Dynamic Strategic Behaviour in the Deregulated England and Wales Liquid Milk Market

A model of dynamic oligopsony is estimated for the liquid milk market in the UK. The paper extends existing methods of estimating such models by allowing for the joint estimation of the market conduct equation and the input supply equation. This entails the estimation of a two equation model in which the parameters of one equation change between two regimes whilst those of the other do not. Our results provide little evidence of dynamic strategic behaviour and suggest that the farm-gate price of milk is determined competitively.Livestock Production/Industries, Marketing, D4, L1, Q13,

Fat Taxes and Thin Subsidies: Distributional Impacts and Welfare Effects

The extant literature on fat taxes and thin subsidies tends to focus on the overall effectiveness of such fiscal instruments in altering diets and improving health. However, little is known about the welfare impacts of fiscal food policies on society. This paper fills a gap in the literature by assessing the distributional impacts and welfare effects resulting from a tax-subsidy combination on different food groups. Using the methods derived from marginal tax reform theory, a formal welfare economics framework is developed allowing the calculation of the distributional characteristics of various food groups and approximate welfare measures of prices changes caused by a tax-subsidy combination. The distributional characteristics reveal that many of the food groups target by a fat tax are consumed in greater concentration by low-income households than higher-income households. The overall welfare effect of a fat tax and thin subsidy combination is found to be negative, meaning that the thin subsidy is not enough to compensate for the negative impacts of the fat tax.distributional characteristic, fat tax, obesity, thin subsidy, welfare., Health Economics and Policy, D30, D60, H20, I10, I30.,

The Impacts of Fat Taxes and Thin Subsidies on Nutrient Intakes

This paper examines the health effects of a fiscal food policy based on a combination of fat taxes and thin subsidies. The fat tax is based on the saturated fat content of food items while the thin subsidy is applied to select fruit and vegetable items. The policy is designed to be revenue neutral so the subsidy exactly offsets the revenue from the fat tax. A model of food demand is estimated using Bayesian methods that accounts for censoring and infrequency of purchase (the problem of unit values is also discussed). The estimated demand elasticities are used to compute nutrient elasticities which demonstrate how consumption of specific nutrients changes based on price changes in particular foods from the fiscal policy. Results show that although the fat tax decreases saturated fat intake, consumption of other important nutrients is also decreased, which may lead to negative health outcomes.fat tax, nutrient elasticities, obesity, thin subsidy, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, D30, D60, H20, I10, I30,

Minimum pricing of alcohol and its impact on consumption in the UK

A complete model of food demand is estimated for UK households, focusing on alcohol consumption both at home and outside. Using EFS data for 2005-06, several AIDS models have been estimated at different aggregation levels, thus defining a hierarchical system which allows for computation of cross elasticities between finely disaggregated food groups. At the bottom level of the system, elasticities for 9 groups of alcoholic drinks are computed, 4 of which corresponding to home consumption, 5 corresponding to outside consumption. Estimates from the upper levels of aggregation are used to acknowledge substitution and complementarity effect between these 9 groups and all other food groups consumed. Based on alcohol content of the different drinks studied, their strength and price per unit of alcohol sold is computed; a price increase is then devised, whereby all drinks must be sold at a minimum price of 50p per unit. This rise in alcohol prices, in combination with price elasticities of demand, indicates consumption changes observed according to different socio-economic characteristics (geographical, age, gender, income, socio-economic group). In spite of a slight substitution effect between alcoholic drinks and other food groups, overall consumption would decrease by 15% at the UK level. Only alcohol sold for home consumption would see an increase in prices, and reduction in sales would generally spare pubs and restaurants. While consuming more units of alcohol than other groups, higher income and high managerial groups would be less affected by this pricing policy.Health Economics and Policy,

Provision of an environmental output within a multi-output distance function approach

This paper redefines technical efficiency by incorporating provision of environmental goods as one of the outputs of the farm within a multi-outptut distance function framework. Permanent and rough grassland area are used as a proxy for the provision of environmental goods. The multi-output distance function approach is used to estimate technical efficiency. A Bayesian procedure involving the use of a Gibbs sampler is used to estimate the farm specific efficiency as well as the coefficients of the distance function. In addition, a number of explanatory variables for the efficiency were introduced in the analysis and posterior distributions of those were obtained. The methodology is applied to panel data on 215 dairy farms in England and Wales from the Defra Farm Business Survey. Results show that both farm efficiency rankings and determinants of inefficiency change when provision of environmental outputs by farms is incorporated in the efficiency analysis, which may have important political implications.Technical efficiency, environmental good, multi-output

Impact of Income on Calorie and Nutrient Intakes: A Cross-Country Analysis

The relationship between income and nutrient intake is explored. Nonparametric, panel, and quantile regressions are used. Engle curves for calories, fat, and protein are approximately linear in logs with carbohydrate intakes exhibiting diminishing elasticities as incomes increase. Elasticities range from 0.10 to 0.25, with fat having the highest elasticities. Countries in higher quantiles have lower elasticities than those in lower quantiles. Results predict significant cumulative increases in calorie consumption which are increasingly composed of fats. Though policies aimed at poverty alleviation and economic growth may assuage hunger and malnutrition, they may also exacerbate problems associated with obesity.calorie and nutrient consumption, food and nutrition policy, income elasticities, nonparametric, panel, quantile regression., Agricultural and Food Policy, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Food Security and Poverty, International Development, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods, C11, C14, C21, C23, O10, O47, Q18,

Integrating spatial dependence into stochastic frontier analysis

An approach to incorporate spatial dependence into Stochastic Frontier analysis is developed and applied to a sample of 215 dairy farms in England and Wales. A number of alternative specifications for the spatial weight matrix are used to analyse the effect of these on the estimation of spatial dependence. Estimation is conducted using a Bayesian approach and results indicate that spatial dependence is present when explaining technical inefficiency.Spatial dependence, technical efficiency, Bayesian, spatial weight matrix

An Experimental Study of Variations in Breath Pressure in the Vocal Vibrato

This problem constitutes a part of the experimental work in the psychology of music whose ultimate aim is to discover the objective criteria for artistic performance in vocal and instrumental music. Metfessel has shown, by making graphic representations of the voices of several famous singers, that artistic vocal production almost invariably contains a vibrato, which may be defined as a frequency-intensity fluctuation occurring in a regular periodicity usually not more than eight and one-half times or less than five and one-half times per second, and seldom covering a range of more than one full tone

The UK Consumer's Attitudes to, and Willingness to Pay for, imported Foods

We report results from an investigation into consumer preferences for locally produced foods. Using a choice experiment we estimate willingness to pay for foods of a designated origin together with certification for Organic and GM free status. Our results indicate that there is a preference for locally produced food which is GM free, Organic and produced in the traditional season.imported food, seasonality, willingness-to-pay, choice experiment, Demand and Price Analysis, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, International Relations/Trade,

An examination of the relationship between teacher characteristics, socioeconomic factors and statewide test performance of students with individual education plans

The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file.Title from title screen of research.pdf file viewed on (March 1. 2007)Vita.Thesis (Ed.D.) University of Missouri-Columbia 2006.Testing results from 2004 indicated that two of Missouri's 96 middle schools with a reportable number of students with IEPs met the math proficiency goal for adequate yearly progress. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the performance of students with and without IEPs on the MAP mathematics examinations, socioeconomic factors, and teacher characteristics. Findings indicated that teachers' average years of experience and mean household income failed to demonstrate a significant correlation to student achievement. Correlations demonstrated a significantly negative correlation between achievement for students with IEPs and per pupil expenditures for students with and without IEPs. There was a significantly negative correlation between the percent of student receiving free or reduced-price lunch and achievement for students both with and without IEPs. Findings indicated a significantly positive relationship between the percent of teachers with advanced degrees and achievement for students both with and without IEPs.Includes bibliographical reference