Dissertation
Applied Topics in Food Policy and Management
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
01/2014
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/117906
Abstract
This dissertation consists of three studies relating to food policy and management. The first study assesses consumers' valuation of nutrition versus taste. Taste values affect diet-related health issues and need to be considered in light of policy changes. We use linear programming, maximum entropy and least squares to estimate consumer shadow prices for 18 nutrients and 21 food taste values from 1910-2006. From these estimations, we find taste and nutrition expenditures and trace these trends annually. This study explains correlations between taste and nutrient shadow prices as well as food expenditure shares with demographic composition of the U.S., which may unveil intuition behind unhealthy eating habits.
The second study examines negative information shocks, which are common in the food industry. Firms' responses to these shocks influence consumers' perceptions. Using high fructose corn syrup, we examine whether reactionary positive information is indeed effective in recovering willingness to pay (WTP) after a negative information shock. We test whether positive information is more effective if it directly disputes the negative information or if it distracts from it. Finally, we analyze which consumer characteristics predict a decrease in WTP under a negative information shock. Using an auction experiment, we find that positive information shocks are weaker than negative in influencing consumers' WTP.
The final study examines the relationship between non-timber forest products (NTFPs), such as edible mushrooms and recreation, and timber, given the risk of wildfire. Edible mushrooms and other NTFPs experience increased yields after a wildfire, while other values may decrease. We provide a theoretical model using real options to test the Hartman infinite rotation time until timber harvest with respect to these NTFPs' values.
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Details
- Title
- Applied Topics in Food Policy and Management
- Creators
- Rebekah Shrader
- Contributors
- Hayley H Chouinard (Advisor)Hayley H Chouinard (Committee Member)Gregmar I Galinato (Committee Member)Jeffrey T LaFrance (Committee Member)Philip R Wandschneider (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Economic Sciences, School of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 125
- Identifiers
- 99900581444601842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Dissertation