A Cost Approach to Economic Analysis Under State-Contingent Production Uncertainty

This article explores the economics of input decision under production uncertainty. The article develops a methodology to specify and estimate cost-minimizing input decisions under a state-contingent technology. The analysis is applied to time series data on U.S. agriculture. It finds strong empirical evidence that expected output alone does not provide an appropriate representation of production uncertainty. The results provide empirical support for an output-cubical technology. This indicates that an ex post analysis of stochastic technology appears appropriate. The analysis also provides evidence that the cost of facing production risk has declined in U.S. agriculture over the last few decades.     

Valuation on the Frontier: Calibrating Actual and Hypothetical Statements of Value

The lack of robust evidence showing that hypothetical behavior directly maps into real actions remains a major concern for proponents of stated preference nonmarket valuation techniques. This article explores a new statistical approach to link actual and hypothetical statements. Using willingness-to-pay field data on individual bids from sealed-bid auctions for a $350 baseball card, our results are quite promising. Estimating a stochastic frontier regression model that makes use of data that any contingent valuation survey would obtain, we derive a bid function that is not statistically different from the bid function obtained from subjects in an actual auction. If other data can be calibrated similarly, this method holds significant promise since an appropriate calibration scheme, ex ante or ex post , can be invaluable to the policy maker that desires more accurate estimates of use and nonuse values for nonmarket goods and services.     

Consistency in Mixed Demand Systems: Contingent Valuation and Travel Cost Data

In contrast to previous literature, we propose a consistency test that does not impose any particular common functional form for the preference structure underlying the travel cost (TC) and contingent valuation (CV) models. We derive testable consistency conditions between TC and CV data in the context of mixed demand systems when valuing changes in environmental quality. These conditions are a subset of the rationality conditions. The proposed consistency tests are implemented combining TC and CV data. The empirical results show that it is possible to combine stated TC and CV, but not revealed TC and CV data.     

丘陵地区农地非市场价值磁——以湖北省荆门市为例

农地非市场价值是农地价值的重要组成部分，也是土地价值研究中的薄弱点。选择典型丘陵地区荆门市，采用条件价值评估法（CVM）进行支付意愿的问卷调查，了解了民众对农地非市场价值的认识，并对该价值进行了定量的评估。研究结果表明：荆门地区农地非市场价值总量为86．77亿元，其中耕地为29．01亿元，园地为9．27亿元，林地为23．38亿元，水域为25．11亿元。支付意愿与受访者特征有显著相关关系：市民支付意愿与家庭人口和支付方式显著相关，农民支付意愿与年龄、土地面积、收入和开支显著相关。     

Modeling Starting Point Bias as Unobserved Heterogeneity in Contingent Valuation Surveys: An Application to Air Pollution

Up to now, the starting point bias has generally been considered to be a homogeneous phenomenon. In this article, we treat anchoring as an unobserved heterogeneous phenomenon. Our contribution is twofold. First, we show analytically and by way of simulations that assuming homogeneous anchoring can be hazardous and lead to misspecifications. Second, we propose an econometric model that starts with a dichotomous question and then uses an open-ended question. We finally apply our model to a contingent valuation survey on air quality. Our results suggest that how anchoring is modeled in empirical studies deserves more attention.     

岷江上游森林生态系统服务条件价值评估

针对岷江上游森林生态系统服务现状,采用条件价值评估法(CVM),以支付卡形式设计了374份调查问卷,调查了岷江流域居民对上游森林生态系统服务的支付意愿(WTP)。结果表明:岷江流域60.80%的居民家庭对岷江上游森林生态系统服务存在支付意愿,平均支付意愿为每户每年44.00元。按照岷江流域现有家庭数量计算,岷江上游森林生态系统服务价值每年是5 507.48×104元。利用二元Logistic模型,对支付意愿与个人社会经济变量进行了较为详尽的分析,并对影响居民支付意愿的主要因素作了环境经济学解释。     

On the Valuation of Uncertainty in Welfare Analysis

This article develops a general model of private and public choice under temporal uncertainty. The model incorporates the effects of risk preferences and the prospect of future learning into both the individual and aggregate valuations of public projects. The analysis provides new insights on individual valuation, its implications for benefit–cost analysis and the characterization of Pareto-efficiency under uncertainty. It also resolves some of the confusion in the option value and quasi-option value literature.     

从一起美国森林资产评估官司看我国森林资产评估技术规范

通过对一起发生在美国阿拉巴马州涉及森林资源资产评估官司的案例分析,结合我国森林资源资产评估技术规范和实践,对我国有关森林资源资产评估的若干技术经济和操作问题进行了分析和讨论,提出了对我国森林资源资产评估技术规范的改进建议。     

三峡库区(重庆段)森林水土保持服务功能价值研究

以三峡库区重庆段为研究对象,采用机会成本法、影子工程法、替代工程费用法等研究方法,核算了三峡库区重庆段的森林水土保持服务功能价值。森林生态系统服务功能中的水土保持服务功能研究结果表明:三峡库区重庆段森林水土保持服务功能总价值为14.802亿元/a,其中减少土地损失的价值为203万元/a、减轻泥沙淤积的价值为1196万元/a、土壤肥力保持价值为14.662亿元/a。为正确的核算三峡库区绿色GDP提供一定的借鉴意义。     

试析私有林林农对补贴政策的偏好——基于南方集体林区农户调查问卷的分析

20世纪80年代初林业"三定"后,林农成为南方集体林区最基本的林业经营微观主体,其经营意愿的高低必将影响着林业经济的发展。对私有林进行补贴是激励林农提高其经营意愿,促进私有林健康持续发展的重要手段。补贴要起到激励林农的作用,首先必须设计出适合林农需要的补贴政策。通过问卷调查的方法来分析私有林林农对补贴政策的偏好状况,了解林农对补贴政策的需求,得出多数林农希望以直接发放现金的形式予以补助;最受偏好的补贴时间、补贴依据、现金补贴发放形式分别是造林之前、营林面积、直接在银行开设专用账户的结论。     

意愿调查法在征地区片综合地价评估中的应用——以兰州市安宁区城市规划区征地区片综合地价评估为例

研究目的:确定能否将意愿调查法应用于城市规划区征地区片综合地价评估。研究方法:实例验证法、对比分析法和因果分析法。研究结果:(1)意愿调查法能够兼顾农民、用地单位和政府三方对征地补偿标准的受偿意愿、支付意愿和决策意愿,测算结果更具可执行性。(2)意愿调查法测算出的征地区片综合地价略高于现行的征地补偿标准,符合“适当提高现行征地补偿标准和有利于提高农民现有生活水平[1]”的原则。研究结论:意愿调查法是进行城市规划区征地区片综合地价评估的较好方法。     

江西星子县大排岭矿区森林景观的价值评估

2010年运用问卷调查法和条件价值评估法,对江西省星子县大排岭矿区进行森林景观经济价值的评估。调查样本统计结果表明:97.9%的人群对矿区森林景观有支付意愿,平均支付意愿为66.86元/年;支付意愿相关性分析结果表明:收入与支付意愿中度相关(r=0.64,p<0.01),职业、学历与支付意愿低度相关(r=0.352&0.367,p<0.01),年龄、性别与支付意愿不相关。     

Genetically Modified Crops, Corporate Pricing Strategies, and Farmers' Adoption: The Case of Bt Cotton in Argentina

This article analyzes adoption and impacts of Bt cotton in Argentina against the background of monopoly pricing. Based on survey data, it is shown that the technology significantly reduces insecticide applications and increases yields; however, these advantages are curbed by the high price charged for genetically modified seeds. Using the contingent valuation method, it is shown that farmers' average willingness to pay is less than half the actual technology price. A lower price would not only increase benefits for growers, but could also multiply company profits, thus, resulting in a Pareto improvement. Implications of the sub-optimal pricing strategy are discussed.     

A Cautionary Note on Designing Discrete Choice Experiments: A Comment on Lusk and Norwood's Effect of Experiment Design on Choice-Based Conjoint Valuation Estimates

Recent Monte Carlo work on choosing experimental designs for discrete choice experiments seemed to greatly simplify this choice for applied researchers. It suggested that ( a ) commonly used designs can generate unbiased estimates for indirect utility function specifications with main effects only and main effects plus higher order terms, and ( b ) random designs are more efficient than main effects designs. We show that these results are very specific to the particular indirect utility specifications studied and do not generalize well. We further show that conclusions drawn concerning random designs are problematic and potentially dangerous for applied researchers.     

Ambivalent statements in contingent valuation studies: inclusive response formats and giving respondents time to think

A recent concern in the valuation literature is the uncertainty respondents feel when posed with willingness-to-pay questions for environmental amenities in hypothetical market scenarios. Using a multiple-bounded discrete-choice format, the results indicate that respondents become less ambivalent when allowed considerable time to think about the valuation task before a response is elicited. In particular they tend to reduce the reported willingness to pay associated with low certainty of paying, hence resulting in more conservative welfare estimates. Implications for the application of environmental valuation techniques are discussed.     

Costs and benefits of forest conservation: regional and local comparisons in Eastern Finland

In addition to environmental interests vs. timber production, debates on forest conservation have typically dealt with nationwide vs. local and regional interests. While most previous studies have focused on the nationwide perspective, this paper considers the benefits and costs of existing conservation areas from the regional and local point of view. The non-market benefits of conservation are measured by means of contingent valuation. Unlike most discrete-choice CV studies, we allow for zero willingness to pay. The results of our cost-benefit analysis suggest that the aggregate benefits of conservation clearly exceed the total opportunity costs when viewed from a regional (or nationwide) perspective, but at the local level costs exceed the benefits of conservation. Differences were also found in locally vs. regionally relevant benefits and costs.     

A Spatial-Based Decision Support System for wood harvesting management in mountain areas

In this paper, a spatial-based economic model is proposed with the aim of estimating the most likely harvest cost of a forest block in relation to its particular morphological and operating features. This work, which is based on the classical stumpage price assessment method, presents an economic balance of a forest cut, attained by conducting a cost analysis of each logging phase of the different standard harvesting strategies. The study area is in the North-West of Italy, in the Mount Cotolivier forest compartment, in Oulx, Piedmont. The map of the stand structure, which is included in the Oulx Forest Management Plan, was used to locate blocks (areas considered homogeneous according to the stand structure and forest typology) where silvicultural cuts could be scheduled. The feasibility of the selected logging strategies was mapped considering six conditioning factors, of both a topological and a topographic nature. Their influence was weighted by means of a score assignation and integrated in a Multi-Criteria Decision Making procedure. The scores were mathematically combined to calculate a spatial dependent cost-function (Block Exploitation Aptitude, BEA) in which the suitability of each block to be harvested was mapped through a specific strategy. The obtained BEA was then used to estimate the most suitable productivity rate of the harvests of each block. The unitary costs of the strategies were estimated and then compared to find the most profitable one for each block.This model has proved to be effective in generating objective economic results concerning harvest cuts in productive stands in mountainous areas. The proposed methodology simultaneously takes into account different factors and generates feasibility scenarios, in the space domain, for the considered harvesting strategies. The proposed model represents a prototype on which an operational Decision Support System could be based to assist forest managers over the short-medium term.     

创新机制 转变方式 努力开创森林保护和经营新局面

湖南省紧紧围绕国家林业局采伐管理改革具体部署:推进采伐分类管理,使采伐管理范围更加明确;编制森林经营方案,使限额管理更加科学;创新分配机制,使采伐指标分配更加公平;简化审批程序,使采伐指标申请更加便捷;加强监督管理,使采伐秩序更加规范。     

Interactivity and Soft Computing in Portfolio Management: Should Farmers Own Food and Agribusiness Stocks?

This article proposes a fully integrated and interactive elicitation-optimization procedure for portfolio management. A soft computing approach based on fuzzy logic is developed as an alternative to the traditional mean variance model and compromise programming approach. The models are applied to farmers to examine whether they should buy publicly traded food and agribusiness firms stocks rather than invest in a broader market stock portfolio. Results suggest that investments in publicly traded food and agribusiness stocks allow farmers to capture additional benefits beyond those of simply diversifying in the broader market.