Working Paper: CEPR ID: DP7364
Authors: Nathan Nunn; Nancy Qian
Abstract: We exploit regional variation in suitability for cultivating potatoes, together with time variation arising from their introduction to the Old World from the Americas, to estimate the impact of potatoes on Old World population and urbanization. Our results show that the introduction of the potato was responsible for a significant portion of the increase in population and urbanization observed during the 18th and 19th centuries.
Keywords: Agriculture; Columbian Exchange; Demography; Economic Development; Industrialization; Potato
JEL Codes: J1; N1; N5; O14
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| introduction of the potato (N56) | increase in population (J11) |
| introduction of the potato (N56) | increase in population growth rates (J11) |
| introduction of the potato (N56) | increase in urbanization (R11) |
| introduction of the potato (N56) | increase in urbanization growth rates (R11) |