Producer Technology Use and the Value of Autonomy: The Case of rbST

Farm Management, Production Economics, Productivity Analysis,

Verifying Credence Attributes in Livestock Production

Livestock producers can respond to increasing consumer demand for certain production process attributes by providing verifiable information on the practices used. Consumer willingness to pay data were used to inform producer decision-making regarding selection of verification entities for four key production process attributes in the production of pork chops and milk. The potential for informing farm-level decision-making with information about consumer demand for product and production process attributes exists beyond the two products assessed as example cases in this analysis.Key Words: animal welfare, certification, credence attribute, producer decision support, response to consumer demand, verification, willingness to pay, Consumer/Household Economics, Demand and Price Analysis, Livestock Production/Industries, Production Economics, Q11, Q12, Q19,

Consumer Preferences for Animal Welfare Attributes: The Case of Gestation Crates

Animal welfare concerns are having dramatic impacts on food and livestock markets. Here we examine consumer preferences for pork products with a focus on use of gestation crates. We examine underlying consumer valuations of pork attributes while considering preference heterogeneity as well as voluntary and legislative alternatives in producing gestation crate-free pork. Our results suggest that prohibiting swine producers from using gestation crates fails to improve consumer welfare in the presence of a labeling scheme documenting voluntary disadoption of gestation crates. Consumers are found to implicitly associate animal welfare attributes with smaller farms. Preference heterogeneity drives notably diverse consumer welfare impacts when pork produced with use of gestation crates is no longer available for consumption.animal welfare, consumer welfare, economics of legislation, gestation crates, pork, swine, voluntary labeling, willingness to pay, Agribusiness, Agricultural and Food Policy, Consumer/Household Economics, Industrial Organization, Livestock Production/Industries, Q11, Q13, Q18,

Consumer Willingness to Pay for Livestock Credence Attribute Claim Verification

A choice experiment was used to determine consumer value for verification of livestock production process attributes. Willingness to pay for verification of production process attributes varied for both milk and pork chops across attributes and verifying entity. Statistically significant evidence of social desirability bias was found by comparing estimates of consumer preferences solicited using direct and indirect questioning. Indirect questioning may yield more accurate representations of consumer value than direct questioning, and therefore more accurate estimates for agribusiness decision making.animal welfare, certification, consumer demand, credence attribute, social desirability bias, verification, willingness to pay, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Livestock Production/Industries,

Media Coverage of Animal Handling and Welfare: Influence on Meat Demand

Replaced with revised version of paper 7/21/09.animal welfare, consumer demand, meat quality, media information, Rotterdam model, source of information, information indices, Agricultural and Food Policy, Demand and Price Analysis,

Understanding U.S. Consumer Demand for Milk Production Attributes

A choice experiment was used to examine the value of various fluid milk attributes. Respondents were surveyed regarding half or whole gallon milk purchases. A split-sample design was used to examine consumer inferences regarding food safety. Willingness to pay for verification of production process attributes varied across attributes and verifying entity. Consumers were generally willing to pay substantial premiums for milk produced without the use of rbST, on local family farms, with assured food safety enhancement, and for these claims to be verified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.milk, food safety, grazing, rbST, family farm, local, willingness to pay, Consumer/Household Economics, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Brand Information Mitigating Negative Shocks on Animal Welfare: Is It More Effective to “Distract†Consumers or Make Them Aware?

To create and sustain a competitive advantage in markets that increasingly value animal welfare attributes, meat companies need to meet public and private production standards while communicating to final consumers through their brands. Data are collected from a representative sample of 460 U.S. residents through an on-line experiment on McDonald’s chicken breast sandwiches and analyzed with Latent Growth Modeling. This study assesses which content of positive brand information effectively mitigates the risk of negative information shocks on animal welfare. On average, brand information has the same positive impact on consumers’ beliefs and attitudes, regardless of whether it is related or unrelated to animal welfare. However, there is strong market segmentation in terms of consumers’ response when exposed to brand information, suggesting that brand managers would benefit from tailoring brand information according to consumers’ age, education, gender and income.animal welfare, brand, information, consumer behavior, multivariate statistics, Agribusiness, Livestock Production/Industries, Q1,

Economically Optimal Distiller Grain Inclusion in Beef Feedlot Rations: Recognition of Omitted Factors

With the rapid expansion of the ethanol industry, the feeding landscape familiar to the feedlot industry is changing. While concerns regarding rising corn prices persist, many within the industry are looking at distiller’s grains, a by-product of ethanol production, to serve as a feed substitute. The question remains as to what extent these two feed sources are substitutable. The purpose of this study is to identify the economically optimal inclusion rate of distiller’s grains in beef feedlot rations, considering an array of often omitted factors. Most currently prevailing recommendation rates are strictly biologically based and frequently reference only one feeding trial. Unique economic factors considered in this research include the impact of by-product inclusion rates on animal performance (utilizing recently conducted meta-analysis from 17 relevant feeding trials), enhanced likelihood of death loss from heightened sulfur content, and manure disposal costs. Results indicate that excluding these factors can significantly impact optimal inclusion levels and that reliance on a single or few feeding trials may greatly bias results.distiller’s grains, livestock rations, manure disposal cost,

Economically Optimal Distiller Grain Inclusion in Beef Feedlot Rations: Recognition of Omitted Factors

With the rapid expansion of the ethanol industry, the feeding landscape familiar to the feedlot industry is changing. While concerns regarding rising corn prices persist, many within the industry are looking at distillers grains, a by-product of ethanol production, to serve as a feed substitute. The question remains as to what extent these two feed sources are substitutable. The purpose of this study is to identify the economically optimal inclusion rate of distillers grains in beef feedlot rations, considering an array of often omitted factors. Most currently prevailing recommendation rates are strictly biologically based and frequently reference only one feeding trial. Unique economic factors considered in this research include the impact of by-product inclusion rates on animal performance (utilizing recently conducted meta-analysis from 17 relevant feeding trials), enhanced likelihood of death loss from heightened sulfur content, and manure disposal costs. Results indicate that excluding these factors can significantly impact optimal inclusion levels and that reliance on a single or few feeding trials may greatly bias results.Livestock Production/Industries,

Self-monitoring for improving control of blood pressue in patients with hypertension

The objective of this review is to determine the effect of SBPM in adults with hypertension on blood pressure control as compared to OBPM or usual care