On April 1st, Prof. Yu Xiaohua from University of Goettingen attended the HZAU Dazun Forum and delivered a lecture entitled Effects of Air Pollution on Food -- Based on Beijing.
Prof. Yu introduced his research findings of air pollution’s influence on food. The lecture started from the introduction to the notion and classification of air pollution: the standardized air pollution and the non-standardized one. The standardized air pollution is based on the size of particles such as PM2.5 and PM10, and the density of O3, NO2, SO2 and CO. Prof. According to Prof. Yu, the government of Beijing has taken measures to address the issue, including promoting the use of electricity and natural gas to replace coal, enhancing forestation in city and shutting down heavy industries.
According to Prof. Yu, long-term medical survey has shown that the chances of developing lung cancer would increase by 36% when PM2.5 density increases 10%. In the short term, hazy weather will cause rising prices of food. Based on these facts, Prof. Yu raised two questions: Will air pollution affect the behaviors of producers and consumers? How does air pollution influence the latest food price? With a demand and supply function of air pollution and deductions of price elasticity, he provided a formula of demand&supply elasticity and air pollution’s influence on price elasticity and thus put forward the ARDL model.
Participants and the Prof. Yu had a profound exchange of views on relevant questions. Prof. Yu also encouraged the students to observe the effects of air pollution on Wuhan’ economy.
Links: Prof. Yu Xiaohua has been working as a professor of Department of Agricultural Economics, Center for Journalism Studies and Department of Agricultural Economy and Rural Development in the University of Goettingen after getting the doctor’s degree in the University of Pennsylvania. He is also the associate editor of Agricultural Economics,editorial board member of Italian Review of Agricultural Economics and Journal of Integrative Agriculture,and editorial advisory board member of China Agricultural Economic Review. He has published a number of papers in influential magazines such as American Journal of Agricultural Economics and Food Policy. His studies covers agricultural economics,environmental economics and applied economics.
(Translated by Wang Ting)
http://news.hzau.edu.cn/2016/0402/45072.shtml
