Suchergebnisse

Increasingly, intensive livestock production systems have increased societal concern regarding the current animal welfare standards. We investigated whether individuals in their roles as consumers and citizens believe that the current European regulations regarding animal welfare should be more restrictive. Factors affecting this decision were assessed by analyzing respondents&rsquo ; understanding of animal welfare-related issues, their subjective and objective knowledge levels, the credibility they assign to different information sources, their perceptions toward the current restrictiveness of animal welfare standards, and their socioeconomic characteristics. Data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire distributed in eight European Union (EU) countries (Spain, the United Kingdom, Poland, Greece, Lithuania, Romania, Italy, and Sweden) with 3860 total responses. The results showed that consumers are more reluctant to adopt more restrictive regulations than respondents in the role of citizens. Respondents from northern European countries (Poland and Sweden) are more likely to support regulations that are more restrictive than the current minimum requirements than respondents from southern countries (Spain and Italy). Women were found to be more concerned with the welfare of pigs and laying hens&mdash ; lending credibility to the Internet as an information source&mdash ; and were more likely to support more restrictive animal welfare legislation.

There is a continuous increasing number of studies dealing with consumers' willingness to pay (WTP) price premiums for sustainable food products. This research focused on a broad area of sustainable food products, including different sustainable attributes using a meta-analysis of 80 worldwide studies. Overall average WTP was estimated using the forest plot, showing the existence of a high level of heterogeneity. The publication bias was also verified using the funnel plot and Egger's test. Finally, the subgroup analysis and meta-regression were applied to classify the source of heterogeneity. The results suggest that the overall WTP a premium for sustainability (in percentage terms) is 29.5% on average. Furthermore, gender, region, sustainable attributes and food categories influence the average WTP estimates and their heterogeneity. Results also indicate that the WTP estimate conducted by hypothetical approach is higher than non-hypothetical one due to hypothetical bias. Results also highlight that Asian WTP estimates, in percentage terms, are higher than those obtained in America and similar to those from Europe. In addition, positive WTP estimates are shown independent of the food categories, region or methods. This outcome denotes the presence of great market potential for sustainable products worldwide, which can provide a reference for relevant stakeholders to better understand market trends and the government to give more support to sustainable policies. ; Postprint (published version)

Most of Spanish olive farms are concentrated in Less-Favoured Areas (LFA) with the majority of producer areas are under Objective 1 of the EU Regional Policy. The EU has long recognized such distinctive characteristics of those holdings with a specific support measures aiming to prevent the abandonment of olive groves as well as to support sustainable development of this sector. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of LFA payment on the olive farms technical efficiency. Two sample farms located in LFA (63 farms receiving LFA payment support and 99 farms do not) have been observed from 2000 to 2004. A stochastic frontier production has been used. Results indicate that LFA payment, age of manager, tenure regimes of land, workforce composition and farm size affect efficiency levels. The LFA payment coefficient indicates a significant negative impact on the technical efficiency of Spanish olive farms. The farms that not receive the LFA payment has a technical efficiency rate 0.15 percentage units upper compared to those that receive this payment. Thus, the payment policy could decreases farms technical efficiency which could represents a handicap for farms economic survival and its persistence in the long term period. ; Peer Reviewed ; Postprint (author's final draft)

The most of Spanish olive farms are concentrated in Less-Favoured Areas (LFA) with the majority of producer areas are under Objective 1 of the EU Regional Policy. The EU has long recognized such distinctive characteristics of those holdings with a specific support measures aiming to prevent the abandonment of olive groves as well as to support sustainable development of this sector. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of LFA payment on the olive farms technical efficiency. Two sample farms located in LFA (63 farms receiving LFA payment support and 99 farms do not) have been observed from 2000 to 2004. A stochastic frontier production and Random-effect Tobit models have been used. Results indicate that LFA payment, age of manager, workforce composition and farm size affect efficiency levels. The LFA payment coefficient indicates a significant negative impact on the technical efficiency of Spanish olive farms. Farms that not receive LFA payment has a technical efficiency rate 0.15 percentage units upper compared to those that receive this payment. ; Peer Reviewed ; Postprint (published version)

Purpose: Important socioeconomic changes have been undergone due to the international economic crisis. In Catalonia (Spain), political changes towards independentism also occurred within the same period. In our research we have explored the consumers' wine preferences in Catalonia in two different scenarios. In particular, we have focused our interest in those preferences regarding the regional origin of the wine. Design/methodology/approach: Data was elicited from two identical Discrete Choice Experiments performed in two times: before (2008) and during the economic crisis (2010) in Catalonia, Spain. Findings: The results imply that the external common circumstances may have had a homogenising influence in consumer choices by decreasing the level of randomness of consumers' selection. Consumers' preferences for a Catalan origin were enhanced during the crisis, while price became the most important attribute. Research limitations: Ideally, the participants involved in both experiments would have been the same. Unfortunately, this was not possible to maintain and it is one of the limitations of this study. We are also aware that other non-controlled variables may have also played a role and the conclusions that are driven should be taken carefully. Originality/value: This paper contributes to the literature of the Discrete Choice Modelling (DCM) using the recently developed Generalised Multinomial Logit Model (GMNL). To our knowledge this is the first application in the literature of wine preferences to measure the impact of the contextual changes (economic and political) in Catalonia (Spain) ; info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersion

International audience ; Our paper assesses the impacts regarding on-farm investment and production decisions resulting from the partially decoupled (PD) payment scheme implemented during the 1990s and first half of the 2000s within the framework of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The Spanish cereal, oilseed, and protein (COP) sector is taken as a case study regarding this effect due to its economic and political relevance in Spain. The empirical analysis is applied to farm-level data from 2000 to 2004 using the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN). We use a reduced-form application of the dual model of investment under uncertainty and estimate a system of censored and uncensored equations. PD payments are found to increase short-run production and generate a statically significant increase in the investment in farm assets. Results also show the importance of assessing the effects of PD payments in a dynamic framework as applied in this paper

International audience Our paper assesses the impacts regarding on-farm investment and production decisions resulting from the partially decoupled (PD) payment scheme implemented during the 1990s and first half of the 2000s within the framework of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The Spanish cereal, oilseed, and protein (COP) sector is taken as a case study regarding this effect due to its economic and political relevance in Spain. The empirical analysis is applied to farm-level data from 2000 to 2004 using the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN). We use a reduced-form application of the dual model of investment under uncertainty and estimate a system of censored and uncensored equations. PD payments are found to increase short-run production and generate a statically significant increase in the investment in farm assets. Results also show the importance of assessing the effects of PD payments in a dynamic framework as applied in this paper

Intensive animal production systems are compromising current animal welfare standards. European societies' growing concerns regarding how animals are raised have resulted in continuous European Union (EU) policy reforms that have banned certain intensive farming methods. We investigated whether EU respondents, differentiated by their roles as citizens and consumers, believe that the current regulations on animal welfare should be more restrictive. Data were collected using a survey approach implemented in eight European countries (Spain, the United Kingdom, Poland, Greece, Lithuania, Romania, Italy, and Sweden) with a sample of 3860 respondents with approximately 240 respondents organized by group and country. The results show that women citizens are more concerned with animal welfare and are prone to accept more restrictive regulations. Respondents from Northern European countries (Poland and Sweden) are willing to accept regulations that are more restrictive than the current minimum standards than respondents from southern countries (Spain and Italy). Our results suggest that increasing knowledge of animal welfare is related to effective information campaigns that use the Internet to endorse the current animal welfare legislation. ; Postprint (updated version)

Intensive animal production systems are compromising current animal welfare standards. European societies' growing concerns regarding how animals are raised have resulted in continuous European Union (EU) policy reforms that have banned certain intensive farming methods. We investigated whether EU respondents, differentiated by their roles as citizens and consumers, believe that the current regulations on animal welfare should be more restrictive. Data were collected using a survey approach implemented in eight European countries (Spain, the United Kingdom, Poland, Greece, Lithuania, Romania, Italy, and Sweden) with a sample of 3860 respondents. The results show that women citizens are more concerned with animal welfare and are prone to accept more restrictive regulations. Respondents from northern European countries (Poland and Sweden) are willing to accept regulations that are more restrictive than the current minimum standards than respondents from southern countries (Spain and Italy). Our results suggest that increasing knowledge of animal welfare is related to effective information campaigns that use the Internet to endorse the current animal welfare legislation. ; Postprint (published version)

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Intensive animal production systems are compromising current animal welfare standards. European societies' growing concerns regarding how animals are raised have resulted in continuous European Union (EU) policy reforms that have banned certain intensive farming methods. We investigated whether EU respondents, differentiated by their roles as citizens and consumers, believe that the current regulations on animal welfare should be more restrictive. Data were collected using a survey approach implemented in eight European countries (Spain, the United Kingdom, Poland, Greece, Lithuania, Romania, Italy, and Sweden) with a sample of 3860 respondents. The results show that women citizens are more concerned with animal welfare and are prone to accept more restrictive regulations. Respondents from northern European countries (Poland and Sweden) are willing to accept regulations that are more restrictive than the current minimum standards than respondents from southern countries (Spain and Italy). Our results suggest that increasing knowledge of animal welfare is related to effective information campaigns that use the Internet to endorse the current animal welfare legislation. ABSTRACT: Increasingly, intensive livestock production systems have increased societal concern regarding the current animal welfare standards. We investigated whether individuals in their roles as consumers and citizens believe that the current European regulations regarding animal welfare should be more restrictive. Factors affecting this decision were assessed by analyzing respondents' understanding of animal welfare-related issues, their subjective and objective knowledge levels, the credibility they assign to different information sources, their perceptions toward the current restrictiveness of animal welfare standards, and their socioeconomic characteristics. Data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire distributed in eight European Union (EU) countries (Spain, the United Kingdom, Poland, Greece, Lithuania, ...

Increasingly, intensive livestock production systems have increased societal concern regarding the current animal welfare standards. We investigated whether individuals in their roles as consumers and citizens believe that the current European regulations regarding animal welfare should be more restrictive. Factors a ecting this decision were assessed by analyzing respondents' understanding of animal welfare-related issues, their subjective and objective knowledge levels, the credibility they assign to di erent information sources, their perceptions toward the current restrictiveness of animal welfare standards, and their socioeconomic characteristics. Data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire distributed in eight European Union (EU) countries (Spain, the United Kingdom, Poland, Greece, Lithuania, Romania, Italy, and Sweden) with 3860 total responses. The results showed that consumers are more reluctant to adopt more restrictive regulations than respondents in the role of citizens. Respondents from northern European countries (Poland and Sweden) are more likely to support regulations that are more restrictive than the current minimum requirements than respondents from southern countries (Spain and Italy). Women were found to be more concerned with the welfare of pigs and laying hens—lending credibility to the Internet as an information source—and were more likely to support more restrictive animal welfare legislation. ; info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

The international economic crisis, which began in 2007, has had a devastating impact on the Spanish economy. Consequently, there is been a sharp drop in consumption and fixed capital investment. An example of the impact of the economic crisis in the Spanish food market is the growth of private labels which have raised their market share during all this period. Political changes have also occurred in the recent years. In this context, our main goal is to determine consumers' preferences towards wine in Catalonia as well as to assess whether consumers adjust themselves to the newer economic and political scenario. In particular, we will focus our interest in those preferences regarding the regional origin of the wine. To tackle this issue Discrete Choice Experiments were implemented and results were modelled by means of the Generalized Multinomial Logit model (GMNL). The GMNL can decompose unobserved heterogeneity into taste heterogeneity and scale heterogeneity. Two surveys were conducted: before and during the economic crisis, in 2008 and in 2010, with 400 and 401 consumers, respectively. The results show that consumers' wine preferences from both contexts have changed. During the crisis consumers tend to show less heterogeneous responses. ; Postprint (published version)

The international economic crisis has had a severe impact on the Spanish economy. Alongside, political changes have also occurred in Catalonia the recent years. Data from two identical Discrete Choice Experiments performed in two different times (2008 and 2010) show how these changes did affect consumers' wine preferences. The Generalized Multinomial Logit model (GMNL) has been applied as it allows determining consumers' degree of certainty and heterogeneity in the choice making. The results showed that the scale and the taste heterogeneities have decreased significantly after the economic crisis, which may imply that external common circumstances had a homogenising influence in consumer choices by decreasing the level of randomness of consumers' selection. The consumers' preferences for a Catalan origin of the wine also increased ; Postprint (published version)

The international economic crisis has had a severe impact on the Spanish economy. Alongside, political changes have also occurred in Catalonia the recent years. Data from two identical Discrete Choice Experiments performed in two different times (2008 and 2010) show how these changes did affect consumers' wine preferences. The Generalized Multinomial Logit model (GMNL) has been applied as it allows determining consumers' degree of certainty and heterogeneity in the choice making. The results showed that the scale and the taste heterogeneities have decreased significantly after the economic crisis, which may imply that external common circumstances had a homogenising influence in consumer choices by decreasing the level of randomness of consumers' selection. The consumers' preferences for a Catalan origin of the wine also increased ; Postprint (published version)