A Nonparametric Test of the Traditional Travel Cost Model

The traditional travel cost model operates on the assumption that choices are made regarding the number of trips to various sites over an entire recreation season. This paper uses actual recreation data to test the consistency of this model with postulates of rational economic choice as embodied in the axioms of revealed preference. The paper assumes consumer rationality and examines the effects of alternative trip prices and model structures on the degree of consistency between them and the axioms of choice. Using tests developed by Varian and Tsur, the authors find that site choices at prices proxied by travel costs for most individuals in the sample violate the axioms. The violations are quite large when time costs, both in traveling and on-site, are omitted from the prices. When they are included, violations are almost as numerous, but not as large. The paper also examines demand heterogeneity by stratifying the sample and repeating the nonparametric tests. These findings suggest caution be used in interpreting welfare measures derived from traditional travel cost models, especially those that do not include measures of time value. The authors' approach provides a method for screening travel cost data and preparing for model selection and estimation.     

A Pre-Purchase Model of Consumer Choice for Biological Foodstuff

Abstract

The present study examines the way consumers form their purchase intentions for organic products using the concepts of perceived quality and value. A model of relationships among quality cues, evaluative judgments, and willingness to buy for organic foodstuff is then developed and explored empirically with respect to biological olive oil. The data provide support for the critical importance of perceived value on consumers' purchase intention. The discussion centres on theoretical and especially managerial implications for organically and naturally produced food.     

The Travel Cost Method: an Empirical Investigation of Randall's Difficulty

Randall (1994) argued that the Travel Cost Method (TCM) cannot generate monetary measures of recreation site benefits for use in Cost Benefit Analysis. Randall argues that what is relevant to recreational decision-making is the subjective, and unobservable, price of travel, whereas TCM uses the observer-assessed cost of travel. Hence, TCM can at best give ordinally measurable welfare estimates. 'Randall's Difficulty' is formulated as an estimation problem and results are derived for that problem. The meaning of, prospects for, and usefulness of ordinal measurement are explored, and the existence of a solution to Randall's Difficulty is considered.     

A Belief-Preference Model of Choice for Experience and Credence Goods

We develop a methodology addressing the issue of confounded beliefs and preferences in models of discrete choice. First, we formalise the theoretical framework and logical underpinnings of a belief-preference model of choice for experience and credence goods, where subjective beliefs relate to uncertain product quality. We then present the experimental procedure within the context of an online choice experiment studying consumer food preferences. The empirical strategy leverages information from a quality sorting task to identify and estimate beliefs, while choice data are used to recover preferences. By conditioning product choices on predicted quality perceptions, the issue of endogenous beliefs is resolved.     

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.     

合作保险:我国农业保险模式的理性选择

我国农业保险的深度和密度都远远不够，并且原有的体制正在瓦解，迫切需要建立新的农业保险体系。本文分析了农业保险的特点和难点，并参考国内外开展农业保险的经验教训，分析了建立合作制农业保险的可行性，并试图构建一种新的农业保险合作模式的框架。     

国际主流会计模式及中国会计模式的选择

深入研究和剖析了西方主流会计模式,探讨了它们对于广大发展中国家和体制正在转轨的国家 的意义,研究了它们对探索和建立符合我国国情和具有中国特色的会计模式所具有的理论和实践意义。     

替代性小麦期货合约价格的相互影响机制:基于VECM的实证研究

本文运用向量误差修正模型(VECM),实证分析了在用途上具有一定替代性的小麦期货交易品种(强筋小麦和硬冬白麦)每日连续(nearby)期货合约价格间的关系。结果表明,强筋小麦与硬冬白麦期货合约价格之间存在着较弱的长期协整关系。该协整关系对两个小麦品种价格波动的短期失衡都有显著的系统调节作用,其中对硬冬白麦价格波动的修正作用要强于对强筋小麦价格波动的修正作用。在短期内,强筋小麦和硬冬白麦的价格波动同时受到自身和对方滞后期价格波动的影响。另外,CBOT小麦价格波动对硬冬白麦价格有显著影响,而对强筋小麦价格没有显著的影响。     

林业资源型城市经济转型模式选择

依据国内外资源型城市经济转型的成功经验，结合林业实际，对林业资源型城市经济转型的基本模式进行了研究和探讨。从调控手段方面，提出政府主导、市场调节、政府主导和市场调节相结合3种模式；从转型路径方面提出了产业延伸、产业替代、产业复合3种模式。调控手段与转型路径的组合方式有6种，认为可行性和操作性最强应当是以生态建设为首要目标，以政府主导＋市场调节为调控手段，以多元产业复合为突破口，全方位、宽领域的转型模式。     

天津沿海都市型农业可持续发展模式选择

都市农业的经济份额虽然不断减小,但生态、社会和服务功能却日益突出,因而其可持续发展有着更为深远的影响。天津沿海都市型农业发展面临着资源短缺、环境污染、要素机会成本高昂等问题,同时拥有区位交通优势、科技人才优势、农业生态系统多样性等优势条件。大力发展设施农业、高科技农业、休闲观光农业、加工物流农业、生态绿色农业是推进天津沿海都市型农业可持续发展的必然选择。     

国外农业政策择定模式及对我国的启示

根据农业政策议程设定的来源,国外农业政策择定的模式可概括为外在提出模式和内在提出模式.无论哪一种模式都充分体现了特定政策环境下农业利益集团强势的政治参与能力对农业政策择定的影响.国外农业政策择定模式对于提高我国农民政治参与程度、矫正农业政策择定与执行中偏差、促进新农村建设具有重要的借鉴意义.     

Sequential Adoption of Site-Specific Technologies and Its Implications for Nitrogen Productivity: A Double Selectivity Model

This paper analyzes the sequential decision to adopt two site-specific technologies, soil testing and variable rate technology, and the impact of adoption on nitrogen productivity. The results indicate that while farm location was a key variable influencing adoption of soil testing, farm size, human capital, and innovativeness of farmers had a significant impact on adoption of variable rate technology in four Midwestern states. A double selectivity model applied to correct for sample selection bias shows that adoption leads to significant gains in nitrogen productivity for farms with below average soil quality but statistically insignificant gains for farms with above average soil quality.     

开发乡村旅游增加农民收入

随着社会经济的飞速发展，乡村旅游已成为本世纪的旅游热点和时尚，它也是提高农民收入的重要途径之一。文章阐释了乡村旅游的特点，分析了乡村旅游的主要类型，指出乡村旅游开发中存在的主要问题，并提出了开发乡村旅游的几项举措。     

渐进转轨中的区域经济发展模式研究——“温州模式”继承与提高的路径选择

经过20多年的探索与实践，“温州模式”以其独特的实践获得了理论界的肯定。作为区域经济发展范式，温州经济模式在浙江省乃至全国有着重要的区域扩展意义。但随着形势的变化，温州经济也面临看如何继承与提高的问题。本文运用制度经济学和有关区域经济理论，分析了温州经济模式发展的机制优势、非制度安排优势、资金优势及其发展中的路径依赖与锁定。本文认为，应通过产权制度、管理制度、产业层次和政府职能等方面的创新构建市场、政府和企业的良性互动，从而寻求一条温州模式继承与提高的有效发展路径。