The research reports最新文献

{"title":"Putting the Spotlight on Attribute Definition: Divergence Between Experts and the Public","authors":"Jonelle Cleland, A. McCartney","doi":"10.22004/AG.ECON.107576","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.22004/AG.ECON.107576","url":null,"abstract":"One of the key stages of designing a choice experiment is to define the attributes of interest. The attributes chosen essentially influence all subsequent activities carried out in a choice study. Surprisingly, the process of attribute definition is not the subject of critical and ongoing inquiry. In the context of informing policy, the choice modelling literature suggests that a given set of attributes should (1) reflect public interests, (2) have a sound scientific basis, and (3) provide useful information to end-users. Fulfilling all criteria presents a challenging task to researchers. Conflicts between criteria are possible, and there are currently no guidelines to assist researchers in negotiating their way through potentially competing sets of information and viewpoints. We investigated the potential for divergence between members of the public and scientific experts. The investigation was carried out across three environmental systems which differed according to their scale and institutional setting. The results showed that attribute definitions do indeed diverge. Critical points of divergence observed across all case studies included: the way in which the public and experts defined attributes that represented the biodiversity of the system; the public’s inclusion of attributes that represented the terrestrial/marine interface; and the public’s inclination to aggregate attributes when asked to choose their top picks. A number of additional points of divergence were observed, but these were case specific.","PeriodicalId":338433,"journal":{"name":"The research reports","volume":"64 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2010-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"123336465","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Economic Impact Assessment of Bovine Tuberculosis in the South West of England","authors":"A. Butler, M. Lobley, M. Winter","doi":"10.22004/AG.ECON.94718","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.22004/AG.ECON.94718","url":null,"abstract":"Bovine TB (bTB) presents a significant challenge to beef and dairy farmers. In 2009 7,449 herds were subject to movement restrictions in Great Britain because of bTB. Of these, 52% were in South West England and 20% were in Devon alone. With over 25% of holdings with cattle in the South West likely to suffer a bTB breakdown within the course of a year, understanding the cost implications on farm businesses is vital in order to demonstrate the impact that this disease is having on agricultural communities and the agricultural economy. The research undertaken for this report has revealed considerable variation across a range of different types of costs associated with bTB. Consequently average figures, either for costs or calculating compensation, obscure much of the detail at an individual farm level. The research also points to a range of ‘hidden’ and longer term costs that fall beyond the scope of the compensation scheme. Finally, in addition to economic losses, bTB is imposing considerable costs on the personal well-being of many farm households and also raises profound livestock welfare issues.","PeriodicalId":338433,"journal":{"name":"The research reports","volume":"121 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2010-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"123708562","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Renewable energy integration into the Australian National Electricity Market: Characterising the energy value of wind and solar generation","authors":"Nicholas Boerema, M. Kay, I. MacGill","doi":"10.22004/AG.ECON.107740","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.22004/AG.ECON.107740","url":null,"abstract":"This paper examines how key characteristics of the underlying wind and solar resources may impact on their energy value within the Australian National Electricity Market(NEM). Analysis has been performed for wind generation using half hour NEM data for South Australia over the 2008-9 financial year. The potential integration of large scale solar generation has been modelled using direct normal solar radiant energy measurements from the Bureau of Meteorology for six sites across the NEM. For wind energy, the level and variability of actual wind farm outputs in South Australia is analysed. High levels of wind generation in that State have been found to have a strong secondary effect on spot prices. Wind generation's low operating costs will see it displacing higher operating cost fossil-fuel plant at times of high wind. At the same time, the increased variability of wind may impose additional challenges and costs on conventional plant which will also be reflected in wholesale spot market prices. It is shown that this is proving particularly important during high wind penetration periods, which are contributing to an increased frequency of low or even negative prices. The solar resource in South Australia is shown to be highly variable; however, as seen with wind power, geographical dispersion of generators can significantly reduce power variability, even with as few as six sites. The correlation of the solar resource with spot prices also appears to be superior to wind generation. Modelling using the Adelaide solar resource showed that, for electricity sold into the spot market, two-axis tracking solar generators would achieve an average price that is over twice that received by wind generators over the year 2008-9 analysed. Of course, significant solar generation deployment might drive similar price impacts as seen with wind generation, thereby reducing this advantage. Considering the potential implications of both major wind and solar generation within South Australia, the solar and wind resources within the State appear, on average, to be non-correlated for the magnitude, and the change in magnitude, across half an hour. The analysis shows that solar and wind resources within the NEM have key characteristics that can markedly impact on their energy value within the wholesale electricity market. High levels of renewable electricity are already affecting spot prices, highlighting the need for low bidding renewable generators to attain power purchase contracts and for developers to consider this effect when choosing a site location for renewable generators. Other generators within the NEM may also be significantly impacted by major renewable energy deployment. The long-term success of renewable generation will likely depend on maximising the energy value that it contributes to the electricity industry.","PeriodicalId":338433,"journal":{"name":"The research reports","volume":"92 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2010-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131681416","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Study of Rural Transportation Issues","authors":"K. Casavant, Marina R. Denicoff, E. Jessup, April Taylor, Daniel Nibarger, D. Sears, H. Khachatryan, V. McCracken, M. Prater, Jeanne M. O'Leary, N. Marathon, B. McGregor, Surajudeen O. Olowolayemo, Bruce Blanton","doi":"10.22004/AG.ECON.147544","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.22004/AG.ECON.147544","url":null,"abstract":"The PDF is very large (29MB). To download one chapter at a time, go to http://dx.doi.org/10.9752/TS041.04-2010.","PeriodicalId":338433,"journal":{"name":"The research reports","volume":"251 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2010-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"116479126","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Marketing Maine Tablestock Potatoes","authors":"G. Berney, G. Grajewski, D. Hinman, M. Prater, April Taylor","doi":"10.22004/AG.ECON.147004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.22004/AG.ECON.147004","url":null,"abstract":"The Marketing Services Division of USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) was asked by USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) National Program Leader and ARS’s New England Soil and Water Research Laboratory personnel to help with existing efforts to assist Maine fresh potato farmers in their search for alternative marketing strategies, and reverse the recent decline in the profitability of their operations. ARS researchers previously had conducted an exhaustive study defining possible crop rotations for potatoes to maintain soil fertility, reduce pest infestation, and preserve crop yields. In the course of the investigation, they determined that Maine producers needed help in marketing their products and turned to AMS for expertise in marketing and distribution practices. As a result, AMS’s Marketing Services Division initiated a study to evaluate the Maine potato industry and identify changes in business planning, product aggregation and handling, grower organization, distribution practices, and marketing activities that might help Maine’s fresh potato growers. In order to more fully understand the Maine potato marketing situation, AMS and ARS staff interviewed people involved in the potato industry. In January 2007, they contacted Maine Potato Board members and staff and scheduled a meeting with the board. Also at that time, AMS and ARS staff met with the Maine Commissioner of Agriculture and the USDA State Farm Service Agency (FSA) Director who helped them understand the financial situation of Maine tablestock potato producers. Beginning in June 2007, AMS researchers arranged on-site meetings with wholesalers and market news reporters in Jessup, MD, and Boston, MA, and with several potato farm operators in northern Maine. This was followed in 2008 by interviews and conference calls with chain store buyers in Virginia and Washington, DC; Cooperative Extension educators in Maine; potato brokers; AMS Market News staff in Benton Harbor, MI, and Boston; and USDA Federal inspectors. To better learn how Maine’s fresh potato producers could best penetrate the markets for “sustainable,” “local,” and “eco-labeled” foods, they met with the management and staffs of Red Tomato, Whole Foods Market, and Appalachian Sustainable Development, retailers on the forefront of developing direct supply chains for locally grown food. To understand the different potato products marketed to consumers, AMS researchers conducted informal surveys of retail merchandising practices for Maine-origin and other potatoes at chain store outlets. AMS researchers also undertook several supplemental analyses to identify Maine’s relative competitiveness with other sources of supply in major market locations. Prices of Maine fresh potatoes were compared with those of potatoes from other production areas from AMS Market News data. The costs of rail, truck, and water transportation for Maine and other fresh potatoes to major market locations were also examined using waybill dat","PeriodicalId":338433,"journal":{"name":"The research reports","volume":"32 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2010-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"126933591","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Valuing the control of red imported fire ants in Australia using choice modelling","authors":"J. Rolfe, J. Windle","doi":"10.22004/AG.ECON.94940","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.22004/AG.ECON.94940","url":null,"abstract":"evaluate appropriate management responses. While some deliberately introduced species contribute significantly to agricultural production and other purposes, many invasive weed and animal pests have the potential to generate substantial costs through impacts on agricultural production, biodiversity, ecosystem services, infrastructure and communities. Red imported fire ants, an aggressive ant species, were introduced by accident to Australia, with infestations found in Brisbane in February 2001. Modelling suggested that the pest could invade half of Australia within 35 years if it was not controlled (Kompas and Che 2001; Scanlon and Vanderwoude 2006). While control efforts are reducing the rate of new discoveries, the pest had still not been eradicated by 2009. The benefits of controlling red imported fire ants are largely non-use benefits in terms of avoiding health impacts, maintaining lifestyle and amenity values, and avoiding environmental impacts. Accordingly, these benefits are assessed with an application of choice modelling, a non-market valuation technique.","PeriodicalId":338433,"journal":{"name":"The research reports","volume":"218 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2009-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115588320","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Analysis of socio-economic aspects of local and national organic farming markets; final report for Defra","authors":"M. Lobley, A. Butler, P. Courtney, B. Ilbery, J. Kirwan, D. Maye, C. Potter, M. Winter","doi":"10.22004/AG.ECON.90374","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.22004/AG.ECON.90374","url":null,"abstract":"The purpose of this study was to take a fresh look at the nature of organic production, consumption and marketing in England and Wales in order to better assess its current and likely contribution to rural development and its ability to meet consumer expectations. Based on a mixed methodological approach the study consulted with 2,300 individuals to reveal a complex and multi-dimensional sector with a highly committed consumer base. The research aimed to describe and account for: (1)The socio-economic impacts of the organic farm supply chains on rural development; (2)The extent to which organic food delivers consumer expectations; and (3) The barriers affecting conversion to organic farming and expansion of existing organic farms. The research reported here is arguably one of the most integrated studies of organic consumption, production and marketing conducted to date. It throws new light on the nature of organic consumption, underlining both the on-going commitment of the majority of committed organic consumers and the gap in perceptions, degrees of ‘brand trust’ and price sensitivity between this group and the majority of consumers who rarely or never buy organic. While this degree of commitment suggests that recent declines in organic consumption may not be sustained and will soon hit a floor, this finding also points to difficulties, particularly in a time of recession, in enrolling new consumers into organic networks, particularly via the direct marketing channels that smaller producers are more likely to depend on. This group of producers, locally embedded and linked to consumers via short supply chains, fulfil the expectations of many organic consumers and exemplify the idea of alternative food producers. Managed by self selecting, entrepreneurial farmers, these organic producers make a valuable contribution towards employment and income generation within the local rural economy. As our broader analysis of food chains and multiplier effects across the regional and national rural economy shows, however, it is the large scale producers, concerned with the production of bulk commodities and integrated into long supply chains, that inevitably account for the main rural employment and income benefits of the organic sector, if measured in aggregate terms. While there is a good case to be made for the rural development benefits of organic farming, it is important to recognise these scale effects and their geographically uneven distribution in any policy assessment.","PeriodicalId":338433,"journal":{"name":"The research reports","volume":"362 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2009-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115948393","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Facts on Direct-to-Consumer Food Marketing: Incorporating Data from the 2007 Census of Agriculture","authors":"A. Diamond, R. Soto","doi":"10.9752/ms035.05-2009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.9752/ms035.05-2009","url":null,"abstract":"Every 5 years, USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) engages in a comprehensive study of the U.S. farm economy, known as the Census of Agriculture. The Census examines various facets of farm ownership, structure, and production and marketing practices. Beginning with the 1997 Census, NASS has collected specific information from farm operators regarding their use of direct-to-consumer marketing outlets to sell food for human consumption, recognizing that many farmers are turning to direct-to-consumer sales as a way to increase their share of consumer food expenditures. This factsheet on direct marketing developments and trends is designed to provide an overview of the growing importance of direct marketing to U.S. farmers, in general, and to specific regions and States, in particular, by extracting and summarizing data from the 2007 Census of Agriculture, and comparing these data with those from 1997 and 2002. Among the issues examined in the factsheet are absolute changes in the value of direct marketed food products, the share of total agricultural sales for direct marketed food products, and the relative importance of direct marketing at regional and State levels.","PeriodicalId":338433,"journal":{"name":"The research reports","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2009-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"130874767","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"USDA National Farmers Market Manager Survey, 2006","authors":"E. Ragland, D. Tropp","doi":"10.22004/AG.ECON.147043","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.22004/AG.ECON.147043","url":null,"abstract":"Seasonal farmers markets remain the predominant market type in the United States. Approximately 88 percent of respondents reported they operated seasonal markets, open, on average, 4.5 months per year. As might be expected, seasonal markets that were open for 6 or fewer months per year attracted fewer vendors and generated less revenue than farmers markets open 7 months or more. Markets open 6 months or less reported an average of 25 vendors, with sales of $20,770 per month, and serving 565 customers weekly. Markets open 7 months or more reported an average of 51 vendors, with $57,290 in monthly market sales and serving 942 customers weekly. Year-round markets reported more than three times the sales of markets operating 6 months or less, had more than twice the number of vendors, and slightly more than six times the number of weekly customers. On the other hand, seasonal farmers markets that operated for 7 or more months performed similarly to markets that were open 12 months per year. Year-round markets reported an average of 58 vendors, had monthly market sales of $69,497, and served 3,578 customers weekly. Location appears to be a critical factor in market performance. Most market managers reporting high monthly sales were in densely populated urban areas. The most successful farmers markets in terms of sales were located on the coasts. The Far West and Mid-Atlantic regions reported average monthly sales of at least twice that of other regions—$56,742 and $41,452 respectively. The sales of the remaining regions clustered around $23,000 a month. The number of customers per week, as reported by region, somewhat mirrored monthly sales per market regionally. The Far West and Mid-Atlantic regions were again the top two regions, reporting 1,964 and 974 customers per week respectively. The North Central Region was a close third, reporting 856 customers weekly, and the remaining regions around 700 customers per week. Markets that sold organic products reported larger numbers of weekly customers, larger number of vendors, and larger monthly market sales at their markets. Both seasonal and year-round markets that sold organic products performed better than markets that did not. Seasonal markets that sold organic products reported average monthly market sales of $34,715 and 854 customers per week. Seasonal markets that didn’t sell organic products reported $11,812 in monthly market sales and served 394 customers per week. Similar results were reported by year-round markets—those that sold organic products reported monthly market sales of $92,349 and 4,344 customers weekly; those that did not reported $41,584 and 2,590 customers. Seventy-one percent of markets that sold organic products were located in urban areas, compared with only 55 percent of markets that did not.4 These relationships held true for markets that sold organic products regionally, except for the Northeast region that reported markets without organic products were more often located in ","PeriodicalId":338433,"journal":{"name":"The research reports","volume":"62 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2009-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"127259619","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Emerging Market Opportunities for Small-Scale Producers: Proceedings of a Special Session at the 2008 USDA Partners Meeting","authors":"A. Diamond, J. Barham, D. Tropp","doi":"10.9752/ms034.04-2009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.9752/ms034.04-2009","url":null,"abstract":"This report summarizes one of the panel discussions, “Emerging Market Opportunities for Small-scale Producers,” held as part of the August 2008 USDA Fifth Annual Partners Meeting, sponsored by the USDA Office of Outreach. The purpose of the annual event is to support a dialogue between USDA and community-based organizations that work with socially disadvantaged farmers. The panels and discussions provide information about USDA programs and marketing issues and serve as forums for attendees to share experiences and learn from food and agriculture experts. This session, organized by the AMS Marketing Services Division, offered an opportunity for farmers and farmer organizations to learn directly from industry insiders what it takes to work successfully with wholesale produce buyers. The panel featured food industry experts from across the food industry spectrum, from institutional food service to retail, who currently purchase locally grown fruits and vegetables. The audience included more than 80 farmers and representatives of organizations that work with minority and socially disadvantaged farmers.","PeriodicalId":338433,"journal":{"name":"The research reports","volume":"47 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2009-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"116449146","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}