Energy efficiency and heating technology investments: Manipulating financial information in a discrete choice experiment

We elicit homeowners’ willingness to pay (WTP) for energy efficiency and low-carbon technologies in the context of heating appliance replacement. We employ a within-between subject design that involves manipulating information in a two-stage discrete choice experiment (DCE) and use WTP space estimation to identify the role of financial information in reducing fossil fuel use. We find that homeowners’ average valuation of energy efficiency exceeds associated heating cost savings, suggesting that they also consider non-monetary benefits when evaluating this type of investment, whereas information about private and pro-social benefits of investments only has a limited impact on WTP. Evidence also suggests that homeowners have a strong preference for the existing technology. Consequently, fossil fuel users’ WTP for switching to low-carbon technologies does not cover respective investment cost differentials, and we derive evidence on how combined subsidies and information can induce these users to opt out of fossil technologies.     

Traditional village forest landscapes: Tourists' attitudes and preferences for conservation

This study examines a traditional village tree landscape on the Ryukyu Islands that provides tourists with an integrated experience of local culture, history, and nature. Using data derived from a sample of 417 respondents collected over a two-year period, it found that respondents under 40 years of age, or who were travelling with their family, were likely to give more to the tree landscape conservation fund, while respondents with a higher household income or higher education level tended not to donate more to the conservation of the village tree landscape. This study suggests that requests for a donation or entrance ticket can be used to collect conservation funds for natural resources.     

Consumer willingness to pay for traditional food products

Reflecting the growing interest from both consumers and policymakers, and building on recent developments in Willingness to Pay (WTP) methodologies, we evaluate consumer preferences for an archetypal traditional food product. Specifically we draw on stated preference data from a discrete choice experiment, considering the traditional Hungarian mangalitza salami. A WTP space specification of the generalized multinomial logit model is employed, which accounts for not only heterogeneity in preferences but also differences in the scale of the idiosyncratic error term. Results indicate that traditional food products can command a substantial premium, albeit contingent on effective quality certification, authentic product composition and effective choice of retail outlet. Promising consumer segments and policy implications are identified.     

Willingness to pay for the “Green Food” in China

With use of payment card survey data of willingness to pay (WTP) for the “Green Food”, a unique food certification in China, this study finds that age and income are important for the WTP for the Green Food in China. There are structural differences in consumer preference for Green Food between the large city and the small county. Consumers in China, on average, are willing to pay 47% more for Green vegetables and 40% more for Green meat than for their conventional counterparts. Compared with the real markets and the previous studies, our results are very consistent and reliable.     

茶农生物农药属性偏好及支付意愿研究——基于选择实验的实证分析

利用选择实验方法实证分析了茶农生物农药属性偏好和支付意愿。结果表明:(1)茶农偏好"缩短安全间隔期""不提前使用"和"不产生抗药性"的农药属性,但在"缩短安全间隔期"和"针对防治"上存在偏好异质性;(2)茶农愿为优化3类属性多支付16.974、22.250和11.272元/亩/年;(3)种植面积小、受教育年限长、化学农药危害认知程度高的茶农倾向于选择生物农药;(4)生物农药实际支付高于各属性加总的意愿支付,应关注生物农药外部性。     

Strategy and response to purchase intention questions

Purchase intention and willingness-to-pay (WTP) questions are often analyzed without considering that a respondent's utility maximizing answer need not correspond to a truthful answer. In this paper, we argue that individuals act, at least partially, in their own self-interest when answering survey questions. Consumers are conceptualized as thinking along two strategic dimensions when asked hypothetical purchase intention and WTP questions: (a) whether their response will influence the future price of a product and (b) whether their response will influence whether a product will actually be offered. Results provide initial evidence that strategic behavior may exist for some goods and some people.     

Willingness to Pay for Pesticide Free Fruits: Evidence from Pakistan

ABSTRACT

This paper analyzes factors influencing consumption decision of pesticide free fruits (PFF) and estimates the willingness to pay (WTP) price premium for PFF in Pakistan. A contingent valuation survey of 200 households was conducted using face to face interview and payment card method. Results suggested that 93.5% respondents were WTP higher prices for PFF. Remarkably, around 35% respondents were WTP 16–20% higher prices and 24% respondents were WTP 6–10% higher prices for PFF than the existed conventional price. In addition, our ordered logit regression suggests that demographic and socio-economic variables such as age, education, income, household’s size and perception about health benefits are significantly associated with higher WTP for PFF.     

加工农产品的附加值来自哪里——消费偏好视角的分析

从消费者偏好的视角,探究加工农产品的附加值来源,能够为中国农产品加工业发展提供关键信息。以果汁产品为例,本文采用选择实验法实证分析了消费者对产品类型、品牌地、加工地、原料产地和转基因等产品属性的偏好与支付意愿。研究结果表明,产品类型和非转基因是果汁产品附加值提升的关键,品牌和原料的原产国也有助于实现加工农产品的附加值;消费偏好具有显著的异质性特征,针对不同消费群体的产品质量设计有助于实现加工农产品的附加值。因此,政府产业政策部门和农产品加工企业可以通过调整产品类型和加贴非转基因标签,来提升中国加工农产品的附加值。同时,通过政府或行业协会实施品牌和原料的原产国公共推广政策、维护和塑造原产地正面形象,也能够有效提升附加值。     

基于有效性改进的森林环境资源条件价值评估——以武夷山自然保护区为例

森林环境资源价值评估是实施生态效益补偿和绿色GDP核算的重要基础,对其进行科学合理的定价,将加快推动森林资源纳入环境经济一体化核算工作的进程。条件价值法(CVM)作为森林环境资源价值评估的一种直接方法,对于评估"非市场化产品或服务"的价值,特别是森林环境资源的社会价值具有重要意义。考虑到该类非使用价值的分量众多,实际核算时应先进行系统分类,然后逐一加以测算。本文正是在此基础上,通过森林环境资源的供求分析,采用开放式支付卡法作为CVM的引导技术,对武夷山自然保护区居民消费意愿进行实地调查,并结合Logistic模型、因子分析确定社会价值的具体构成。最后,根据非参数估计方法计算个人支付意愿,从而极大提高了研究结果的有效性。