HABIT FORMATION AND VARIETY SEEKING IN A DISCRETE CHOICE MODEL OF RECREATION DEMAND

The recreational site choice decision modeled in most economic analyses seldom contains previous experience with the site as a characteristic or attribute. A rational dynamic model is used to incorporate previous experience with the site in a model of the choice of recreation sites. Based on the comparison of dynamic and static models, it is apparent that dynamic elements influence choice. The use of previous consumption as an attribute (either in a naïve or rational form) is an improvement over static models of choice. In welfare analysis, this effect may be a significant factor. For example, a change in prices or quality attributes may have a much larger impact on those individuals who have developed habits.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

What's it worth? An examination of historical trends and future directions in environmental valuation

The present paper reviews activity in environmental valuation by examining trends in publication rates over the past three decades. It also provides an overview of the demand for environmental valuation by academic markets and by policy markets. The results of this historical analysis suggest that there is not as much use of environmental valuation in policy analysis as could be expected given the academic efforts on this topic. The paper also provides an overview of the future directions that environmental valuation research is likely to take given current research efforts.Environmental Economics and Policy,

The Use of Hypothetical Baselines in Stated Preference Surveys

Researchers using stated preference (SP) techniques have increasingly come to rely on what we call “hypothetical baselines.” By this we mean that respondents are provided with a description of a current state, or baseline, but that this baseline is intentionally not the actual state of environmental quality, health, or other condition. The researcher then poses a valuation question or choice task that is contingent, not on the existing status quo, but rather on the state of the world described in this new hypothetical baseline. In this paper, we argue that researchers using SP techniques have often used hypothetical baselines without carefully considering the cognitive challenges this poses for respondents or the difficulties this practice creates for advising policymakers. We present a simple typology of four types of SP studies, two of which rely on hypothetical baselines, and give six examples of conditions that an SP researcher may change to create a hypothetical baseline. We discuss four main reasons why SP analysts use hypothetical baselines in their research designs, plus some of the risks associated with the use of hypothetical baselines. Finally, we offer guidance for the use of hypothetical baselines in future SP surveys.stated preference, environmental valuation, health valuation, contingent valuation, choice experiments, baseline, status quo

Polish agro-food trade with European countries before and after joining EU

Foreign trade in agricultural and food products is a very important component of trade and agricultural policy. In the recent years these policies change influencing on the result of this trade and indirectly on food producers as well as consumers. The aim of this paper is look through the agri - food trade between Poland and European Union countries and the process of Poland's integration with the European Union which had an essential impact on trade between the member countries. The integration process connected with transition from a protective trade policy to a liberal trade policy was favourable for Poland. From 1989 to 2003, the volume of trade turnover in agri- food products between Poland and European Union increased over twofold. The European Union member states are main trading partners of Poland. They accounted for over half (51.6%) of the turnover in farm and food trade in 2003. The main partners on the export side are: Germany, Netherlands, Great Britain and Italy; and on the import side are Germany, Netherlands, Spain and Italy. Trade in farm and food goods with the European Union was favourable for Poland for the first time since 2003. Poland has gained trade advantages in the food sector after integration with the EU.agricultural trade, products' structure, trade agreements with EU, International Relations/Trade,

Assessing the Impacts of Forest Management on Aboriginal Hunters: Evidence from Stated and Revealed Preference Data

Assessing the impacts of forest harvesting activities on Aboriginal People and incorporating these considerations into forest management plans is one of the challenges facing Canadian forest managers. In this study we model hunting behavior using stated and revealed preference data on subsistence use of wildlife resources. We use this framework to assess the impacts of forest management changes on Aboriginal People in northwestern Saskatchewan. Innovative approaches to data collection are employed to address challenges in obtaining data in these contexts. The econometric analysis combines the stated and revealed preference information to account for limitations in the revealed preference data. Monetary measures of welfare are examined, but we also assess resource compensation and zoning as mechanisms for addressing the impact of forest harvesting on subsistence wildlife use. The results also demonstrate the use of GIS information in linking forest management and Aboriginal resource use.Forest management

Integrating Routine, Variety Seeking and Compensatory Choice in a Utility Maximizing Framework

Given the large number of choices that consumers make each day it seems likely that they will generally adopt decision strategies that minimize cognitive effort, particularly with low price products such as most items found in a supermarket. One such strategy may be to simply choose what has been chosen in the past, i.e. to fall into a pattern of routine choices or decisions. In contrast, there may be preferences for variety in markets for low price, highly differentiated goods. We develop a conceptual and empirical model of routine choice, and the factors that result in transitions to two strategies other than routine selection, to wit, utility maximizing choice among available alternatives and a variety seeking strategy. The empirical approach we employ provides a mechanism for the examination of panel data that avoids the state dependence issues present in most applications to these types of data. We apply this framework to the choice of two food products that illustrate the heterogeneity across types of products in decision strategies and routine choice patterns.Choice modeling, routine behavior, variety‐seeking, panel data, Consumer/Household Economics, Demand and Price Analysis, Institutional and Behavioral Economics, D12, D03, C25,

TIME IN RECREATION MODELING AND DECISION MAKING

Consumer/Household Economics,

The Role of Economic Instruments to Resolve Water Quantity Problems

Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,