四川秦巴山区的绿色未来——绿色食品产业发展国外经验借鉴

绿色食品产业是绿色低碳经济发展的重要载体和市场前景广阔的朝阳产业。从绿色食品质量安全追溯监管体系、电子商务、新型职业农民培训、绿色金融支撑等方面分析国外支持绿色食品产业发展的先进经验,结合当前四川秦巴山区绿色食品产业发展存在困难和挑战,探讨如何在四川秦巴山区发展绿色食品产业。     

Consumers’ Valuation of Rice‐Grade Labeling

The current Korean rice‐grading system has a “no test” option that allows rice to not be graded in the market. This study examines Korean consumers’ valuation of a rice‐grading system without the “no test” option. We apply a nonhypothetical experimental auction to elicit consumers’ willingness to pay for each rice grade and identify the impact of the provision of additional grading information on product valuation. We then use contingent and inferred valuations to obtain consumers’ valuation of a mandatory rice‐grading system without the “no test” option. We find that Korean consumers are willing to pay an additional premium for each rice grade and that rice‐grading information is the most important factor that differentiates the rice products. Rice consumers in Korea also strongly prefer a mandatory rice‐grading system without the “no test” option.     

LES PLANS CONJOINTS AU QUÉBEC*

Cette bréve étude se propose ?analyser ?un des outils de la politique agricole du Québec, à savoir les plans conjoints. Après avoir décrit les principals étapes institutionnelles qui ont conduit à l'élaboration de cet instrument, nous avons essayé de mesurer ses répercussions sur les prix, les quantités et le nombre de producteurs. Bien que les statistiques existantes soient sujettes à caution, il semble que les résultats ne correspondent pas aux espoirs attendus, notamment en matière de prix. Dans ces conditions, il nous a paru nécessaire de discuter 1'outil utilisé, de mettre en relief ses insuffisances et de proposer si possible quelques améliorations. MARKETING BOARDS IN QUEBEC - “Agricultural product prices in constant dollars in the province of Quebec have been declining in 1967 compared to 1959.”“The beneficial influence of marketing boards on average price received for agricultural products has been far less beneficial than is commonly believed.”“Marketing Boards are restricted geographically within the confines of specific regions of provinces, and further restricted through a lack of competent administrators in sufficient numbers.”“Additionally, the existing antagonism in Quebec between cooperatives and marketing boards too often results in compromise solutions prejudicial to both groups”. In simple language, the author evaluates agricultural product marketing boards in Quebec. Within a few pages the author questions marketing boards as a tool for real price maintenance of agricultural products; reviews the inability of boards to ‘impose’ prices on consumers because they also represent consumers; discusses government policy intervention in marketing boards and analyses the limited power of boards-essentially that of price negotiation with little economic power to act as monopolistic vendors. The author also makes suggestions for improving the operation of marketing boards. To be fully effective a board's power of negotiation must be accompanied by effective means of influencing costs of transportation and of purchased inputs, as well as efficiency of farm operation. The alternatives suggested are either that existing arrangements will persist or that an environment will be able to develop in which institutions can grow and work toward improving agriculture without the need for periodic crisis management by legislation.     

Expected Utility,Risk, and Marketing Behavior: Theory and Evidence from the Fed Cattle Market

The effect of carcass quality uncertainty on the structure of the slaughter cattle market is investigated. A theoretical extension of the “Theory of Factor Price Disparity” is provided. It is demonstrated that the coexistence of a risk premium wedge between marketing channel (live weight, dressed weight, and grid) pricing mechanisms, in conjunction with varying degrees of producer risk aversion or producer perception of carcass quality uncertainty, contributes to the coexistence of multiple marketing channels. It is also demonstrated that risk and risk preference provide the linkage between carcass quality uncertainty and producer marketing decisions. We demonstrate how this linkage can affect the structure of the fed cattle market and the variability in slaughter volume across marketing channels. We also confirm the linkage between value‐based production techniques that increase seller information on carcass quality and seller increased usage of grid pricing regardless of actual carcass quality. Empirical evidence is provided in support of the supposition that carcass quality uncertainty plays a role in grid market share variability.     

Consumer information on Distributor and Manufacturer Brands of food

Consumer information affirms that distributor brands of food are less expensive than corresponding manufacturer brands¹ and that these brands are equal in quality [2, p. 8]. The price difference between these two types of brands thus represents a real gain to the consumer purchasing distributor brands rather than just a case of paying less for lower quality products. Furthermore, one source has estimated that ten per cent of the grocery bill can be saved through purchasing distributor brands [6]. The credibility of this information is open to question however, as few statements concerning the price and quality of these types of brands have been carefully documented in Canada. In the light of the limited empirical support and the substantial consumer benefit involved, the purpose of this study is to test the reported relation between the price and quality of distributor and manufacturer brands. Establishing a working definition for quality is a key problem encountered in price-quality analysis. Food quality is multidimensional and its various dimensions may be classified into two broad categories: subjective or sensory attributes such as taste, aroma, appearance; and objective attributes located below the threshold of perception such as nutrients and freedom from harmful micro-organisms. Because the sensory attributes are more amenable to measurement by non-food scientists and to variation in hidden attributes being controlled by law, this paper focuses on sensory quality. The quality and preference concepts overlap to some extent, as the subjective attributes of food are common to both quality and preference. To ensure that “sensory quality” is well distinguished from overall quality, “sensory quality” is referred to as “sensory preference”. Having gone some distance towards establishing an operational definition of quality, the principal objectives are: Summary The findings, though tentative and focused on the sensory component of quality, can scarcely be regarded as providing empirical support for the price-quality information referred to earlier. Distributor brands were notably less expensive for three-quarters of the products surveyed. As well, the manufacturer brand was rated significantly higher than at least one distributor brand for four of the ten products subject to sensory evaluation. The results therefore suggest that there is a very general tendency for distributor brands to be priced lower than manufacturer brands and to be of equivalent quality.     

Selling Australia as ‘clean and green’*

‘Clean and green’ has been used as a marketing tool by Australian governments to promote agricultural products overseas. But how valid are these claims? Is the ‘clean and green’ image campaign effective? And should government be involved? We conclude that Australia may have had a ‘clean and green’ image in some markets, but in the future, concrete proof of environmental and quality credentials will be required to satisfy increasingly better‐informed and more demanding customers. We argue that governments cannot, and should not, continue to promote Australian products based on an undefined ‘clean and green’ image. Rather, more resources should be directed to the development, promotion and wide adoption of integrated, credible and well‐defined environmental management and quality assurance systems if Australia is to compete effectively in export markets, especially in the longer term.     

四川秦巴山区绿色交通网络体系构建的要素研究

根据国家发展战略要求,中国工程院启动重大咨询项目"秦巴山区绿色循环发展战略研究",绿色交通战略研究是秦巴山区发展战略的重要部分。绿色交通战略研究的核心部分之一是绿色交通网络体系的构建,提出以"能源消耗、环境污染代价最低和经济效益最大"为最优目标来构建绿色交通网络体系的基本思想;并从交通运输中的绿色要素角度考虑,通过对四川秦巴山区市县区主要区域职能分析,选取以"农副产品资源、旅游资源和区位资源"为四川秦巴山区绿色交通网络构建的基本要素,将这3种要素与交通网络体系进行了关联性分析,从定性的角度提出了当前交通网络体系所面临的问题的初步解决方案;最后以农副产品资源要素为例,构建了"能源消耗最低"为优化目标的高速公路网络系统优化模型,从定量的角度给出了绿色高速公路网络的最佳设计方案以及维护方案。     

基于博弈视角的我国自营组织绿色营销“困境”分析——以水产企业为例

随着环境友好型社会以及可持续发展观的不断深入,自营组织走绿色营销之路已经成为了必然趋势。本文以水产企业为例,从三个方面对自营组织实施绿色营销战略的"困境"进行了博弈分析:无政府干预情况下企业实施绿色营销的"囚徒困境",有政府干预的情况下企业实施绿色营销的博弈分析,生产绿色产品的企业与生产虚假绿色产品的企业之间的"智猪博弈"。博弈分析的结果表明,政府必须在各行业实施绿色营销的过程中发挥重要作用,加大对污染产品的惩罚力度,减少和降低非绿色产品销售量及市场占有率,成立绿色产品开发基金和绿色产品技改基金,并且给予绿色企业适当补贴,这才是解决自营组织"困境"的有效措施。     

How Local Is Local? A Reflection on Canadian Local Food Labeling Policy from Consumer Preference

We conducted a nationwide choice experiment to gauge Canadian consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for local beef assigned with various mileage and geopolitical connotations. Results revealed that consumers are mostly indifferent between products labeled generically as “local” and as “local: from within 160 km,” implying that the 160‐km radius fits perception of local of the representative consumers. Additionally, consumers are willing to pay significantly more for home‐province products over products generically labeled “local.” We also found significant positive WTP for enhanced bovine spongiform encephalopathy tested beef as well as for grass‐ over grain‐fed beef.     

绿色农产品数字化标识与品牌战略协同研究

[目的]农业品牌化已经成为农业现代化的核心标志。数字化标识在推动农产品品牌建设等方面提供了数字信息与技术支撑,但对于二者之间的协同仍缺乏系统科学的研究。[方法]文章通过文献梳理、对比分析、案例分析等方法,明确绿色农产品数字化标识与品牌战略的概念,分析我国绿色农产品数字化标识与品牌战略发展过程中的成效和存在的问题,提出促进我国绿色农产品数字化标识与品牌战略协同对策。[结果]（1）明确了绿色农产品数字化标识与品牌战略的内涵、外延和协同关联;以协同理论为基础,提出了绿色农产品数字化标识与品牌战略的协同思路和机制;指出绿色农产品数字化标识提升农业品牌战略和价值,农业品牌战略促进绿色农产品数字化标识创新升级。（2）我国绿色农产品数字化标识与品牌战略协同取得明显成效,但仍存在农业标准体系不够健全完善、结构不尽合理、农产品质量认证体系和认证管理制度不规范等问题。[结论]加强环境建设、可追溯系统平台标准体系和技术建设、自主创新研发应用、品牌宣传营销、试点工作等,可促进绿色农产品数字化与品牌战略协同。     

The Impact of Sustainability Aspects in the Meat Sector: A Cluster Analysis Based on Consumer Attitudes and Store Format Choice

Several consumer studies have shown considerable market potential for sustainable meat products, however, their markets shares are still marginal. In Germany, the sustainable aspects “organic,” “local origin,” and “animal welfare” are of special interest. To obtain a precise overview of potential target groups for these meat categories and their choice of store format, 620 German consumers were surveyed on their attitudes toward sustainable meat production and their shopping behavior. First, target groups based on consumers’ attitudes were identified by cluster analysis, taking into account possible overlaps. Consumers were also clustered by their store format choice and their preferred type of meat packaging. A cross tabulation of the results then provided insights into which store format and type of meat packaging is preferred by the target groups for sustainable meat products. Due to overlaps found in the target groups, the existence of important subgroups was shown. Amongst the target groups, only a slight preference for unpackaged meat products was found. Basically, the offer of sustainable meat products appears of interest for all store formats, with particular emphasis on supermarkets. The results of this study can support producers and retailers developing new and tailored marketing strategies for sustainable meat products.     

四川秦巴山区绿色发展的软路径设计

作为自然资源、生态环境独具特色,发展潜力巨大的欠发达山区,绿色发展之路是四川秦巴山区实现健康科学发展的内在要求,是有效化解经济发展与环境资源矛盾的必然选择。山区绿色发展的软路径,是探寻"绿水青山就是金山银山"的绿色发展之路,主张人口、资源、环境互利共赢的可持续发展。从制度护山推动环境价值实现、市场塑山加强资源产业整合、教育固山促进人口素质提升3条层层递进的软路径出发,探析四川秦巴山区绿色发展之道。提出通过构建绿色制度体系、绿色产业格局、绿色教育模式,推动四川秦巴山区人口、资源、环境绿色协同发展。     

Green Food Consumption in China: Segmentation Based on Attitudes Toward Food Safety

ABSTRACT

The objectives of this report are twofold: to examine the demographic factors that drive demand for green food and to segment Chinese consumers based on their attitudes toward food safety. An online survey was used to collect consumer behavior information. A total of 402 responses were obtained covering participants who lived in 24 provinces and municipalities in China. Probit modeling, analysis of variance, and cluster analysis are used. Income, education, age, gender, presence of young children, household size, and overseas experience are variables that have an impact on green food purchase. Young, wealthy men, who have young children and live in a small household, are likely to buy green food. The survey shows that Chinese consumers are willing to pay a price premium for green food; however, price will be a major factor restricting the growth of the green food label in China, given market prices. Three segments―the “distrustful consumer,” the “ambivalent consumer,” and the “trusting consumer”―are identified for market segmentation purposes.     

Consumer-Defined Attributes and Choice Methods for Fresh Produce Purchases in Australia

The aim of this research is to identify ways of increasing sales by understanding how household food buyers choose fresh produce items. Three hundred responses were obtained from a questionnaire randomly distributed in one city in Australia. Fresh produce items are frequent, low-value purchases. Their most important attributes are taste, price, and freshness, and the buyer choice method used for individual products varies from occasional “impulse” purchases to regular “planned” purchases of staples. With planned purchases some are seen as “destination” products whereas for others “substitutes” are available. In order to optimize sales, retail outlets should avoid becoming out-of-stock for destination products and co-locate substitute products. Sales may also be increased by displaying impulse products in prominent positions.     

Good governance and strong political will: Are they enough for transformation?

By the year 2050, more than 70% of the world’s population will be living in cities. The rush to the cities, along with subsequent increased consumption patterns, has dire consequences, for the ecological systems that sustain human life. Some find hope in the potential that cities can be built differently, that green infrastructure and denser forms of development, will satisfy human needs while decreasing the stress on valuable resources and mitigating consequences of climate change. Some say that “strong political leadership and robust governance” is critical for this need to drive sustainable urban transitions. However, are “political will” and “good governance” enough or is the issue more complicated than this? Using a critical political economy approach this paper shows the fundamental difficulties that arise when attempting to transition urban centres to “smarter”, more “sustainable” and “resilient” cities. Ultimately, the paper argues that “good governance” and “strong political will” are inadequate for understanding the requirements for transformation.     

Are Local and Organic Claims Complements or Substitutes? A Consumer Preferences Study for Eggs

This paper provides an analysis of consumer preferences for product claims, specifically about origin and production methods. In particular, it addresses two important questions: i) whether consumers are willing to pay a premium for food products carrying these claims; and ii) whether local and organic claims are complements or substitutes. A choice experiment designed to estimate two‐way interactions was undertaken in Spain for eggs. The findings show first, that consumers are willing to pay a positive premium price for an enhanced method of production (that of barn, free‐range and/or organic instead of cage produced eggs) as well as for the proximity of production (local, regional and national over imported). Second, the findings show that consumer preferences for the claims are heterogeneous with two consumer segments being identified: “origin preference”, the larger segment, and the “production method preference”. Results show that organic and local claims were complements for the larger first segment but that free‐range and local/regional claims were substitutes for the second smaller segment. These results provide the marketing chains with insights applicable for pricing strategies.     

La Participation des Adhérents Dans Leurs Coopératives Agricoles: Une Étude Exploratoire du Secteur Céréalier Français

When a farmer joins an agricultural cooperative, he or she undertakes to participate in the cooperative economically, as a co‐operator, and also in its administration, as an associate. Yet, today, researchers and directors of cooperatives are observing a drop in member participation in both spheres. The goal of this paper is to build a typology of the members of grain farmer agricultural co‐operatives in France, based on the members’ participation, and then use a multinomial probit model to identify the factors that come into play and result in a member belonging to a given category in the typology. We make the hypothesis that attitudes with respect to organizational involvement and the member's confidence in his or her co‐operative can explain these differences in behavior, along with individual variables tied to the member and his or her farm business, and variables associated with the co‐operative to which the member belongs. Following the analysis of the participation behavior of the 290 members in the sample, the members can be grouped into three distinct categories: “individualists,” “good soldiers,” and “engaged.” The results of the multinomial probit model on these three categories show, in particular, that attitude toward organizational involvement has a significant effect, as do the presence of storage on the farm and the size of the cooperative on the probability of being an “individualist” rather than a “good soldier” or “engaged.”     

The social construction of “shared growth”: Zambia Sugar and the uneven terrain of social benefit

Recent years have witnessed a growing trend in agricultural investment and large‐scale farmland acquisition in the Global South and a rapid expansion of scholarship and public debate over the nature, consequences, and desirability of these trends. The polarization of this debate into “win/lose” narratives raises the question of whether, and under what conditions, the logic of capital accumulation driving farmland acquisition and investment can engender broad‐based social benefits akin to “shared growth.” This paper sheds light on this question through a detailed look at the recent expansion of Zambia Sugar's Nakambala Estate in Mazabuka, Zambia. We explore outcomes linked to two of the most prominent pathways through which social benefits are said to accrue: smallholder incorporation and employment. Findings demonstrate the unevenness of outcomes linked to both pathways, with the concrete benefits both claimed and observed through some measures quickly eroding under the weight of alternative performance metrics. The unevenness produced by the intensification of capitalist relations is manifested not just between those differentially positioned with respect to the incoming investment (“outgrower,” “employee,” and “land loser”) but within each of those conditions. This ambiguity opens spaces for competing representations of the promises and pitfalls of these processes, while highlighting the shaky ground on which shared growth and inclusive business agendas stand.     

Farm demand for quality potato seed in Indonesia

Seed is the one of the most costly components of potato production in developing countries. Since potato is a vegetatively reproduced crop, diseases such as viruses build up and yield declines as tubers are saved from one harvest for use as seed the next season. Replacing farm‐saved seed with clean seed is one means to increase yield, but information asymmetry between buyers and sellers on seed quality may restrict market supply of this input. In this article we develop a model of the seed market in which clean seed is treated as a capital good providing benefits over several seasons. To determine farm demand for clean seed, we conducted a survey of 182 potato farmers in the major potato growing areas of Indonesia to elicit their perceptions of seed quality from different sources, and derive farmers' “willingness‐to‐pay” for quality potato seed. Results indicate that the effects of information asymmetry on seed supply may be partially offset by the “reputation” of specialized seed producers. Nevertheless, marginal returns to disease‐free seed appear to significantly exceed marginal costs, indicating that improving supply of quality seed will contribute strongly to productivity growth in potato. We discuss several policy options to encourage supply and utilization of quality potato seed.     

Consumers’ Appreciation of Regional Certification Labels: A Pan‐European Study

Successful regional products, such as Florida oranges, Idaho potatoes and Parma ham, often have to compete against products passing themselves off as the authentic product using the exact same name. This unfair competition misleads consumers, discourages small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) from marketing products based on their region of origin, and may end up hurting rural economies. To protect consumers, and support SMEs and rural economies, many countries around the world have introduced regulations enabling SMEs to legally protect the names of their regional products. The success of these regulations largely depends on consumers’ appreciation of regional certification labels that inform consumers that the name of the regional product is protected and that it denotes the authentic product. To gain an understanding about consumers’ appreciation of regional certification labels, this paper investigates consumers’ image of these labels and proposes a model that relates this image to consumers’ willingness to buy and pay for protected regional products. The model is tested based on Regulation No. 2081/92 that was introduced by the EEC allowing European SMEs to protect their regional products and market their products with a protected‐designation‐of‐origin (PDO) label. Structural equation modelling results suggest that consumers’ image of regional certification labels consists of a quality warranty dimension and an economic support dimension, which positively relate to consumers’ willingness to buy and pay for the protected regional product. Protecting regional products and marketing them with regional certification labels may be beneficial for SMEs producing and marketing regional products. Policy and managerial implications are discussed.