We analyze various pathways through which access to electricity affects fertility in Indonesia, using a district difference-in-difference approach. The electrification rate increased by 65 % over the study period, and our results suggest that the subsequent effects on fertility account for about 18 % to 24 % of the overall decline in fertility. A key channel is increased exposure to television. Using in addition several waves of Demographic and Health Surveys, we find suggestive evidence that increased exposure to TV affects, in particular, fertility preferences and increases the effective use of contraception. Reduced child mortality seems to be another important pathway.

Introduction: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have surpassed infectious diseases as the leading global cause of death, with the Southeast Asian region experiencing a significant rise in NCD prevalence over the past decades. Despite the escalating burden, screening for NCDs remains at very low levels, resulting in undetected cases, premature mortality and high public healthcare costs. We investigate whether community-based NCD prevention and management programmes are an effective solution. Methods: In Indonesia, we compare participants in the community-based NCD screening and management programme Pos Pembinaan Terpadu-Penyakit Tidak Menular with matched non-participants with respect to their uptake of screening activities, health-related behaviour and knowledge and metabolic risk factors. We use statistical matching to redress a possible selection bias (n=1669). In Viet Nam, we compare members of Intergenerational Self-Help Clubs, which were offered similar NCD health services, with members of other community groups, where such services were not offered. We can rely on two waves of data and use a double-difference approach to redress a possible selection bias and to measure the impacts of participation (n=1710). We discuss strengths and weaknesses of the two approaches in Indonesia and Viet Nam. Results: In Indonesia, participants have significantly higher uptake of screening for hypertension and diabetes (+13% from a control mean of 88% (95% CI 9% to 17%); +93% from a control mean of 48% (95% CI 79% to 108%)). In both countries, participants show a higher knowledge about risk factors, symptoms and complications of NCDs (Indonesia: +0.29 SD (0.13–0.45), Viet Nam: +0.17 SD (0.03–0.30)). Yet, the improved knowledge is only partly reflected in improved health behaviour (Viet Nam: fruit consumption +0.33 SD (0.15–0.51), vegetable consumption +0.27 SD (0.04–0.50)), body mass index (BMI) (Viet Nam: BMI −0.07 SD (−0.13 to −0.00)) or metabolic risk factors (Indonesia: systolic blood pressure: −0.13 SD (−0.26 to −0.00)). Conclusion: Community-based NCD programmes are well suited to increase screening and to transmit health knowledge. Due to their extensive outreach within the community, they can serve as a valuable complement to the screening services provided at the primary healthcare level. Yet, limited coverage, insufficient resources and a high staff turnover remain a problem. Trial registration number: NCT05239572.

Half-cell modules are gaining an increasing market share due to their potential of increasing the module power without requiring any changes in the cell technology. However, it has turned out that different cell separation technologies can yield a similar electrical performance of the half-cells, yet leading to an entirely different mechanical behavior of the cells. Hence, the mechanical strength on solar cell and module laminate level was evaluated for thermal laser separation (TLS) and laser scribing with cleaving (LSC) cutting technologies on multicrystalline silicon Al-BSF solar cells. It could be systematically shown, that mechanical defects which are found on cell level can also be seen on module level. More precisely, the strength for the LSC batch was decreased by 35 % on cell level and 23 % on module level. The TLS process did not change significantly the strength on cell or module laminate level. Additionally, the origin of fracture was found at the edge for the laser batch and on the back side pads for the full cells and TLS cut cells. The electrical evaluation has shown minor electrical power losses of the half-cells leading to an efficiency reduction of less than 1 %_rel.

As in many high‐income countries, there is increasing awareness towards organic farming in many low‐ and middle‐income countries. Sustained local demand is an essential requirement for further adoption of organic farming by smallholders, who typically have only limited access to export markets. Until now, only few studies have explored the local willingness to pay (WTP) for organic products in low‐ and middle‐income countries in real purchase situations. This paper analyses the consumers' WTP for organic rice in urban and suburban Indonesia using an incentive‐compatible auction based on the Becker–DeGroot–Marschak (BDM) approach. We further study the effect of income and a randomised information treatment about the benefits of organic food on respondents' WTP. Estimates suggest that respondents are willing to pay an average price premium of 20% compared with what they paid for conventional rice outside our experiment. However, our results also indicate that raising consumers' WTP further is complex. Showing participants a video about health or, alternatively, environmental benefits of organic food was not effective in further raising WTP. The results can be used as a basis for the design of alternative awareness measures to increase knowledge, interest and demand for organic food.

Increasing weather volatility manifesting itself through extreme rainfall and drought poses a significant threat to the livelihood of rural households in poor countries. Although it is documented how rainfall shocks affect agricultural activities, there is not much evidence on the indirect effects on the rest of the rural economy. Merging household panel data with grid‐level precipitation data, we study the indirect effects of rainfall shocks on non‐farm enterprises in rural Thailand. We not only consider the effects on labor supply to non‐farm enterprises but also focus on the performance of non‐farm enterprises. We find that households increase their labor participation in non‐farm self‐employment in response to excessive rainfall shocks. We do not find such a response for deficit rainfall shocks, which we explain by the increased demand for agricultural labor needed to cope with rainfall shortages. We also find suggestive evidence that rainfall shocks lead to increased input costs for non‐farm enterprises in the food processing industry, to higher input costs for farms, to higher sales revenues for agriculture‐related non‐farm enterprises and to lower expenditures for farm households on food and other consumption items. Overall, our analysis suggests that the costs of agricultural shocks are higher than what much of the literature has suggested so far. Despite limited market integration in poor rural economies, the spillovers are sizable and are transmitted through various channels. One implication is that safety nets targeted at farms may need to consider non‐farm enterprises too.