Coping with climate shocks: The complex role of livestock portfolios
利用全球家庭数据，分析不同牲畜种类在干旱时对收入和消费的缓冲作用，发现效果因动物种类、干旱时长和家庭社会经济特征而异，为制定畜牧业政策提供参考。
The effects of climate change are alarming, with projections suggesting that weather events will become more extreme and frequent, affecting households in regions that are already highly vulnerable. This study explores the role of livestock as a household coping strategy against climate shocks. Using quantile regression analysis, we examine the potential of different animal species to buffer the effects of drought on income and consumption. We assemble a unique global dataset that combines household-level socioeconomic information with a multi-scalar climatic drought index. Our study confirms the significant, yet context-dependent, role of livestock portfolios as a buffering mechanism against the effects of drought on household income and consumption. The effect is driven by the specific type of animal species, length of the shock, and socioeconomic features. These findings could assist the design of livestock-oriented policy interventions. The novel contributions of this study include the first cross-country analysis of the buffering effect of livestock against drought; use of the standardized precipitation-evapotranspiration index as a multi-scalar drought indicator -; and a uniquely extensive dataset allowing for the analysis of interactions.