The Agricultural Origins of Time Preference

Arbeitspapier

This research explores the origins of the distribution of time preference across regions. It advances the hypothesis and establishes empirically, that geographical variations in natural land productivity and their impact on the return to agricultural investment have had a persistent effect on the distribution of long-term orientation across societies. In particular, exploiting a natural experiment associated with the expansion of suitable crops for cultivation in the course of the Columbian Exchange, the research establishes that agro-climatic characteristics in the pre-industrial era that were conducive to higher return to agricultural investment, triggered selection and learning processes that had a persistent positive effect on the prevalence of long-term orientation in the contemporary era.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: IZA Discussion Papers ; No. 8427

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft
• Subject: time preference ; delayed gratification ; economic growth ; culture ; agriculture ; economic development ; evolution

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Galor, Oded ; Özak, Ömer
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)
• (where): Bonn
• (when): 2014

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/102319
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:41 AM CET