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With research staff from more than 70 countries, and offices across the globe, IFPRI provides research-based policy solutions to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition in developing countries.

researcher spotlight

Timothy Thomas

Timothy Thomas is a Senior Research Fellow in the Foresight and Policy Modeling Unit. His research focuses on the impact of climate change on agricultural productivity. Tim’s work involves developing innovative methods for simulated climate futures and model coordination between climate, crop, water, energy, and economics.

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Markets, Trade, and Institutions

Jeffrey Bloem

Research Fellow

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Jeffrey Bloem

Bio

Jeff Bloem is a Research Fellow in the Markets, Trade, and Institutions Unit whose research interest is in applied microeconomics with applications in agriculture, conflict, and psychology. He holds a BS in economics from Calvin College, Michigan; an MS in Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics from Michigan State University; and a PhD in applied economics from the University of Minnesota.

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Publications

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Brief

Shaken, but Not Deterred : Acute Stressors and the Formation of Hope and Aspirations among Tertiary-Educated Youth in Myanmar in the Aftermath of the 2025 Earthquake

2026Bloem, Jeffrey R.; Ghorpade, Yashodhan; Imtiaz, Muhammad Saad
Details

Shaken, but Not Deterred : Acute Stressors and the Formation of Hope and Aspirations among Tertiary-Educated Youth in Myanmar in the Aftermath of the 2025 Earthquake

Although hope and aspirations are increasingly considered to be both intrinsically and instrumentally valuable, quantitative evidence on the formation of these factors is limited. Using data from a sample of educated youth in Myanmar, this paper documents the relationship between various sources of chronic (ongoing and long-term) and acute (brief and intense) stressors with measures of hope and aspirations. The findings indicate that hope and aspirations are tightly linked with chronic stressors (low relative income and labor market mismatch). However, exposure to an acute stressor (a large and destructive earthquake) does not meaningfully influence hope and aspirations. These results are relevant to both development and emergency relief efforts that consider incorporating mental health into policy design and implementation. The results suggest that policies that aim to address sources of chronic stress (such as poverty and employment outcomes) may have underappreciated psychological benefits that complement standard economic benefits measured in the form of higher wages and employment outcomes. This further emphasizes the need to continue efforts toward development objectives that can mitigate the effects of chronic stressors, even when more acute shocks occur. Additionally, policy responses to emergency and disaster situations may be most effective if they focus on immediate material needs so that an acute stressor does not become a chronic stressor.

Year published

2026

Authors

Bloem, Jeffrey R.; Ghorpade, Yashodhan; Imtiaz, Muhammad Saad

Citation

Bloem, Jeffrey R.; Ghorpade, Yashodhan; and Imtiaz, Muhammad Saad. 2026 Shaken, but Not Deterred: Acute Stressors and the Formation of Hope and Aspirations among Tertiary-Educated Youth in Myanmar in the Aftermath of the 2025 Earthquake. Policy Research Working Paper 11342. Washington, D.C.: World Bank Group. http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/099342303232638571

Country/Region

Myanmar

Keywords

South-eastern Asia; Shock; Earthquakes; Youth

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Resource thumbnail

Working Paper

Shaken, but Not deterred: Acute stressors and the formation of hope and aspirations among tertiary-educated youth in Myanmar in the aftermath of the 2025 earthquake

2026Bloem, Jeffrey R.; Ghorpade, Yashodhan; Imtiaz, Muhammad Saad
Details

Shaken, but Not deterred: Acute stressors and the formation of hope and aspirations among tertiary-educated youth in Myanmar in the aftermath of the 2025 earthquake

Although hope and aspirations are increasingly considered to be both intrinsically and instrumentally valuable, quantitative evidence on the formation of these factors is limited. Using data from a sample of educated youth in Myanmar, this paper documents the relationship between various sources of chronic and acute stressors with measures of hope and aspirations. We find that hope and aspirations are tightly linked with chronic stressors (low relative income and labor market mismatch), but not to exposure to an acute stressor (a large and destructive earthquake). The results suggest that policies that aim to address sources of chronic stress (such as poverty and employment outcomes) may have underappreciated psychological benefits that complement standard economic benefits measured in the form of higher wages and employment outcomes. This further emphasizes the need to continue efforts toward development objectives that can mitigate the effects of chronic stressors, even when more acute shocks occur. Additionally, policy responses to emergency and disaster situations may be most effective if they focus on immediate material needs so that an acute stressor does not become a chronic stressor.

Year published

2026

Authors

Bloem, Jeffrey R.; Ghorpade, Yashodhan; Imtiaz, Muhammad Saad

Citation

Bloem, Jeffrey R.; Ghorpade, Yashodhan; and Imtiaz, Muhammad Saad. 2026. Shaken, but Not deterred: Acute stressors and the formation of hope and aspirations among tertiary-educated youth in Myanmar in the aftermath of the 2025 earthquake. IZA Discussion Paper 18492. IZA@LISER. https://www.iza.org/de/publications/dp/18492/shaken-but-not-deterred-acute-stressors-and-the-formation-of-hope-and-aspirations-among-tertiary-educated-youth-in-myanmar-in-the-aftermath-of-the-2025-earthquake

Country/Region

Myanmar

Keywords

Asia; South-eastern Asia; Youth; Higher Education; Earthquakes; Stress

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Record type

Working Paper

Resource thumbnail

Journal Article

Income aspirations and migration: Evidence from rural Tajikistan

2026Bloem, Jeffrey R.; Lambrecht, Isabel B.; Akramov, Kamiljon T.
Details

Income aspirations and migration: Evidence from rural Tajikistan

In places with limited employment opportunities, households aspiring to increase their income are mainly left with two options: either (a) invest locally in their farm or non-farm enterprises, or (b) earn income elsewhere via migration. With survey data from 1,705 respondents from rural Tajikistan, we analyze the relationship between income aspirations and household investment strategies, and we contrast this to the relationship between income aspirations and international migration. We find evidence of a strong link between the income aspirations gap and international migration, but, strikingly, we do not observe any association between the income aspirations gap and local investment in farm or non-farm assets. These results suggest that households do not view local investment as a viable strategy for increasing income. Exploring heterogeneity, we find that these results can vary by household poverty status and household land endowments, but not by the respondent's gender. Given the prominence of migration in the study area, this also suggests that remittances commonly serve different purposes than farm or non-farm investments — such as supporting households in their day-to-day expenditures or funding major ritual events.

Year published

2026

Authors

Bloem, Jeffrey R.; Lambrecht, Isabel B.; Akramov, Kamiljon T.

Citation

Bloem, Jeffrey R.; Lambrecht, Isabel B.; and Akramov, Kamiljon T. Income aspirations and migration: Evidence from rural Tajikistan. International Migration Review. Article in press. First published online on June 24, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1177/01979183251343885

Country/Region

Tajikistan

Keywords

Asia; Central Asia; Income; Migration; Rural Areas; Investment; Agriculture

Language

English

Access/Licence

Limited Access

Links

https://doi.org/10.1177/01979183251343885 Source record

Record type

Journal Article

Events

Political Economy of Fertilizer Subsidies
IFPRI Program/Country Event

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October 21, 2026, 10:00 – 11:00 am

Political Economy of Fertilizer Subsidies

Worldwide, government spending on subsidies in agriculture, fishing, and fossil fuels amounts to a staggering US$1.25 trillion each year. Subsidies play a major role in every country’s fiscal policies, regardless of income level or spending patterns. Subsidy spending faces greater scrutiny as governments struggle to mobilize more revenue to meet important development targets amid rising […]

Subsidy Programs for Chemical Fertilizers: What We Know about Targeting Beneficiaries
IFPRI Program/Country Event

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October 14, 2026, 10:00 – 11:00 am

Subsidy Programs for Chemical Fertilizers: What We Know about Targeting Beneficiaries

Policymakers in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) face mounting pressure from lenders and donors to eliminate or reform fertilizer subsidy programs due to their effects on markets and the environment. Despite this pressure, we know little about the recipients of these subsidy programs and how reforms would affect them. Join us for a discussion […]

How does Trade Risk Influence Agricultural Policy?
IFPRI Policy Seminar

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April 28, 2026, 10:00 – 11:30 am

How does Trade Risk Influence Agricultural Policy?

International trade provides critical access to food, especially for countries that cannot cost-effectively produce enough domestically. If importing food is cheaper, why do so many countries keep protecting their own agricultural production, especially considering the core tenet of international trade that countries should specialize in producing goods in which they hold a comparative advantage? This […]

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News

September 16, 2025 | In the News

Intensification or expansion? A new approach to measuring agricultural change (VoxDev)

Jeffrey Bloem (IFPRI) and Clark Lundberg (San Diego State University) introduce a new method for linking village-level interventions with high-resolution earth observation data.

July 09, 2025 | In the News

How climate-induced conflict is shaping rural Nigeria (VoxDev) 

Vox Dev published this article by Jeffrey Bloem, Amy Damon, David C. Francis, and Harrison Mitchell on herder-farmer conflicts in Nigeria.