Show Me the Money! The Value of College Graduate Attributes as Expressed by Employers and Perceived by Students

Employers of agricultural undergraduates are presented with hypothetical job candidates with different attributes and salaries, and are asked which candidate, if any, they would hire. The employer choices are then used to estimate the additional salary they will pay for undergraduates with certain attributes. Students are administered similar surveys where they indicate which hypothetical candidate they think will be hired, which can be used to estimate students' perceived salary increase associated with each attribute. Employers' stated values are then compared to students' perceived values to identify any misperceptions regarding the monetary return of select attributes.     

Demand for Beef from Cattle Administered Growth Hormones or Fed Genetically Modified Corn: A Comparison of Consumers in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States

We compare consumer valuations of beef ribeye steaks from cattle produced without growth hormones or genetically modified corn in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Results suggest that French consumers place a higher value on beef from cattle that have not been administered added growth hormones than U.S. consumers; however, valuations of non-hormone-treated beef are statistically indistinguishable across Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Results also suggest that European consumers place a much higher value on beef from cattle that have not been fed genetically modified corn than U.S. consumers.     

Estimation of Consumers’ Willingness to Pay for Geographic Indications Bananas Using Conjoint Analysis

This study uses conjoint analysis to analyze consumers’ preferences for geographic indications (GI) bananas by examining the effects of production methods (inorganic, organic, certified organic, and natural), quality attributes (taste, perishability, medicinal, and nutritional), and price premiums (prices of GI bananas relative to prices of other bananas). Consumers were surveyed for demographic, economic, and taste and preference characteristics. The results show that consumers prefer GI bananas for their medicinal properties, natural production method, and lower price premium.     

基于选择实验法的农户秸秆资源化利用政策偏好研究

目的 秸秆资源化利用是促进农业经济增长和缓解环境污染的重要措施。方法 文章基于选择实验法和山东省978个农户调研数据,对农户秸秆资源化利用政策偏好问题进行研究。结果 （1）随着农户经营规模增加,其对秸秆进行资源化利用意愿将不断增强,小规模、中规模和大规模农户选择“愿意”的比重分别为54.9%、77.7%和82.8%。（2）秸秆禁烧政策、农户直接补贴、技术培训和完善市场等政策能显著提高农户秸秆资源化利用率。（3）是否参加合作社、便利性认知、污染认知、政策认知和资源化利用意愿对农户秸秆处理行为有显著影响。（4）不同规模农户对秸秆资源化利用政策偏好优先序存在较大差异。其中,小规模农户对农户直接补贴的接受意愿最高,其次为技术培训;中规模农户对农机购置补贴的接受意愿最高,其次为技术培训;大规模农户对完善市场的接受意愿最高,其次为农机购置补贴。结论 要提升农户秸秆资源化利用积极性,必须制定多元化、综合性的秸秆资源化利用政策,同时强化对农户的技术培训和设备支持。     

Consumer’s Preference and Willingness to Pay for Apple Attributes: A Choice Experiment in Large Retail Outlets in Bologna (Italy)

ABSTRACT

We analyze the relevant quality attributes of apples which drive and influence consumer choice in the city of Bologna (Italy). A hypothetical choice experiment was conducted to elicit Italian consumer’s willingness to pay for apple attributes and was included as a part of a questionnaire survey. A group of 301 consumers were surveyed in Bologna in July and August 2016. Data were analyzed using a multinomial logit model. Results suggest Italian consumers are willing to pay more for yellow apples and for apples harvested in Trentino-Alto Adige region, compared with other Italian areas. Furthermore, results highlight a preference for locally produced apples, whereas organic apples are only slightly preferred to the not organic alternative. Results of this study could be used to develop marketing strategies for apple differentiation or for a new product development and target the right product to the right consumer.     

An Incentive Compatible Conjoint Ranking Mechanism

A simple method for making ranking-based conjoint analysis incentive compatible is proposed. The incentive compatible mechanism involves people purchasing a product profile with a probability proportional to its assigned rank. In an empirical application related to consumer preferences for beef attributes, we find that the forecasted market share for a new pasture-raised steak obtained using incentive-compatible rankings was significantly greater than that implied from traditional hypothetical conjoint rankings. People's rankings of ground beef products were not affected by the mechanism or by information about pasture-raised beef.     

Recruiting Agricultural Economics Graduate Students: Student Demand for Program Attributes

We use data from an Internet and traditional print mail survey to determine student demand for graduate program attributes. Results reveal that students value graduate program ranking more than stipend level, geographic location, or office/computer facilities. Higher ranked programs, as a whole, may be able to offer substantially lower stipends to students and remain competitive with lower ranked programs. Results also suggest that students might be willing to accept higher stipends or office space to attend lower ranked schools. The results may provide graduate program leaders with information to improve their recruitment efforts and/or potentially reduce graduate program expenditures.     

The influence of African swine fever information on consumers’ preference of pork attributes and pork purchase

This paper uses a randomized survey instrument to study the impact of African Swine Fever (ASF) information on Chinese consumers’ preference for pork attributes and purchases during the recent peak of the ASF pandemic in 2019. We study consumers’ preference for pork attributes including brand, meat texture and taste, quality safety assurance, and traceability under different information treatments. Results show that the willingness to pay (WTP) for quality safety assurance is the highest, followed by brands and traceability systems, and the WTP is lowest for good taste. We show that providing detailed ASF information substantially changes consumer preference by altering the relative importance of pork attributes and price sensitivity, which enables consumers to focus more on safety-related attributes while paying less attention to price and taste attributes. Furthermore, we find that a higher belief in the future of ASF occurrence reduces the frequency of purchases marginally but does not significantly influence for amount per purchase and the total purchase amount.     

农户环境友好型农业技术选择行为及异质性基于离散选择实验的研究

目的 中国是世界上最大的化肥和农药使用国,农业绿色发展面临严峻挑战,这与缺少国家层面和农田管理层面为农户专门设计的环境友好型技术及配套激励政策不无关系。方法 文章利用离散选择实验（Discrete choice experiment,DCE）,以环境友好型农业技术（Agri-environmental technologies,AETs）及配套政策为基础设计农业环境政策方案（Agri-environmental schemes,AES）。用混合Logit模型（Mixed Logit model,MXL）来揭示农户在假想的AES情景下对AETs的选择行为及影响因素,证实农户偏好异质性的存在。后续条件Logit模型（Conditional Logit model,CLM）引入交互变量进一步揭示农户的偏好异质性来源。结果 研究表明补偿额度及农户社会经济变量是影响其参与AES的主要因素,且相对于退出保持现有耕种方式不变农户更偏好于实施AES。该研究还证实了农户对AETs选择偏好存在异质性,因此灵活的政策设计是AES顺利实施的重要保障。结论 鉴于对农户选择偏好及异质性的充分了解,政策制定者可以科学地制定和微调农业环境政策,设计AES以最大限度地减少各类农户反对意见,吸引绝大多数农户采纳AETs实践,提高项目参与率。