Effects of the Covid-19 and natural agricultural shocks on preferences of farmers

Abstract It is imperative to examine how different negative shocks influence preferences because preferences influence micro level decisions that provide foundations for macro-level outcomes. We contribute to this domain by reporting an incentivized field experiment that examined the effects of agri...

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Main Authors: Hamza Umer, Takashi Kurosaki
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Springer Nature 2025-02-01
Series:Humanities & Social Sciences Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-04421-x
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author Hamza Umer
Takashi Kurosaki
author_facet Hamza Umer
Takashi Kurosaki
author_sort Hamza Umer
collection DOAJ
description Abstract It is imperative to examine how different negative shocks influence preferences because preferences influence micro level decisions that provide foundations for macro-level outcomes. We contribute to this domain by reporting an incentivized field experiment that examined the effects of agricultural income shocks driven by either the Covid-19 or other natural calamities on preferences (risk-taking, impatience, generosity and fairness) of Pakistani farmers. We find that the Covid-19 shock reduced impatience and generosity while the natural shock increased risk-aversion. Our findings suggest that despite having a similar impact on farmers’ agricultural income, the two shocks influence a different set of preferences, and hence, we need to measure them both to identify their precise impact on preferences. Overall, these results offer new information about the relative impacts of the Covid-19 and natural shocks on preferences and help us understand the wealth and age-based heterogeneous effects of these shocks.
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institution Kabale University
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publishDate 2025-02-01
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series Humanities & Social Sciences Communications
spelling doaj-art-1e4f0639c4be490b8119c2347ff741ba2025-02-09T12:25:43ZengSpringer NatureHumanities & Social Sciences Communications2662-99922025-02-0112111310.1057/s41599-025-04421-xEffects of the Covid-19 and natural agricultural shocks on preferences of farmersHamza Umer0Takashi Kurosaki1Hitotsubashi Institute for Advanced Study (HIAS)/Institute of Economic Research (IER), Hitotsubashi UniversityInstitute of Economic Research (IER), Hitotsubashi UniversityAbstract It is imperative to examine how different negative shocks influence preferences because preferences influence micro level decisions that provide foundations for macro-level outcomes. We contribute to this domain by reporting an incentivized field experiment that examined the effects of agricultural income shocks driven by either the Covid-19 or other natural calamities on preferences (risk-taking, impatience, generosity and fairness) of Pakistani farmers. We find that the Covid-19 shock reduced impatience and generosity while the natural shock increased risk-aversion. Our findings suggest that despite having a similar impact on farmers’ agricultural income, the two shocks influence a different set of preferences, and hence, we need to measure them both to identify their precise impact on preferences. Overall, these results offer new information about the relative impacts of the Covid-19 and natural shocks on preferences and help us understand the wealth and age-based heterogeneous effects of these shocks.https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-04421-x
spellingShingle Hamza Umer
Takashi Kurosaki
Effects of the Covid-19 and natural agricultural shocks on preferences of farmers
Humanities & Social Sciences Communications
title Effects of the Covid-19 and natural agricultural shocks on preferences of farmers
title_full Effects of the Covid-19 and natural agricultural shocks on preferences of farmers
title_fullStr Effects of the Covid-19 and natural agricultural shocks on preferences of farmers
title_full_unstemmed Effects of the Covid-19 and natural agricultural shocks on preferences of farmers
title_short Effects of the Covid-19 and natural agricultural shocks on preferences of farmers
title_sort effects of the covid 19 and natural agricultural shocks on preferences of farmers
url https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-04421-x
work_keys_str_mv AT hamzaumer effectsofthecovid19andnaturalagriculturalshocksonpreferencesoffarmers
AT takashikurosaki effectsofthecovid19andnaturalagriculturalshocksonpreferencesoffarmers