The impact of large-scale land acquisitions on child food insecurity in Africa
研究了非洲大规模土地收购对邻近儿童营养状况的负面影响，发现收购后儿童膳食多样性得分下降20%，对关注粮食安全和发展经济学的学者有参考价值。
Food insecurity is a major concern in most African countries. Large-scale land acquisitions (LSLAs) frequently have a negative impact on local communities. In this paper, I examine the impact of LSLAs on the nutritional status of neighboring children. To this end, I use a difference-in-differences methodology applied to LSLAs in a large number of African countries at different times since the early 2000s. I analyze data from Demographic and Health Surveys combined with data from the Land Matrix Initiative, supplemented by my own research, ultimately covering 18,276 children living in the vicinity of 45 LSLAs. I show that LSLAs have had a significant negative impact on child nutrition in Africa over the past two decades. Specifically, the dietary diversity scores of children living close to LSLAs were reduced by 20 per cent after acquisition. The results are robust to various statistical tests. I find no changes in work status or household assets. While the impact of LSLAs may be positive for agricultural practices, it is negative for child food security. The analysis highlights the importance of supporting local communities following foreign agricultural investment.