with prior use of clean seed and experience in sweet potato production. The net cost of clean seed multiplication was KES. 444.81 (US$ 4.36), which is lower than the estimated WTP. These results suggest that seed multiplication business may be economically viable but this will depend on other transaction costs and establishment of efficient distribution systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study is to examine the impact of land fragmentation in rice production on household food insecurity in Vietnam. This study provides the first evidence on the effect of land fragmentation on household food insecurity in rice production. This study uses a relatively rich panel dataset of rice farming households across different regions from the Vietnam Access to Resources Household Survey (VARHS) 2012, 2014, and 2016. The research applies the ordered probit model to identify land fragmentation and other factors affecting household food insecurity at different food insecurity levels. Findings indicate that land fragmentation and rice seed types are positively correlated with household food insecurity. Importantly, the odds of an increase of 1% fragmentation land index increase the probability of household food insecurity at a very high level of 4.79% after controlling for unobserved heterogeneity. Other factors such as total cultivated area, access to credit, and household savings help reduce household food insecurity. These findings suggest that the government needs to foster the process of consolidating fragmented rice plots to help households produce efficiently and reduce food insecurity for their families. In addition, other approaches such as increasing farm size for each rice farmer and access to credit can increase the probability of food security for rural households in Vietnam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]