ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF ANIMAL TRACING IN THE CATTLE PRODUCTION SECTOR

One of the options to prepare for a potential outbreak of an infectious livestock disease is to initiate an animal tracking system, which would provide information on animal movements and facilitate disease management. This article examines the benefits of implementing an animal tracking system in the context of a simulated cattle disease outbreak with and without animal tracking. Estimates are provided for some of the losses that would be avoided with an animal tracking system if an infectious animal disease were introduced. The results show that the economic efficiency of an animal tracking system depends on such factors as inter herd contact rates, effectiveness of animal disease response actions, and the extent to which an animal tracking system decreases the time of tracing animal movements. In case of a highly infectious animal disease outbreak substantial economic losses could be avoided if an effective animal tracking system is implemented.Livestock Production/Industries,

Weather Forecast Based Conditional Pest Management: A Stochastic Optimal Control Investigation

In this paper, we examine conditional, forecast-based dynamic pest management in agricultural crop production given stochastic pest infestations and stochastic climate dynamics throughout the growing season. Using stochastic optimal control we show that correlation between forecast error for climate prediction and forecast error for pest outbreaks can be used to improve pesticide application efficiency. In the general setting, we apply modified Hamiltonian approach to discuss the steady state equilibrium. Given specific functional forms, a closed form solution can be found for the stochastic optimal control problem. Moreover, we find conditions for model parameters so that the optimal pesticide usage path will be monotonically increasing or decreasing in the correlation coefficient between climate forecast errors and pest growth disturbances.Pest Management, Stochastic Optimal Control, Production Economics,

Depopulation and ecological degradation, two dimensions of marginalization, and peripheralization. Ecosystem integrity as an assessment factor in local revitalization

Addressing the pressure that population growth puts on the environment has become a high-level policy priority. Less discussed is the role of population decline in either enhancing or degrading the natural environment, and how the its reshaping can help new forms of de-peripheralization and de-marginalization. A long-term trajectory of marginalization and peripheralization of depopulating places can be reversed in certain situations by adopting a more holistic and sustainable analytical and policy framing. To do this, here we integrate different types of diagnosis frameworks. The first, based on factors that the literature indicates as factors leading to negative effects of depopulation, for which the revitalization of such places is suggested, and the second, proposed in this paper, which adds the integrity of the ecosystems involved in places undergoing depopulation processes. Our findings suggest that as we add ecosystem integrity factor to observations, in some cases, revitalization is possible even in the localities displaying the potentially negative effects of depopulation decrease. This suggests that whereas in some places a policy-managed abandonment may be appropriate to release human pressures over such degraded ecosystems, in other cases, revitalization may be a viable alternative for such settlements

Consumers' Willingness to Pay for Animal Welfare Attributes in Dairy Products: Evidence From Experimental Auctions

Consumer/Household Economics, Demand and Price Analysis, Livestock Production/Industries,

Developing sustainable forest management in North-West Russia

• The Russian Federation is part of the Montreal process supporting the development of sustainable forest management (SFM). • The SFM concept encompasses ecological, economic and socio-cultural dimensions, all of which should be balanced and meet agreed standards. • We compare implementation concepts aiming at sustainable landscapes, such as Model Forest and Biosphere Reserve, with regular approaches for forest landscape management. • Since the mid 1990’s several international and national SFM implementation projects have been initiated in the Russian Federation. • Our case studies in the North-West Russian Federation are Komi Model Forest in the Komi Republic, Pskov Model Forest in the Pskov region and Kovdozersky Model Forest in the Murmansk region. • Learning from practical experiences supports the production of applied knowledge needed to implement sustainable forest landscape policies

ВЛИЯНИЕ ПРОДИГИОЗАНЗАВИСИМОГО КОМУТОНА НА УСТОЙЧИВОСТЬ МИТОХОНДРИЙ ПЕЧЕНИ К ПОВРЕЖДЕНИЮ ПРОТОНОФОРОМ

An effector of tissue stress of hepatocytes, prodigiozan-dependent comuton (PDC), provokes deenergiezation of liver mitochondria, preloaded by Ca2+ ions. In this case a decrease of membrane potential (MP) and Ca2+ efflux by cyclosporine A sensitive mechanism of megapore is observed. If megapore is blocked by cyclosporin A, protonofor FCCP provoked decrease of MP and Ca2+ efflux by cyclosporin A-insensitive mechanism. It is shown that PDC increases resistance of mitochondria to mentioned protonofor action by inhibition of both these effects. An inhibitory action of PDC is realized by K+ and NADH-dependent mechanism. The effector of hepatocyte tissue stress, prodigiozan-dependent comuton (PDC), evokes deenergizing liver mitochondria preloaded with Ca2+, both membrane potential (MP) decrease and Ca2+ release in according to cyclosporine A- sensitive mechanism of megapore being observed. If megapore is blocked by cyclosporin A, protonophore FCCP reduces of MP and Ca2+ release in according to cyclosporin A-insensitive mechanism. PDC is shown to increase the resistance of mitochondria against protonophore action mentioned above by means of inhibition of both these effects. Inhibitory action of PDC is realized due to both K+ and NADH-dependent mechanism. protective effect takes place only in intact mitochondria of these cells providig (on condition that) its megapore mechanism is not activated. Moreover, the results obttained are evidence of PDC can function as protector due to intensification of energy generation in damaged.Эффектор тканевого стресса гепатоцитов — продигиозанзависимый комутон (ПЗК) — вызывает деэнергизацию митохондрий печени, предварительно нагруженных ионами Са2+. При этом наблюдается снижение мембранного потенциала (МП) и выход ионов Са2+ из матрикса по циклоспорин А-чувствительному механизму мегапоры. В условиях блокирования мегапоры циклоспорином А протонофор FCCP вызывает снижение МП и выход ионов Са2+ по циклоспориннечувствительному механизму. Показано, что ПЗК повышает устойчивость митохондрий к действию упомянутого протонофора, вызывая ингибирование этих эффектов. Ингибирующее действие ПЗК осуществляется по К+- и НАДН-зависимому механизму. Протекторное действие распространяется не на весь пул митохондрий в таких клетках, а только в отношении митохондрий, сохранивших высокую интактность, и при условии, что в них не активирован механизм мегапоры. Кроме того, представленные в настоящей статье результаты свидетельствуют о том, что в определенных условиях ПЗК может оказывать протекторное действие и посредством усиления энергопродукции в поврежденных митохондриях.

Economics analysis of mitigation strategies for FMD introduction in highly concentrated animal feeding regions

Outbreaks of infectious animal diseases can lead to substantial losses as evidenced by 2003 US BSE (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy) event with consequent loss of export markets, and the 2001 UK FMD (Foot and Mouth Disease) outbreak that has cost estimates in the billions. In this paper we present a linked epidemiologic-economic modeling framework which is used to investigate several FMD mitigation strategies under the context of an FMD outbreak in a concentrated cattle feeding region in the US. In this study we extend the literature by investigating the economic effectiveness of some previously unaddressed strategies including early detection, enhanced vaccine availability, and enhanced surveillance under various combinations of slaughter, surveillance, and vaccination. We also consider different disease introduction points at a large feedlot, a backgrounder feedlot, a large grazing herd, and a backyard herd all in the Texas High Plains. In terms of disease mitigation strategies we evaluate the economic effectiveness of: 1. Speeding up initial detection by one week from day 14 to day 7 after initial infection; 2. Speeding up vaccine availability from one week post disease detection to the day of disease detection; 3.Doubling post event surveillance intensity. To examine the economic implications of these strategies we use a two component stochastic framework. The first component is the epidemiologic model that simulates the spread of FMD as affected by control policies and introduction scenarios. The second component is an economics module, which calculates an estimate of cattle industry losses plus the costs of implementing disease control. The results show that early detection of the disease is the most effective mechanism for minimizing the costs of outbreak. Under some circumstances enhanced surveillance also proved to be an effective strategy.Livestock Production/Industries,

Solar Bait: How States Attract Solar Investments from Large Corporations

Past literature in solar adoption has focused primarily on households without significant attention to the potential of commercial properties as sites for solar generation. Herein we examine firms’ decisions to install solar panels on their properties using state-level data. We are interested in the effects of state-level characteristics, including policies and regulations, on firm decisions regarding solar investments. We find that state characteristics that influence the return-on-investment from solar installations, most notably solar intensity, are important for commercial adoption decisions. Further results suggest that certain state-level policies, in particular solar carve-outs in renewable portfolio standards, financing programs and tax breaks, can incentivize firms to install solar panels. The strongest result we observe across empirical specifications is that firm installation decisions are correlated with personal electric vehicle ownership rates. This may indicate a ‘green’ business marketing strategy, whereby firms install solar to improve their social responsibility image

Interstate Protectionism: The Case of Solar Renewable Energy Credits

Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SRECs) are financial instruments created by state policies to offer incentives for generating solar energy. In an effort to support in-state solar energy sectors and boost local employment opportunities, some states have closed off their SREC markets to out-of-state solar facilities. We examine the merits of such protectionist policy from the protectionist states perspective. We find that SREC market closure leads to higher in-state SREC prices, greater solar installation, and lower electricity prices. The study illustrates the economic incentives for protecting in-state SREC markets from out-of-state solar energy producers