Is It Worth Getting Labeled? The Case of MSC-Certified Seafood

Research has examined consumers’ attitudes toward ecolabels, but there is a lack of research examining whether niche ecolabels give a competitive advantage in consumer markets. The authors aim to fill this gap by exploring the four conditions of market success (evidence of price premiums, market share, access to retailers, and elasticities) established in the literature. Three varieties of MSC-certified fish are studied. Differences are observed across the three varieties that lead to the following conclusions: MSC-labeled products do not systematically sell at a premium; price has an inelastic effect on the demand of certified national brands, but increased distribution has a very elastic effect on demand; and MSC-labeled products do not experience seasonal effects. The consumer market is responding favorably to the label, but ecolabeled fish is in an introductory stage. Price premiums vary; the retailer’s brand is playing a prominent role.     

Food scares, advertising, and the demand for meat cuts in Great Britain

Retail demand systems for 19 different cuts of meat for beef, lamb, pork, bacon and poultry in Great Britain are estimated from monthly time series of consumer expenditure from 1989-2000 using a two stage budget allocation process and an LA/AIDS specification. The unconditional expenditure, own and cross price elasticities are derived for the individual meat cuts. The impact of adverse publicity from meat scares, especially BSE, and of positive publicity through consumer promotion and advertising are incorporated into the modelling. Meat scares produced a reallocation of consumer spending from red to white meats during the 1990s. The impact of species-based advertising was shown to have complex spillover effects both within and between meat species, and the response of consumer demand to advertising was considerably less than to adverse publicity.     

Estimating Price Elasticities of Food Trade Functions: How Relevant is the CES‐based Gravity Approach?

The main objective of this article is to examine econometric estimates of price elasticities of food trade functions. We investigate the relevance of the prominent gravity approach. This approach is based on the assumptions of symmetric, monotone, homothetic, Constant Elasticity of Substitution (CES) preferences. We test all these assumptions using intra‐European trade in cheese. In general, the assumptions made on preferences by the gravity approach are not supported by our dataset. The bias induced in the estimated price elasticities is ambiguous.     

One Man's Meat … 2050? Ruminations on Future Meat Demand in the Context of Global Warming

This Address considers a range of issues relating to the contribution of meat consumption and livestock production to global warming, given the need highlighted by the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) to reduce global GHG emissions by over 50% by 2050. The IPCC Climate Change 2014 report recognised that demand oriented measures may also contribute to GHG mitigation. The paper reviews a number of studies which examine demand‐led mitigation potentials, and concludes that such estimates ignore the market effects of changes in meat consumption habits or demand oriented policies. A simple partial equilibrium model of beef, poultry, pig and ovine meats is developed for the major regions of the world to explore the impact of a range of scenarios which might reduce meat consumption and GHG emissions. These include emissions taxation, long‐term trends in reduction of red meat consumption in developed economy regions, and supply side improvements in livestock emissions intensities. The paper discusses problems associated with many published demand elasticities suitable for incorporation into a market model, problems of selection from widely varying published estimates and their appropriateness for longer‐run projections. The dearth of published supply elasticity estimates is also highlighted. The modelling concludes that economic and population growth to 2050 without any mitigation measures will lead to a 21% increase in per capita meat consumption and a 63% increase in total consumption and GHG emissions by 2050. However, the mitigation projections from the scenarios explored only generate a 14% reduction in cumulative emissions from the baseline 2050 projections, insufficient to meet the CCC target.     

房地产相关税收改革的政策研究及建议——以上海为例

我国房地产税收制度存在着重流转轻持有、税制设计不合理、重复征税三大问题,应精简流转环节税负——改革土地增值税,废除房地产业印花税;对持有环节征收宽税基、低税率的房地产税——城镇土地使用税与现有房产税合并为\"房地产税\",并因地制宜赋予地方政府一定程度的房地产税制自主权,以平衡改革前后的财政收入。此改革方案不会给居民带来过重的负担,在一定程度上能够促进房地产市场供给,增加刚性需求,抑制投资与投机需求。     

农户保险需求影响因素实证分析——以贵州铜仁地区为例

本文就2005年对贵州铜仁地区展开的农户金融行为研究调查问卷．运用Probit模型分别对包舍强制性约束的广义农户保险需求以及自主条件下农户保险需求的影响因素进行了探讨．研究发现：①包含强制性约束的广义农户保险需求以及自主条件下农户保险需求是有差异的，而代表了农户自主支付意愿的保险需求信息对保险公司而言才是有价值的信息；②两个模型在家庭财富变量的作用方向以及数量大小方面有较强的相似；④户主年龄以及家庭规模在广义农户保险需求模型中作用方向为负．而在自主条件下为正；家庭收入来源的多样化在广义农户保险需求模型中作用方向为正．而在自主条件下为负；家庭劳动力负担率、教育程度、土地规模影响广义农户保险需求．而不影响自主条件下的农户需求。     

物业税对我国不动产税收体系科学性影响研究

本文是基于物业税即将作为一个新的税种引入我国税收结构的前提，探讨其与我国现有的不动产税收结构的关系，进而来分析其征收对我国目前不动产税收体系科学性的影响。具体是对已有税种构成、纳税主体、税负水平及课税范围科学性的影响。同时，在文中也强调了物业税的征收对我国税收体系重构的影响。     

林农对林业社会化服务体系需求分析——基于内蒙古巴彦淖尔市林农调查

全面推进集体林权制度改革,极大地调动了林农的林业生产积极性。同时客观地要求建立、健全和完善相应的社会化服务体系。文章基于林农对林业社会化服务体系的需求调查,分析了林农的需求和现实的差距,提出构建全新的林业社会化服务体系的政策建议。