PhD Dissertation
- Job Market Paper: Do more empowered women lose fewer animals to East Coast Fever? Evidence from lab-in-the-field experiment
- Willingness to pay for ITM vaccine using BDM mechanism Abstract: This study examines how external budget constraints influence the willingness to pay (WTP) for vaccines against East Coast Fever (ECF) among cattle owners in Narok, Kenya. Utilizing the Becker-DeGroot-Marschak (BDM) method, the research addresses the gap in the existing literature by considering the variation of budget constraints over time—a factor often neglected in traditional WTP estimations. By offering the Infection and Treatment Method (ITM) vaccine at a subsidized rate, the study seeks to provide insights into optimal pricing and subsidy strategies to enhance vaccine adoption. The findings will have significant implications for Kenyas agricultural and livestock development policies, particularly in controlling ECF outbreaks. The method will provide estimates, which will be important for setting prices and optimal subsidies to maximize vaccine adoption. The study will also uncover factors that hinder the adoption of vaccines, shedding light on their potential role in ECF control and the broader context of agricultural and livestock development in Kenya. Lastly, this study’s main contribution lies in integrating the impact of exogenous liquidity constraints on the prices eliciting the WTP. In addition to providing precise estimates of WTP, the data collection structure will enable to address a key research question: how sensitive are WTP measures to household constraints, such as seasonal income fluctuations or unexpected health expenses? Understanding whether these external factors influence household’s stated prices will help assess the overall reliability of these measures. Practically, the findings could guide the optimal timing and marketing strategies for ECF vaccines.
- Can abatement efforts in a CPR promote over-exploitation of the resource?
- Examining the Impact of Joint Cattle Ownership by Spouses on Technology Adoption and Economic Gains through Underlying Household Bargaining Power.
- Eliciting Willingness for New ECF Vaccine Technologies Using Conjoint Analysis.
- Assessing the Impact of Climate Change on East Coast Fever Incidence and Management Strategies.
Pre-registered at AEA RCT Registry: here
Abstract: This study investigates the impact of women’s empowerment on individual well-being in livestock-dependent households, specifically focusing on East Coast Fever (ECF) management among women in Kenya. Utilizing a lab-in-field experiment based on the Women’s Empowerment Livestock Index (WELI), the research examines how decision-making autonomy and control over livestock-related income influence vaccination decisions and economic outcomes. Participants are randomized into groups reflecting different levels of empowerment and then engage in a multi-stage game simulating real-life decision-making processes. Results indicate that women who hold both ownership rights to cows and the milk income received from them vaccinate more cows and achieve higher payoff, compared to those who control only milk income. These results highlight the critical role of resource control in enhancing decision-making efficacy and economic well-being. The findings suggest that policies promoting joint ownership and income rights to empower women, may improve livestock management practices and ensure economic stability.Paper available upon request
Abstract: We examine a common pool resource (CPR) where appropriations deteriorate the quality of the resource and, thus, its impact on the exploitation of the CPR. We focus on two settings: (i) firms use the CPR without abatement efforts, and (ii) abatement is allowed. We provide comparisons between these two settings and identify socially optimal appropriation levels. We find that (i) higher quality of the CPR could induce firms to overuse the resource and (ii) first-period appropriations with abatement decrease in the regeneration rate. However, abatement induces an overuse of the resource when the quality of the CPR improves.