THE VALUATION OF LABELLING ATTRIBUTES IN A WINE MARKET

The values which market participants place on labelling information in the British wine retail market are investigated using a hedonic framework. The results suggest a near asymmetric evaluation of labelling attributes between wines from the 'New World' (Australia) and wines from the 'Old World' (France). The benefits of studying the valuation of attribute information within the hedonic framework are demonstrated in two steps. First, the revenue impact of shifts in attributes is examined at the retail level. Second, the welfare impact of changes in the attribute choice set facing consumers is considered.Marketing,

A Comparative Analysis of US and Canadian Consumers' Perceptions Towards BSE Testing and the use of GM Organisms in Beef Production: Evidence from a Choice Experiment

Replaced with revised version of paper 07/24/07.choice experiments, multinomial logit, beef labeling, Livestock Production/Industries, D12, L66, C35,

Regional Food Clusters and Government Support for Clustering: Evidence for a ‘Dynamic Food Innovation Cluster’ in Alberta, Canada?

This paper analyzes government support for networking and regional cluster growth in the food sector. It is, to the best of our knowledge, the first paper to provide a literature review of studies on regional food clusters, focusing on key features that characterize successful regional food clusters. The review compares key characteristics of such clusters with characteristics of clusters from other industrial sectors. The insights from these studies on clustering success and the role of government are contrasted with empirical evidence on government support for clustering in the Canadian food sector, specifically in the province of Alberta. The empirical evidence is based on two small industry surveys, one conducted in March 2005, and the second in August 2009. Considering this empirical evidence, we have little support for an emerging food (innovation) cluster in Alberta, and little evidence for effective government support toward food cluster development in Alberta.location-based clustering, food clusters, networks, innovation, government support, Alberta, Canada, Industrial Organization, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies, R11, L32, L38, O32, O38, Q13,

Beef Labeling After BSE: Do Consumers Care about BSE Testing and GMO Labeling? Evidence from Canada and the US

Following the May 2003 Canadian BSE case, food safety issues have become even more prominent to policymakers and consumers. In both Canada and the US, governments and industry have responded with a variety of quality assurance, traceability and labeling schemes. However, there is little information available on the extent to which consumer perceptions differ regionally across North America towards labeling schemes. This paper attempts to fill this gap, by providing results on a variety of beef labeling strategies from choice experiments that were conducted in Alberta (Canada) and Montana (US). The analysis focuses on consumers' perceptions towards negative voluntary labeling with regard to BSE testing, genetically modified organisms (GMO) and the use of growth hormones in beef production. We find that four years after the first BSE case emerged in North America, consumers are willing to pay most to avoid risks associated with BSE. Montana and Alberta consumers are found not to be significantly heterogeneous in their preferences.Choice experiments, Multinomial logit, Beef labeling, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, D12, L66, C35,

Collisional Quenching at Ultralow Energies: Controlling Efficiency with Internal State Selection

Calculations have been carried out for the vibrational quenching of excited H$_2$ molecules which collide with Li$^+$ ions at ultralow energies. The dynamics has been treated exactly using the well known quantum coupled-channel expansions over different initial vibrational levels. The overall interaction potential has been obtained from the calculations carried out earlier in our group using highly correlated ab initio methods. The results indicate that specific features of the scattering observables, e.g. the appearance of Ramsauer-Townsend minima in elastic channel cross sections and the marked increase of the cooling rates from specific initial states, can be linked to potential properties at vanishing energies (sign and size of scattering lengths) and to the presence of either virtual states or bound states. The suggestion is made that by selecting the initial state preparation of the molecular partners, the ionic interactions would be amenable to controlling quenching efficiency at ultralow energies

The Effect of Expansion on Mass Entrainment and Stability of Super-Alfv\'enic Jets

We extend investigations of mass entrainment by jets, which previously have focused on cylindrical supermagnetosonic jets and expanding trans-Alfv\'enic jets, to a set of expanding supermagnetosonic jets. We precess these jets at the origin to excite the helical mode of the Kelvin-Helmholtz (or KH) instability, in order to compare the results with predictions from linear stability analysis. We analyze this simulation set for the spatial development of magnetized mass, which we interpret as jet plus entrained, initially unmagnetized external mass. As with the previous simulation sets, we find that the growth of magnetized mass is associated with the growth of the KH instability through linear, nonlinear, and saturated stages and with the expansion of magnetized material in simulated observations of the jet. From comparison of measured wavelengths and wave speeds with the predictions from linear stability analysis, we see evidence that the KH instability is the primary cause for mass entrainment in these simulations, and that the expansion reduces the rate of mass entrainment. This reduced rate can be observed as a somewhat greater distance between the two transition points separating the three stages of expansion.Comment: 18 pages, 6 figures, AASTeX, to appear in Nov 1 issue of ApJ (vol 543), postscript versions of Figures 3 and 5 are available at http://crux.astr.ua.edu/~rosen/supcon/rh.htm

Assessing the Consumer Acceptance and Market Potential of Alternative Meats

Introduction, project objectives and project background: This initiative to this project, including the original project proposal, goes back to Professor Kevin Chen (he is no longer with the Department of Rural Economy). The project was initially scheduled to begin on 2004/05/01. When I took over this project and started to work as Principal Investigator on January 1, 2005, the following objectives were to be fulfilled (taken from Professor Kevin Chen's initial proposal): 1) Documentation of consumer awareness, attitude, and choice regarding alternative meats "At what level and to what extent are consumers aware of alternative meats?" What is consumer interest level in alternative meats and their willingness to change consumption behavior (i.e. how much are they willing to pay for alternative meats)? "What kinds of alternative meats are consumers eating?" What kinds of alternative meats are consumers most likely to try in the future? "Where are consumers buying and eating alternative meats (meat specialty store, direct market, supermarket, restaurant, and others)?" What attributes do consumers find desirable in alternative meats (leanness, nutrition, adventure, taste, and others)?" What are the main barriers affecting purchase of alternative meats (price, awareness of availability, exotic nature, cooking instructions, nutrition labeling, and others)? 2) Compilation of a consumer profile related to purchase of alternative meats "How do various socioeconomic and demographic factors affect consumer awareness, attitude, and acceptance of alternative meats?" What are the distinct consumer market segments that Alberta's alternative livestock and meat producers might target? 3) Development of marketing strategies and implications for the Alberta alternative livestock industry "What are the implications of the findings in 1) and 2) for developing effective advertising and promotion strategies to support the further development of Alberta's alternative livestock industry?"What are the implications of the finding in 1) and 2) for producing alternative meat products that are consumer friendly? "What are the implications of the findings in 1) and 2) for selecting the main marketing and distribution channels for alternative meat products? 1 A decision was made together with the DLFOA to focus our research efforts on three species: bison, elk and lamb. The overall purpose of our research was to improve the understanding of consumer perceptions towards the consumption of alternative meats, notably the above three species. More specifically, the objectives were to: 1) Document the attitude and purchasing choices for three alternative meats which are strategically important to Alberta's alternative livestock industry. 2) Analyze the effects of socio-economic factors of Alberta consumers in purchasing the above alternative meats. 3) Explore possibilities for market segmentation and marketing implications, also for other alternative meats (other than bison, elk and lamb). In order to achieve these objectives, this study has taken the following steps: 1) A preliminary survey was developed and received feedback from Professor Robert Hudson, University of Alberta. 2) This preliminary survey was revised by using four focus groups with Alberta consumers. 3) Three separate web-based surveys were constructed for bison, elk and lamb. In each of these surveys, a switching model was developed that employs revealed preference data in stated preference experiments. As consumers indicate their (un)willingness to switch away from beef, towards alternative meats, we addressed many issues; among them were: How important are which information sources in the purchasing decisions of alternative meats? 2 What role does farm origin traceability play in consumers' choice? To what extent do consumers care about Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) in producing those meats?Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Australian wines in the British wine market: A hedonic price analysis

The market share of New World wines sold in many European countries has increased dramatically over the past decade. More aggressive marketing, together with a more distinct and recognizable labeling scheme, are often regarded as the keys to the marketing success of these new wines. This article employs hedonic price analysis to identify the values that marketers and consumers place on the information carried by the label of Australian wines in the British wine retail market. Although many grape varieties are given a highly distinct valuation by market participants, our results also suggest that consumers consider regions jointly with grape varieties as proxies for brands. This contrasts with the general observation that grape varietal labeling is the distinctive feature of New World wines. Marketing implications are examined by considering the revenue impact of changes in labeling at the retail level

French wines on the decline? Econometric evidence from Britain

French wines, differentiated by geographic origin, served for many decades as a basis for the French success in the British wine market. However in the early 1990s, market share began to decline. This article explores the values that market participants placed on labelling information on French wines in Britain in 1994. Results from a parametric hedonic approach indicate that both the lack of a consistently positive valuation of varietal wines and the low valuation of wines with geographical appellation help to explain the overall decline of France's role in the British wine market

Governance reform of German food safety regulation: Cosmetic or real?

A series of food-related crises, most notably mad cow disease in Britain, farmer protests in France against American hormone-treated beef, and the European Union's banning of genetically modified food has turned the regulation of food safety in Europe into a crucible for issues of institutional trust, legitimacy, and effectiveness. What's the Beef? examines European food safety regulation at the national, European, and international levels as a case of "contested governance" a syndrome of policymaking and political dispute in which not only policy outcomes but also the fundamental legitimacy of existing institutional arrangements are challenged. The discussions of European food safety regulation in What's the Beef? open into consideration of broader issues, including the growing importance of multilevel regulation (and the possibility of disagreements among different levels of authority), the future of European integration, discontent over trade globalization, the politicization of risk assessment and regulatory science, the regulation of biotechnology, the shifting balance between public and private regulation, agricultural protectionism, and the "transatlantic divide." After addressing the historical, social, and economic context of European food safety regulation, the book examines national efforts at food safety reform in France, Britain, and Germany and such regional efforts as the creation of the European Food Authority. The book also looks at the international dimensions of European food safety regulation, discussing the conflicts between EU safety rules and World Trade Organization rulings that occur because EU rules are more risk averse ("precautionary") than those of its trading partners, including the United States