Polluting Industries and Agricultural Productivity: Evidence from Mining in Ghana
研究了加纳大规模金矿开采对附近农户全要素生产率的影响，发现1997至2005年间污染导致生产率相对下降近40%，揭示了工业污染对农村生计的重要外部性。
We examine how modern, polluting industries can affect agricultural productivity. The focus is on large‐scale gold mining in Ghana, which is capital‐intensive, releases environmental pollutants and is located near agricultural areas. Guided by a consumer–producer household framework, we estimate an agricultural production function and find that farmers located near mines experienced a relative reduction in total factor productivity of almost 40% between 1997 and 2005. We examine alternative mechanisms and find that pollution is the most plausible explanation for our results. This article highlights an important externality through which industries can affect living conditions in rural areas.