Climate Change, Rice Crops and Violence. Evidence from Indonesia

24 Pages Posted: 20 Mar 2014

See all articles by Raul Caruso

Raul Caruso

Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan

Ilaria Petrarca

University of Verona

Roberto Ricciuti

University of Verona - Department of Economics; CESifo (Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute)

Date Written: February 25, 2014

Abstract

This paper adopts an instrumental variable approach to uncover the impact of variations in minimum temperature on emergence and severity of actual violence through the effect on food availability, captured by rice crops per capita. The link between increase in minimum temperature and rice crops is suggested by natural science literature. We use Indonesia as a case study over the period 1990-2003. Results show that an increase of the minimum temperature during the core month of the ‘wet planting season’, i.e. December, determines an increase in violence fueled by the reduction in future rice production per capita.

Keywords: Indonesia, climate change, minimum temperature, rainfall, food availability, paddy rice, rice crops, routine violence

JEL Classification: D740, Q540, O130

Suggested Citation

Caruso, Raul and Petrarca, Ilaria and Ricciuti, Roberto, Climate Change, Rice Crops and Violence. Evidence from Indonesia (February 25, 2014). CESifo Working Paper Series No. 4665, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2411403 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2411403

Raul Caruso

Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan ( email )

Largo Gemelli, 1
Via Necchi 9
Milan, MI 20123
Italy

Ilaria Petrarca

University of Verona ( email )

Via dell'Artigliere, 8
Verona, 37129
Italy

Roberto Ricciuti (Contact Author)

University of Verona - Department of Economics ( email )

Via dell'Artigliere, 8
37129 Verona
Italy

CESifo (Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute)

Poschinger Str. 5
Munich, DE-81679
Germany

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