Wang Xiaobing, Liu Xinyu, Min Shi, Jin Songqing, Huang Jikun, Rozelle Scott, Feng Jieyuan, Prasanna Boddupalli M
China Center for Agricultural Policy (CCAP), School of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
China International Capital Corporation Global Institute, Beijing 100022, China.
PNAS Nexus. 2025 Feb 20;4(2):pgaf048. doi: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgaf048. eCollection 2025 Feb.
The diffusion of high-yielding crop varieties has been a key driver for agricultural productivity. This study examines the relationship between the adoption of high-yielding crop varieties of two staple crops-wheat and maize-and infant mortality in rural China. Using data from 1954 to 1987, we find a significant reduction in infant mortality linked to high-yielding crop varieties diffusion, an association that remains robust even after excluding the Great Famine years. We investigate potential mechanisms driving this relationship, including increased grain production, improved infant nutrition, and changes in maternal characteristics. Additionally, our analysis unveils a spectrum of heterogeneous relationships between high-yielding crop varieties adoption and infant mortality across factors such as infant gender, maternal characteristics, and policy regulation. These findings reaffirm the positive and lasting benefits of dissemination of high-yielding crop varieties for human welfare and provide valuable policy insights for developing nations grappling with food and nutritional insecurity.
高产作物品种的推广一直是农业生产力的关键驱动力。本研究考察了中国农村两种主要作物——小麦和玉米——的高产作物品种采用情况与婴儿死亡率之间的关系。利用1954年至1987年的数据，我们发现与高产作物品种推广相关的婴儿死亡率显著降低，即使排除大饥荒年份，这种关联依然稳健。我们探究了驱动这种关系的潜在机制，包括粮食产量增加、婴儿营养改善以及母亲特征变化。此外，我们的分析揭示了在婴儿性别、母亲特征和政策法规等因素方面，高产作物品种采用与婴儿死亡率之间存在一系列异质性关系。这些发现重申了推广高产作物品种对人类福祉的积极和持久益处，并为应对粮食和营养不安全问题的发展中国家提供了宝贵的政策见解。
