Journal of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association最新文献

This study provides evidence that retail prices of US fresh produce (fruits and vegetables) and fresh meat products are similar across stores within the same chain even though unique characteristics of fresh produce products might lend to more localization in pricing. The results show the median price difference of fresh produce is 5% within-chain stores compared to 20% between-chain stores. Furthermore, the results show no significant differences in fresh produce prices between-chain stores that serve areas of differing food access nor significant differences in chain prices between Metropolitan Statistical Areas with implications to federal nutrition programs.

This study analyzes NielsenIQ household scanner data, exploring the environmental motivation behind organic food consumption using single-use plastics spending as a proxy for environmental concern. To investigate the relationship between the two environmental behaviors, organic food and single-use plastic, the study utilizes the instrumental variable approach to account for the potential endogeneity in revealed preference data. Results show a significant negative association between single-use plastic and organic food purchases, underscoring environmental concern as one of the motives for choosing organic foods. The findings indicate that organic food marketing should emphasize environmental benefits to appeal to environmentally conscious consumers.

The Food and Drug Administration announced a rule update to the Nutrition Facts Panel (NFP) requiring the declaration of added sugars on the NFP starting in 2020. This study measures the impact of these changes by estimating the willingness to pay for added sugars in cranberry products under different nutrition-related information treatments. We found significant discounts for increases in added sugars that vary across information treatments and consumer subsamples. A positive information frame about the health benefits of cranberries was not found to consistently offset the impact of additional information on the recommended daily intake limits for added sugars.

This study addresses the need to boost fruit and vegetable consumption amidst rising diet-related health concerns. Blueberries, rich in phenolic phytochemicals, offer significant health benefits. Using a basket-based choice experiment (BBCE), the study identifies sensory descriptors that enhance blueberry purchasing likelihood. Packaging with a “Stay Fresh” label reduces price sensitivity compared to others. Additionally, blueberries are commonly purchased alongside other berries rather than as substitutes. Demographic factors such as gender, age, education, employment, fitness, ethnicity, region, nutritional value perception, and budget influence blueberry selection. These insights can aid growers, retailers, and marketers in increasing fresh blueberry demand.

This study investigates how US consumers respond to and value a new technology-based carbon label on food products. Results indicate that individual valuation of the carbon-labeled bread is $4/20 oz, marginally lower than the valuation of the conventional and organic bread products. Moreover, individuals belonging to certain market segments, such as non-White, liberal, and well-educated consumers, and those having a high level of knowledge about the causes of climate change, exhibit a higher valuation for the novel carbon label.

This study employs a stochastic production frontier framework to measure productivity growth among exporters, non-exporters, and firms experiencing ownership changes through mergers and acquisitions in US food manufacturing. Analyzing a panel data set that integrates Economic Censuses and transaction-level exports, the results reveal the coexistence of more productive exporters, driven by technical efficiency, alongside less productive non-exporters. Exporters in arm's length transactions show productivity growth driven by technical efficiency change, while those in related party transactions benefit mainly from technological change. Firms undergoing ownership changes exhibit positive productivity growth with a greater contribution from technical efficiency compared to those without such changes.

Sin tax is essential to reduce the harm caused by products like cannabis. However, excessive taxation may facilitate illicit markets. We examine sin tax policies' impact on legal and illicit cannabis markets in the selected US states. Using a Constant Elasticity of Substitution utility framework, we assess scenarios like sin tax increase and anti-illicit cannabis policies. Our findings indicate high sin taxes may drive consumers to illicit markets, but anti-illicit market policies could control its extent. However, there is a trade-off between market size, tax revenue, consumers' utility, and illicit market control. Thus, optimizing sin tax policies is challenging, necessitating a second-best approach.

A key constraint to cassava productivity in Africa is the lack of adoption of improved cassava varieties tolerant to pests and diseases. To understand the drivers of adoption behavior, we examine the simultaneous adoption of improved cassava varieties and intercropping by 1200 smallholder farmers in Malawi, Tanzania, and Uganda. Using a linear model, we find that varietal characteristics, such as yield and early maturity, are critical drivers of adoption. Access to extension and credit is associated with an increase in the attractiveness of yield-improving characteristics. We conclude that a more targeted extension approach would increase technology adoption in these countries.

Geographically weighted regression (GWR) has been presented as a valuable tool for estimating site-specific yield response functions to derive recommendations of variable rate input. This study employs Monte Carlo simulations to illustrate that if GWR assumes a quadratic yield response functional form while the actual yield-input relationship is quadratic-plateau, it can significantly overestimate the economic value of variable rate application compared to its true value. Practitioners in precision agriculture should exercise caution when utilizing GWR for site-specific input recommendations. Statistical community is also encouraged to develop tools in software packages providing GWR that allow more flexibility in functional form assumptions.