by Chiara Candelise, Università di Torino e OEET
The last two issues of the newsletter “Emerging Economies” (November and December 2018) present contributions from the latest XXth Scientific Conference of the Italian Association for the Study of Comparative Economic Systems (AISSEC), held in October 2018 at the Collegio Carlo Alberto, Turin. The conference focus has been on the comparison of economic systems and, for the purpose of the two newsletters, contributions have been selected among those dealing more explicitly with emerging and developing countries.
The previous newsletter, “Emerging Economies” N. 10 of November 2018, have presented a macroeconomic perspective with an overview of selected research articles addressing growth, inequality and sustainable development. The current newsletter, “Emerging Economies” N. 11 of December 2018, presents instead three studies, dedicated to emerging and developing economies, but adopting a more microeconomic approach on gender issues and human development.
The first contribution, by V. Molini, F. Alfani, A. Dabalen and P. Fisker, presents a framework for understanding and analysing vulnerability to malnutrition, by examining the impact on child health of rainfall shocks of the Sahel belt of the West African drylands. The study shows results in terms of the fraction of children who are stunted and underweight for five countries (Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria, and Senegal). It also find that vulnerability to malnutrition is considerably more widespread than actual malnutrition. Then G. Pasini, A. Gebremarian and E. Lodigiani evaluate the impacts of the Ethiopia's Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP), launched by the government of Ethiopia in 2005/06 to support food insecure rural households, on children's educational aspirations. The study shows significant and positive impacts of PSNP on aspirations and suggest that the program lifts up children's educational aspirations. Finally, Astrig Tasgian presents the evidence from field surveys carried out in West Africa (Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger) on women’s activities exercised individually or in groups. It shows how female producer organizations do not only have a social function (mutual assistance, solidarity, exchange of ideas), but can also be a tool for poor women psychological and economic empowerment, especially in rural areas.
