Investigating rice farmers’ preferences for an agri-environmental scheme: Is an eco-label a substitute for payments?

In some Asian countries, the pursuit of high yields often leads to excessive application of chemical fertilizer, negatively impacting the environment. We use the Choice Experiment approach to investigate the preferences of rice farmers in Taiwan for a potential Agri-environmental Scheme (AES), which would aim at an optimization of fertilizer use. We are especially interested in how such an AES would optimally be designed and whether it is possible to reduce its costs by offering the farmers lower payments in exchange for an eco-label. We find that farmers have a significant preference for an eco-label and would accept lower payments in exchange. They also prefer to retain some flexibility and keep some land out of the AES. Moreover, we also find that a share of the farmers would never join an AES.     

Consumer willingness to pay for farm animal welfare: mobile abattoirs versus transportation to slaughter

Consumer preferences and willingness-to-pay (WTP) for certainnon-market food process attributes were investigated using achoice experiment. Swedish consumers were found to be willingto pay a price premium for the use of mobile abattoirs for cattlebut not for broilers. We used two different survey versions,with and without an opt-out alternative. There is no evidencethat omission of the opt-out alternative leads to biased choices.In addition, respondents who chose to opt-out were no differentfrom those making trade-offs between attributes. The inclusionof an opt-out alternative has no significant effect on the marginalWTP. Based on estimated distributions of WTP and available costestimates, the market share for mobile abattoirs is predicted.Here we do find differences between the two survey versions:the version with an opt-out alternative revealed greater unobservedheterogeneity.     

Cattle Farmers’ Preferences for Disease‐Free Zones in Kenya: An application of the Choice Experiment Method

Management of livestock diseases is important in ensuring food safety to consumers in both domestic and export markets. Various measures are prescribed under the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Standards (SPS) agreement of the World Trade Organization. In order to prevent the spread of trans‐boundary cattle diseases, the SPS agreement recommends the establishment of Disease‐Free Zones (DFZs). These have been implemented successfully in some major beef‐exporting countries, but in Kenya are still at a pilot stage. To understand Kenyan farmers’ preferences on the type of DFZ that would be readily acceptable to them, a choice experiment was conducted using a D‐optimal design. Results show that farmers would be willing to pay to participate in a DFZ where: adequate training is provided on pasture development, record keeping and disease monitoring; market information is provided and sales contract opportunities are guaranteed; cattle are properly labelled for ease of identification; and some monetary compensation is provided in the event that cattle die due to severe disease outbreaks. Preferences for the DFZ attributes are shown to be heterogeneous across three cattle production systems. We also derive farmers’ preferences for various DFZ policy scenarios. The findings have important implications for policy on the design of DFZ programmes in Kenya and other countries that face similar cattle disease challenges.     

Prices paid for farmland in Ontario: Does buyer type matter?

In the wake of the substantial increases in farmland values that have occurred in Ontario since 2008, concerns have been expressed regarding the potential influence of nonfarmer buyers, such as investment companies and foreign buyers, on prices paid for farmland. To examine whether these concerns may be warranted, this paper estimates the impact of nonfarmer buyers on sale prices for farmland in Ontario, using a hedonic approach and farmland sales data from 2002 to 2016. Analysis is also conducted to determine whether marginal implicit prices of specific farm attributes differ between farmer buyers and nonfarmer buyers. The results indicate that nonfarmer buyers have paid higher prices for farmland, but only in near‐urban areas. In addition, differences in marginal implicit prices for farmland attributes are found, where farmer buyers value more highly attributes related to the agricultural productivity of the property while nonfarmer buyers value more highly attributes related to nonagricultural use. These results imply that the higher prices paid by nonfarmers may be attributable to the bid‐rent theory, as nonfarmers may be bidding more than farmers for farmland in near‐urban areas due to higher expected returns from future urban use of the land.     

Customers’ Preferences for Different Processed Tomato Categories in Food Service

Hypothetical discrete choice experiments were conducted to elicit food-service professionals’ preferences and willingness-to-pay for different attributes of processed tomatoes. A sample of 110 food-service professionals were surveyed in Italy, Russia, Eastern Europe, and South Korea in 2012. Data were analyzed by using multinomial logit and random parameter logit models. Results suggest that food-service professionals preferred peeled tomatoes to chopped pulp, tomato purée, and tomato paste. However, their preferences were heterogeneous. They would pay a premium price for products labeled with Italian origin. Types of cuisine sold by practitioners, numbers of points of sale, and nationalities also influence practitioners’ WTP. Factors affecting their purchasing decision were freshness of product, followed by convenience, cooking time, price, origin of product, and brand. This study shows that the research method is suitable for evaluating the preferences of food-service professionals. The preferences of industry operators resemble those of consumers.     

How Do Cultural Worldviews Shape Food Technology Perceptions? Evidence from a Discrete Choice Experiment

Agricultural biotechnology (genetic modification) has encountered resistance from many consumers, resulting in disparate regulatory approaches across different jurisdictions. The recent advent of CRISPR-Cas9, or gene editing, offers the potential for significant improvements in plant breeding. However, little is known currently about consumer responses to the technology. A factor often omitted from previous economic analyses of consumer acceptance of new food technologies is underlying human values or worldviews. Drawing upon cultural cognition theory and using data from a survey of Canadian consumers, we examine the influence of cultural values on food choice behaviours. Respondents’ pre-existing cultural values are measured on two dimensions: hierarchy-egalitarianism and individualism-communitarianism. Choice behaviours are captured using a discrete choice experiment featuring a sliced apple product with two consumer-oriented attributes (non-browning and antioxidant-enhanced) and three novel food technologies (gene editing, genetic modification, edible coating). Using a random parameters logit model with error components we find pre-existing cultural values to be significant determinants of choice behaviours. Individuals pre-disposed towards a hierarchical worldview are more accepting of novel food technologies, as are individuals with a communitarian worldview. While the use of gene editing results in negative marginal utilities in a food choice situation, the effect is not as large as with genetic modification, suggesting there is scope to ameliorate potentially negative reactions to the technology with value-compatible messages.     

Measuring Heterogeneous Preferences for Cattle Traits among Cattle-Keeping Households in East Africa

This study employs mixed logit and latent class models to examine preferences for cattle traits with a focus on heterogeneity among cattle keepers, using choice experiment data of 506 cattle-keeping households in Kenya and Ethiopia. The findings indicate the existence of preference heterogeneity based on cattle production systems. Highly valued cattle traits for the cropping systems include traction fitness and trypanotolerance, while traits associated with herd increase are considered important in pastoral systems. Considering heterogeneity within population segments provides a framework for adapting breeding policy interventions to specific producer segments, by integrating preferred traits in a breed improvement program.     

Organic‐ and Animal Welfare‐labelled Eggs: Competing for the Same Consumers?

To understand the market for sustainable foods, it is important to allow for heterogeneous preferences. However, most studies of consumer preferences for sustainable foods only investigate average consumer preferences. They do not take into account that some consumer segments attempt to purchase as much sustainable food as possible, others are almost indifferent to the notion of sustainable food, and still others consider sustainable food a complete hoax. The aim of this study is to explore the preferences for various types of premium eggs across three consumer segments. We conduct a choice experiment including 900 Norwegian consumers and perform a behavioural segmentation based on the frequency of organic food purchase. We find that the segment purchasing the most organic food is, as expected, willing to pay a significant premium for organic eggs over eggs displaying only enhanced animal welfare. However, most consumers, who only occasionally purchase organic products, are unwilling to pay more for organic eggs than for enhanced animal welfare eggs, suggesting diminishing marginal utility for additional attributes. We find that a third consumer segment attempts to avoid organic eggs, even when they cost the same as other eggs. Our findings suggest that organic products will be unsuccessful in acquiring a larger share of the market as long as most consumers are unwilling to pay a premium for organic products with all their cost increasing sustainable attributes over products that have only a single sustainable attribute, in our case enhanced animal welfare.     

基于社会权利视角的中国福利国家之辨析

20世纪中叶出现的社会权利,一方面丰富了公民权利的内涵,另一方面重塑了公民与国家之间的关系,即享有福利不再是国家的施舍,而是公民的权利。社会权利是福利国家的逻辑起点和现实归宿。文章以社会权利为工具,分析福利国家的缘起及其类型;考察新中国成立以来福利国家演变的三种模式:国家/集体福利模式、市场福利模式、社会合作福利模式及其特点。中国的福利国家在弥补市场失灵、推进公民社会权利的实现方面发挥着重要作用,但也存在着城乡不平等、身份不平等以及福利利益流动不自由的问题。这要通过强化福利国家制度的权利理念,加大财政转移支付力度,提高福利金统筹层次等措施加以解决。     

农户对宅基地流转福利的认同研究以湖北省为例

[目的]文章基于可行能力理论构建农户对宅基地流转福利的认同的理论模型,利用湖北省武汉、仙桃、恩施宅基地流转农户的实地调研数据,运用模糊综合评价法定量评价农户对宅基地流转福利的认同度,从农户主观价值认知视角评估宅基地流转对农户福利的影响效应。[方法]模糊综合评价法。[结果](1)总体上,农户认同宅基地流转福利,当前宅基地流转政策改善了农户福利。(2)宅基地流转对农户福利效应存在差异,宅基地流转显著改善了家庭经济、居住条件和心理感受福利,其次为社区环境和社会保障福利,改善农户发展机遇福利效应最低,且农户不认同宅基地流转后发展机遇福利。(3)宅基地流转改善农户福利效应存在禀赋差异,因经济发展水平、区位优势以及宅基地流转方式不同,农户对宅基地流转福利的认同存在差异。[结论]当前进一步深化宅基地流转政策改革对于提高农户福利,实施乡村振兴具有重要意义。农户对宅基地流转政策改革期望值较高,为进一步深化宅基地流转政策奠定了基础。     

休闲农场非使用价值评估及支付意愿影响因素分析*——以千江月休闲农场为例

［目的］休闲农场的非使用价值是其总价值的重要内容,准确评估其非使用价值对于促进休闲农场的可持续发展具有重要意义。游客支付意愿的高低直接影响非使用价值的评估,探究游客支付意愿的影响因素对提高游客支付意愿具有重要意义。［方法］文章从游客认知因素,休闲农场自身软硬件条件等因素综合探究其对支付意愿的影响,并以千江月休闲农场为例进行实证分析,采用CVM方法评估其非使用价值并利用Logit模型分析支付意愿的影响因素。［结果］休闲农场年支付总额即休闲农场非使用价值估测在78868 24万～91461 04万元; 游客的认知程度对支付意愿影响显著,休闲农场的软件硬件环境因素也对游客的支付意愿产生显著影响。从影响效应来看,休闲农场住宿条件,以及认知因素中农场生态环境保护责任主体意识对游客支付意愿影响最大。最后,还提出了游客对不同意愿支付水平的临界标准。［结论］该文从提高公众认知度,改进农场软硬件条件以及重视个性化建设等方面提出政策建议。