# The influence of improved wheat and maize varieties on infant mortality in China

## TL;DR

This paper shows that adopting high-yield wheat and maize varieties in China reduced infant mortality, likely through better nutrition and food security.

## Contribution

The study reveals a significant link between high-yield crop adoption and reduced infant mortality in rural China.

## Key findings

- Adoption of high-yielding wheat and maize varieties significantly reduced infant mortality.
- The mortality reduction effect persists even when excluding the Great Famine years.
- The relationship varies by infant gender, maternal characteristics, and policy regulation.

## Abstract

The diffusion of high-yielding crop varieties has been a key driver for agricultural productivity. This study examines the relationship between the adoption of high-yielding crop varieties of two staple crops—wheat and maize—and infant mortality in rural China. Using data from 1954 to 1987, we find a significant reduction in infant mortality linked to high-yielding crop varieties diffusion, an association that remains robust even after excluding the Great Famine years. We investigate potential mechanisms driving this relationship, including increased grain production, improved infant nutrition, and changes in maternal characteristics. Additionally, our analysis unveils a spectrum of heterogeneous relationships between high-yielding crop varieties adoption and infant mortality across factors such as infant gender, maternal characteristics, and policy regulation. These findings reaffirm the positive and lasting benefits of dissemination of high-yielding crop varieties for human welfare and provide valuable policy insights for developing nations grappling with food and nutritional insecurity.