The impact of migration on the food consumption and nutrition of left-behind family members: Evidence from a minority mountainous region of southwestern China
The impact of migration on the food consumption and nutrition of left-behind family members: Evidence from a minority mountainous region of southwestern China
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DOI：
10.1016/s2095-3119(19)62588-8
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发表时间：
2019-08-01
影响因子：
4.8
通讯作者：
Mu Yue-ying
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Min Shi;Hou Ling-ling;Mu Yue-ying
虽然移徙被广泛认为是提高农民收入的有效选择，但移徙对留守家庭成员的福利影响是模棱两可的。本研究考察了流动人口对留守家庭成员食物消费和营养摄入的影响，特别是在中国的偏远农村地区。基于对西双版纳傣族自治州611户小农橡胶农户的调查数据，实证结果表明，家庭成员的迁移有助于提高家庭纯收入，但对留守家庭成员的粮食和猪肉消费有负面影响。移民还导致留守家庭成员营养素摄入量减少。令人惊讶的是，农民迁徙的经济回报不仅没有促进家庭食物消费从主食为主的饮食结构向包括更多肉类和乳制品的结构转变，而且还减少了留守家庭成员的营养摄入量。这项研究补充了有关农民迁移影响的文献。研究结果对于更好地理解流动人口对农村中国农民生计和人力资本发展的影响具有重要意义。
While migration is widely recognized as a valid option for improving farmers' income, the welfare effects of migration on left-behind family members are ambiguous. This study examines the impacts of migration on left-behind family members' food consumption and nutrient intake, particularly in remote rural areas in China. Based on household survey data collected from 611 smallholder rubber farmers in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture of southwestern China, the empirical results suggest that the migration of family members contributes to improving household net income, whereas it negatively affects left-behind family members' consumption of grain and pork. Migration also leads to a decrease in left-behind family members' nutrient intake. Surprisingly, the economic returns of farmers' migration not only do not foster the transformation of household food consumption from a staple food-dominated dietary structure to one including more meat and dairy products but also reduce left-behind family members' nutrient intake. This study adds to the literature on the impact of farmers' migration. The findings have important implications for better understanding the impacts of migration on farmers' livelihood and human capital development in rural China.