Barriers and potential facilitators to the implementation of government policies on front-of-pack food labeling and restriction of unhealthy food advertising in Thailand

Thailand is experiencing an increasing burden of obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases. The Thai government has responded by developing a number of policies to protect and promote healthy eating. In particular, in 2008, the Thai Government passed a regulation to restrict unhealthy radio and television food advertising to children (RTA). In the following year, a voluntary front-of-pack nutrition labeling policy to promote those products that had reduced their sugar, fat and/or sodium content by at least 25% (25% SFS) was passed. However, the extent of implementation of both of these policies has been poor to date. The aim of this study was to identify barriers and potential facilitators to the implementation of both the RTA and 25% SFS policies. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 28 participants holding senior positions in government, industry and civil society organizations closely involved in the implementation of these policies. The interview data were analyzed using the thematic framework analysis approach. The major barriers to policy implementation perceived by participants were a lack of a monitoring and evaluation system, a lack of organization knowledge regarding skills required for implementation, poor governance system, lack of funding and resources, lack of effective multi-sectoral platforms, influence of the food industry, lack of clear policy content, organizational culture and structure, and changes in policy priorities. Factors that potentially facilitated implementation of these policies, as identified by participants, were policy being compatible to implementer’s context, individual support from government officials, good financial management mechanisms, inter-organization networks, and personal motivation to implementing policy. The successful implementation of policies to create healthy food environments in Thailand will likely require attention towards improving the capacity and authority of government agencies, infrastructure to support multi-sectoral platforms and inter-organizational networks, and adequate resources.     

Willingness-to-pay for natural,organic, and conventional foods: The effects of information and meaningful labels

Vague food labels and distorted product claims have persisted in the “natural” food industry, while organic claims can be certified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Using experimental methods and a sample of randomly selected subjects, we test food label and information treatment effects on subjects' willingness-to-pay (WTP) for organic, “natural,” and conventional foods. Random nth-price auctions are used to elicit WTP after subjects received one of five randomly assigned information treatments. We find large information effects, including asymmetric cross-market effects for natural and organic foods. Perhaps surprising is that organic premiums increase in response to subjects seeing the “natural” foods industry's perspective on its products. Demographics effects are also important. The results have practical implications for natural and organic food marketing and valuing products where there are vague claims about their attributes.     

Green public procurement: An empirical analysis of the uptake of organic food policy

This paper analyses the uptake of a voluntary green public procurement policy in Sweden. The policy, decided in 2006, stated a national goal for the public sector to increase its share of organic food purchases to 25% by 2010. The overall purpose was to increase organic farming. Municipalities, which are highly independent authorities with self-determination, were encouraged to formulate own political goals. Based on survey data on organic food purchases for the period 2003–2016, supplemented with data on municipality characteristics, we analyse the determinants of the local uptake of the national policy, accounting for potential selection bias. The main finding is that local political goals are set and that these have in turn, a significant and positive effect on the share of organic food purchases. This suggests that there is an uptake of the voluntary policy. Also, we find that the increase in expenditures per capita devoted to organic food is quite substantial following the adoption of a local policy.     

全国城镇有机废弃物生成、利用和排放状况的初步分析

本文利用城镇人口和行业生产及环境特点，对我国城镇的有机废弃物生成量、利用量和排放量进行了估算，并对它们的潜在性资源价值和环境影响作出定量评价。这一结果对制定我国城镇有机废弃物的环境管理政策和开发利用这一资源有着基础重要性。     

A note on the organic composition of capital and profit rates

It is widely believed that the rate of profit across industrialsectors, while not in fact uniform as stipulated in the theoryof prices of production, is independent of the sectoral organiccomposition of capital. It follows that the simple labour theoryof value must be systematically in error as a predictor of actualsectoral aggregate prices. We offer empirical evidence fromthe US economy (1987 input–output table) suggesting thatthis is not so: there is a substantial and statistically significantnegative association between organic composition and profitrate across sectors.     

转基因食品标签管制方式的经济学分析

目前各国对转基因食品采取了“不加贴标签”、“自愿加贴标签”以及“强制性加贴柝签”等三种标签管制方式。本文应用消费者拟线性效用函数模型,对强制性加贴标签管制方式对消费者福利的影响进行了深入探讨。在此基础上通过对现有三种标签管制方式的比较分析,确定了各种标签管制方式实施的条件与影响,并认为在我国现有条件下,只要检测成本不高到难以承受的地步,对转基因食品应采取强制加贴标签管制方式。     

我国旧城更新改造中的产权问题研究

本文认为,产权明晰是旧城更新改造规划得以有效实施的前提。产权失灵是过去制约城市规划干预效率的内在原因。根据当代产权制度多元化的趋势,今后我国旧城中应当鼓励公有、共有和私有产权的多样并存,而不应当片面地从一种制度极端(公有产权占绝大多数)骤然跃进到另一种制度极端(私有产权占绝大多数)。传统大规模更新的巨大惯性是在公有制转轨上形成的,要转向小规模、渐进式的更新方式,必须另外铺就一条合理的路径。私有产权的轨道上,只能容纳少部分受益者,而大量的弱势群体注定没有能力跟上这趟貌似充满效率的快车。只有兼顾效率和公平的共有产权制度,才有可能为旧城朝向"有机更新"方式的顺利转轨,提供坚实的路基。包括公共产权形式在内的多样化产权形式是旧城更新中的最好选择,它能够帮助我们实现社会保障和促进多样化的更新模式。     

The role of health consciousness,food safety concern and ethical identity on attitudes and intentions towards organic food

The paper examines the roles of health consciousness, food safety concern and ethical self‐identity in predicting attitude and purchase intention within the context of organic produce. A conceptual model is derived and tested via structural equation modelling. Findings indicate food safety as the most important predictor of attitude while health consciousness appears to be the least important motive in contrast to findings from some previous research. In addition, ethical self‐identity is found to predict both attitudes and intention to purchase organic produce, emphasizing that respondents' identification with ethical issues affects their attitude and subsequent consumption choices.     

Romancing Alpacas: A commentary

This essay, while endorsing Cathi McMullen's core thesis—that Alpaca collecting represents a new kind of rapturous, high-involvement consumption (wherein the consumer/producer distinction is challenged)—seeks to further evolve the explanatory account of this microculture. The drive behind Alpaca collecting may be located in specific trends embedded in both the modern and postmodern condition, such as the rejection of industrialized agriculture. Understanding of this remarkable phenomenon in terms of a striving for social connection is possible; the search for novelty; and the search for a nuanced, idiosyncratic expression of status within an expanding universe of consumer nonconformity.     

Effects of Cheap Talk on Consumer Willingness-to-Pay for Golden Rice

A large body of literature suggests willingness-to-pay is overstated in hypothetical valuation questions as compared to when actual payment is required. Recently, "cheap talk" has been proposed to eliminate the potential bias in hypothetical valuation questions. Cheap talk refers to process of explaining hypothetical bias to individuals prior to asking a valuation question. This study explores the effect of cheap talk in a mass mail survey using a conventional value elicitation technique. Results indicate that cheap talk was effective at reducing willingness-to-pay for most survey participants; however, consistent with previous research, cheap talk did not reduce willingness-to-pay for knowledgeable consumers.