The (in)stability of farmer risk preferences

We test and quantify the (in)stability of farmer risk preferences, accounting for both the instability across elicitation methods and instability over time. We use repeated measurements (N = 1530) with Swiss fruit and grapevine producers over 3 years, using different risk preference elicitation methods (domain-specific self-assessment and incentivised lotteries). We find that farmers' risk preferences change considerably when measured using different methods. For example, self-reported risk preference and findings from a Holt and Laury lottery correlate only weakly (correlation coefficients range from 0.06 to 0.23). Moreover, we also find that risk preferences vary considerably over time, that is, applying the same elicitation method to the same farmer in a different point in time results in different risk preference estimates. Our results show self-reported risk preferences are moderately correlated (correlation coefficients range from 0.42 to 0.55) from one year to another. Finally, we find experiencing crop damages due to climate extremes and pests is associated with farmers becoming more risk tolerant over time in specific domains.     

Understanding Heterogeneous Consumer Preferences in Chinese Milk Markets: A Latent Class Approach

We examine heterogeneous consumer preferences in Chinese milk markets. Using a discrete choice experiment, we examine how the brand, quality certification, traceability label and price influence consumers' milk choices. We identify four consumer segments using a latent class model: price conscious (9.8%), balanced thinking (19.8%), health conscious (57.5%), and environment conscious (12.9%) consumers. These four segments have distinct preferences: price conscious consumers prefer green certification; balanced thinking consumers have the highest willingness to pay for traceability labels; health conscious consumers have strong brand awareness; and environment conscious consumers prefer organic certification and traceability labels and use price as a quality signal. Such diversity of consumer preference can be explained by four psychological factors: price consciousness, food safety concerns, health consciousness and environmental concerns.     

Consumer Preferences for Organic Food and for the Shares of Meat and Vegetables in an Everyday Meal

Abstract

It is well established that consumers with positive preferences for organic products generally also tend to have healthy eating habits involving many fruits and vegetables but less meat. While most studies are based on single product comparisons, this study investigates consumer preferences for organic ingredients and content of meat and vegetables in the context of an everyday evening meal. Moreover, we address heterogeneity in preferences. The study is based on an online survey including a choice experiment with 506 consumers. Using principal component and latent class analyses, we identify three segments of consumers that differ with respect to preferences for organic production and content of meat and vegetables in their meals. Our findings may be valuable for authorities promoting healthy food consumption just as they provide valuable input to the catering industry and other suppliers of dinner dishes in the development and marketing of both organic and non-organic ready meals.     

The influence of risk preferences,knowledge, land consolidation,and landscape diversification on pesticide use

Researchers have spent substantial effort to identify factors influencing pesticide use intensity. However, few studies have compared the relative importance of these factors. This study examines four categories of factors that potentially influence farmers’ pesticide use decisions by evaluating incentivized experiment data, farm survey data, and remote sensing data in China. Our results suggest that land diversification has the largest effect on farmers’ pesticide use. Compared with the most rice-intensive landscape type, less rice-intensive systems cause farmers to spray less on middle rice. Heavy pesticide use intensity is associated with land fragmentation as small-scale farms still dominate crop production. Farmers’ integrated pest management knowledge has significant effects on pesticide use. We also find that loss and ambiguity preferences, rather than risk preferences, are more likely to affect pesticide use intensity.     

The use of latent classes to identify individual differences in the importance of landscape dimensions for aesthetic preference

Most literature in landscape perception and preference has focused on aesthetic preference by (groups of) people. Factors that could influence the aesthetic preference, such as landscape dimensions and observer's background characteristics, are far less examined. This may be due to the increasing complexity of the dataset, when variation both in landscape attributes and respondents’ characteristics is to be included in the models. The complex multivariate analysis models that emerge require more sophisticated statistical analysis. Also, the conclusions that result from the traditional analysis sound like, e.g. experts show lower preferences than nonexperts, which is rather deterministic and leaves no room for fuzziness. Latent class analysis provides an opportunity to include fuzziness, by only probabilistically assigning respondents in a latent class in function of the respondent's characteristics. The present paper explores the use of latent class analysis to determine individual differences in the importance appended to several landscape dimensions for landscape aesthetic preference. A questionnaire survey was executed in a spatially stratified sample amongst inhabitants of the city of Ghent (Flanders, Belgium). Latent preference classes are identified of which the cases vary in the level of importance attached to landscape characteristics for aesthetic preference. Care and disturbance appear to have larger effect on preference than naturalness and urbanisation. The effect of care and disturbance on landscape aesthetic preference also most significantly distinguishes between the latent preference classes. The importance of openness for aesthetics is small and not significantly dependent on the individual background of the observer. Respondents’ characteristics that affect the probability of belonging to a latent preference class are environmental behaviour and attitude, actual living environment, age class, education level, and organisation membership. Understanding the basis for differences in landscape preference may respond to tastes and aspirations of the general public, putting landscape planning in the broader context of society.     

城中村拆迁对原住民社会阶层变化的影响 ——以武汉市为例

研究目的:基于对武汉市洪山区两个已拆迁城中村原住民的调研数据,分析拆迁对原住民社会阶层变化的影响,为维护社会稳定、缩小贫富差距、完善城中村治理提供基础资料。研究方法:采用潜在类别分析方法在软件LatentGold 4.5中进行客观分层模型和住房分层模型估计,归纳拆迁前后社会客观阶层与住房阶层结构的特征与变化。研究结果:拆迁前社会客观结构为中间大、两头小的"橄榄型",拆迁后中间退休阶层与零工底层群体融合形成新的零工退休阶层,客观社会阶层类别减少,社会分层趋于同质化,阶层分化减弱。拆迁后城中村居民住房的绝对价值均有所提高,住房价值整体的不平等差异减弱,而各个客观阶层内部住房价值的非均衡性均有所增加,阶层间的住房价值差距也随着拆迁而扩大。住房分层与社会客观分层存在较为复杂的关系,前者未打破人们原有的社会客观位置而重构社会阶层,但也并未与客观分层表现为完全的一致性,而是不同客观阶层的住房价值分布特征各不相同。研究结论:未来应重视拆迁对城中村居民的住房财产、社会阶层等各方面的影响,针对城中村社会阶层结构的特征探寻规范化、差别化且能够兼顾效率与公平的拆迁补偿制度,以缓和阶层矛盾。     

Consumer versus citizen preferences in contingent valuation: evidence on the role of question framing*

Rather than individual consumer preferences, responses to referendum‐style contingent valuation surveys on environmental goods may express citizen assessments that take into account benefits to others. We reconsider the consumer versus citizen hypothesis with a focus on the role of framing information. Survey data on conservation areas in Ilomantsi, Finland, are used. Different versions of the valuation question were used to encourage the respondents to take the consumer or the citizen role. The citizen version expectedly resulted in substantially fewer zero‐WTP responses and protests and higher mean and median WTP, suggesting that the framing information has a major effect on the preferences expressed. The findings support the idea of multiple preferences. For a more confident interpretation of contingent valuation responses, future studies should recognise their intended use in survey design and gain information about respondents' motives to determine the presence and type of altruistic motives.     

黑龙江省林业投入对林业经济增长影响的实证研究

基于柯布一道格拉斯生产函数,探讨劳动力投入、资本投入对黑龙江省林业经济增长的影响,选取2000年至2011年数据,分析林业投入对黑龙江省林业经济增长的影响。结果表明,林业系统劳动力和资本的投入对林业经济增长的影响较为显著的,黑龙江省林业要素的投入产出的转化率较高。     

The impact of climate change on labour demand in the plantation sector: the case of tea production in Sri Lanka

Limited opportunities for crop switching and lengthy preharvesting periods make the plantation sector particularly vulnerable to climate change. Surprisingly, however, the economic consequences of climate change on plantation crops are seldom analysed. Drawing on a unique primary panel data set from a representative cross section of 35 tea estates in Sri Lanka over the period 2002–2014, this study implements a structural model of estate profit maximisation to estimate the elasticity of labour demand with respect to different components of weather. Results indicate a negative relationship between labour demand and rainfall in the south‐west monsoon, the north‐east monsoon and the second inter‐monsoon. A positive relationship is found between labour demand and rainfall in the first inter‐monsoon. Overall, predicted changes in rainfall by 2050 are anticipated to reduce labour demand by approximately 1,175,000 person‐days per year across Sri Lanka's tea plantation sector. This is likely to have considerable social and welfare implications, particularly for the Indian Tamil women who comprise the majority of the sector's workforce.     

农民对农地保障功能的主观认知差异及影响因素分析——基于浙、赣、桂三省506份农户调查

研究目的:实证分析农民对农地保障功能的主观认知及区域差异,应用排序选择模型研究农地保障功能主观认知差异的影响因素,并提出相关政策建议。研究方法:描述统计分析,排序选择模型。研究结果:浙、赣、桂三省506份农户问卷中,64.2%的农户认为承包地对他们生活的总体作用并不大,但94.7%的农户同时认为种田虽然不赚钱,但可以为基本生活提供最后保障;浙、赣、桂三省农民在"承包地对他们生活总体作用"这一问题的主观认知上存在显著区域差异;影响农民对农地保障功能主观认知的因素主要有人均耕地面积、农地收入占家庭总收入比重、村庄离县城(城市)的交通距离以及区域宏观区位特征等。研究结论:要大力提高农户农业收入,切实保障农民土地权益;要推进农地流转与使用制度改革,实现土地要素的有效流转和适度集中;应充分认识农地保障功能存在区域差异这一现实背景,考虑不同农户主体自身禀赋和区域资源、经济和社会发展条件的差异性,因地制宜进行农地产权制度创新。     

The impact of historic district designation on the prices of single-family homes in the oldest city in the United States,St. Augustine,Florida

This empirical investigation applies a hedonic pricing model to estimate how much historic district designation has influenced the sales price of single-family houses in the oldest city in the United States, namely, St. Augustine, Florida. There were sufficient data in this context to study a total of 4017 single-family houses for a 6-year period from 2008 to 2013. The semi-log and piecewise regression estimations reveal that the natural log of the sales price of a single-family house in the city of St. Augustine was positively affected by designation as national historic district in six of the seven districts, with robust results obtained for five of the districts. Moreover, the estimated premiums for historic designation were larger than those found in other similar studies, most of which were conducted prior to the Great Recession. This study also derives several other conclusions about the effects of recession variables, as well as other exterior characteristics, interior characteristics and spatial control variables, a number of which are not commonly explored in similar studies.