The influence of improved wheat and maize varieties on infant mortality in China.

ABSTRACT: 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 factor

SUBMITTER: Wang X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11840862 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature