NEEDLES IN A HAYSTACK: COST-EFFECTIVE SAMPLING OF MARINE SPORT ANGLERS

An obstacle to conducting economic studies of marine sport anglers is the difficulty and expense in drawing a representative sample. Unlike inland fishing, where licenses are required in all states, only selected states require a marine sport fishing license and these licenses usually only cover selected marine fishing activities. Currently, there are no low cost methods of obtaining a representative sample of marine anglers because they are generally not licensed, use multiple access points, and represent a small proportion of the general population. The difficulty and expense of drawing a representative sample may have stifled attempts to study marine anglers. We test alternative sampling strategies by comparing the characteristics of a representative sample of experienced marine anglers with the characteristics of two other samples using multivariate and univariate analysis techniques. We conclude a sample of marine anglers drawn from the population of licensed inland anglers is not significantly different from the representative sample of experienced marine anglers.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

THE ECONOMICS OF LABELING: AN OVERVIEW OF ISSUES FOR HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL DISCLOSURE

During the last two decades, product labeling has become an increasingly used policy tool, particularly with respect to the provision of health and environmental information. Theory holds that the flow of information among market participants plays a critical role in the efficient operation of markets. This paper explores the role of product labeling policy in ameliorating two potential market deficiencies: asymmetric information and costly search behavior. Practical considerations for the design and implementation of labeling policy and of labeling research are explored.Agribusiness,

PREFERENCES FOR FOOD LABELS: A DISCRETE CHOICE APPROACH

Nutritional labels, label formats, consumer preferences, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

ENVIRONMENTAL LABELING OF ELECTRICITY: EFFECTS ON CONSUMER UNCERTAINTY ABOUT PRODUCT ATTRIBUTES AND LIKELIHOOD TO BUY DECISIONS

Using data collected by the U.S. Department of Energy we test how price and environmental marketing and labeling affects respondents' uncertainty about product attributes and about their purchase intentions.Consumer/Household Economics,

NUTRITION LABELING: DOES THE MESSAGE REACH THE CONSUMER?

Nutrition labeling does not necessarily lead to healthier diets. Consumers may substitute away from unhealthy products in food categories where differences in other quality characteristics (e.g., taste) are relatively small and towards unhealthy products in categories where differences may be large. The effects are largest among less-educated and younger individuals.Consumer/Household Economics, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Does Price Signal Quality? Strategic Implications of Price as a Signal of Quality for the Case of Genetically Modified Food

We add to the limited empirical literature on consumers' use of price as a quality signal by testing if the traditional downward-sloping consumption-price relationship fails to hold for GM products using data collected from a nationally representative mail survey featuring several hypothetical product choice scenarios. Statistical evidence is mixed across the three products investigated but suggests that survey respondents use price as a signal of the quality of GM products. Implications for firm strategy are discussed.Conjoint analysis, genetically modified food, pricing strategy, price-quality relationship, Demand and Price Analysis,

Does Price Signal Quality? Strategic Implications of Price as a Signal of Quality for the Case of Genetically Modified Food

When products are differentiated and quality is highly subjective (e.g., fashion or art), novel (e.g., a new feature), or difficult to verify prior to purchase (e.g., credence attributes), consumers may turn to price as a signal of quality. Products containing genetically modified (GM) ingredients meet each of these criteria, i.e., GM ingredients are novel, their presence is difficult to verify, and their impact on subjective quality may be viewed differently across individuals with the same knowledge. We add to the limited empirical literature on consumers' use of price as a quality signal by testing for non-monotonicity of consumer demand in price for GM products using data collected from a nationally representative mail survey featuring several hypothetical product choice scenarios. We find mixed evidence across three products for non-monotonicity of demand in price and argue the results suggest that survey respondents use price as a signal of the quality of GM products for at least one of the three products investigated. Implications for firm strategy and regulation are discussed.Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

Can Survey-based Scenarios Measure Consumer Values for Improved Food Safety?

Demand and Price Analysis, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

CONSUMERS' WILLINGNESS TO PAY FOR FOOD SAFETY: A PATHOGEN SPECIFIC ANALYSIS

Estimates of the economic benefits of intervention strategies to make food safer from specific pathogens for different durations of protection are not available. We estimated consumers' willingness to pay for a hypothetical vaccine that would deliver a 1-year, 5- years, 10-years, or lifetime protection against Salmonella, E. coli, or Listeria. We used logit and Tobit models to estimate the economic benefits of food safety measures against these major foodborne pathogens. Based on FoodNet 2002 population survey data, consumers were willing to pay for protection against foodborne pathogens. They were willing to pay more for longer protection and for protection against E. coli compared to Salmonella or Listeria. However, they were less willing to pay if the protection was costly.Contingent valuation, Food Safety, Economic benefits, population survey, Consumer/Household Economics, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

ELECTRICITY DEREGULATION: WHAT'S IN STORE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT?

We test the: degree to which electricity consumers will trade off price and environmental attributes, effectiveness of environmental certification, and effectiveness of voluntary versus mandatory environmental disclosure. The type and consistency of information, the degree of difference in environmental attributes and the individual's characteristics all impact the choice of electricity product.Environmental Economics and Policy,