Technological Progress and Climate Change: Evidence from the Agricultural Sector
Open accessAbstract
We investigate whether technological progress can decouple output growth from greenhouse gas emissions. Using a dynamic difference-indifferences design, we show that producers in Brazilian localities with high suitability for genetically modified seeds increase crop output by substituting away from higher-emission activities (such as cattle-raising). This increased crop output is not accompanied by deforestation and fires-two major emitters. Our findings show decoupling in the agriculture sector, with lower emissions per output. The effects are not limited to agriculture; manufacturingrelated emissions are affected and increase. Technological innovations can affect emissions of the targeted sector and have meaningful spillovers to other economic sectors.
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The absence of long-term biodiversity records for taxonomic groups heavily impacted by pesticides, such as insects and microbes, hinders a full understanding of GM crop management's effects on biodiversity.
“The absence of long-term biodiversity records for taxonomic groups heavily impacted by pesticides, such as insects and microbes, hinders a full understanding of GMcrop management's effects on biodiversity ( 121 -124 )”
From Environmental impacts of genetically modified crops (2024) · cites this paper as [124]
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Self-citation
- Authors
- Da Mata, D., Dotta, M., & Lobo, T.
- Affiliations
- Escola de Administração de Empresas de São Paulo (BR)
- Escola de Economia de São Paulo (BR)
- Venue
- SSRN Electronic Journal
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2023
- ISSN
- 1556-5068 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W4321033401
- Semantic Scholar
- 73d3f28a6f69f0edb1ae8642291bcdf347eec886
- Cited by
- 4
- References
- 60
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2021: 1
- Type
- posted content
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- doi.org
- Locations
- SSRN Electronic Journal (acceptedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Economics, Econometrics and Finance › Economics and Econometrics › Climate Change Policy and Economics
- Social Sciences › Economics, Econometrics and Finance › Economics and Econometrics › Energy, Environment, Economic Growth
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Management Science and Operations Research › Efficiency Analysis Using DEA
- Keywords
- technological progress, climate change, greenhouse gas emissions, genetically modified seeds, agricultural sector, cattle farming, deforestation, forest fires, manufacturing emissions, spillover effects, Brazilian agriculture
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