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Non-market Returns to Traditional Human Capital: Nutritional Status and Traditional Knowledge in a Native Amazonian Society

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  • Victoria Reyes-Garcia
  • Thomas McDade
  • Vincent Vadez
  • Tomas Huanca
  • William Leonard
  • Susan Tanner
  • Ricardo Godoy

Abstract

In industrial economies schooling produces positive non-market returns but do traditional forms of human capital also produce such returns, and do schooling and traditional human capital act as complements or substitutes in their association with well-being? Drawing on data from 450 adults (16+ years of age) from an indigenous Amazonian society in Bolivia, we estimate the association between traditional plant knowledge and nutritional status as measured by body-mass index. After conditioning for many covariates, we find that doubling an adult's traditional knowledge is associated with a mean improvement in BMI of 6.3 per cent; the association is stronger for unschooled adults and for those living far from the market town. Though schooling bore a negative association with traditional knowledge, those two forms of human capital had independent associations with BMI. The analysis suggests that schooling does not necessarily undermine the accumulation of traditional knowledge.

Suggested Citation

  • Victoria Reyes-Garcia & Thomas McDade & Vincent Vadez & Tomas Huanca & William Leonard & Susan Tanner & Ricardo Godoy, 2008. "Non-market Returns to Traditional Human Capital: Nutritional Status and Traditional Knowledge in a Native Amazonian Society," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 44(2), pages 217-232.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:jdevst:v:44:y:2008:i:2:p:217-232
    DOI: 10.1080/00220380701789901
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    Cited by:

    1. Albert Ayorinde Abegunde, 2017. "Local communities’ belief in climate change in a rural region of Sub-Saharan Africa," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 19(4), pages 1489-1522, August.
    2. Eduardo A Undurraga & Leslie Zebrowitz & Dan T A Eisenberg & Victoria Reyes-García & TAPS Bolivia Study Team & Ricardo A Godoy, 2012. "The Perceived Benefits of Height: Strength, Dominance, Social Concern, and Knowledge among Bolivian Native Amazonians," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(5), pages 1-10, May.
    3. Reyes-García, Victoria & Molina, Jose Luis & McDade, Thomas W. & Tanner, Susan N. & Huanca, Tomas & Leonard, William R., 2009. "Inequality in social rank and adult nutritional status: Evidence from a small-scale society in the Bolivian Amazon," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 69(4), pages 571-578, August.
    4. Godoy, Ricardo & Magvanjav, Oyunbileg & Nyberg, Colleen & Eisenberg, Dan T.A. & McDade, Thomas W. & Leonard, William R. & Reyes-García, Victoria & Huanca, Tomás & Tanner, Susan & Gravlee, Clarence, 2010. "Why no adult stunting penalty or height premium?: Estimates from native Amazonians in Bolivia," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 8(1), pages 88-99, March.

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