Coastal towns across Maine face a number of challenges maintaining resilience. The growth of mari... more Coastal towns across Maine face a number of challenges maintaining resilience. The growth of marine aquaculture has been presented as a potential sustainable food system and economy for some coastal communities; however, the question of fit is a source of debate within Maine. Decision makers may seek further understanding of whether supporting growth of the marine aquaculture sector is consistent with community resilience across the coastal regions. To provide this information, we analyze data from a survey of coastal Maine citizens to explore whether marine aquaculture supports resiliency goals along the coastline of Maine.
Firms may voluntary abate pollution using one of two options: internalizing its own external effe... more Firms may voluntary abate pollution using one of two options: internalizing its own external effects and incuring abatement costs ("making") or delegating environmental protection by purchasing offsets ("buying"). We aim to elicit consumers' WTP for producers' use of the "making" option as compared to the "buying" option, controlling for spatial effects (joint local public goods) and level of GHG emissions. Using a stated choice survey with 722 respondents, we find consumers are more willing to pay for a "making" policy. Consumers do not significantly care for the producers' use of offsets when the level of local externalities is controlled for.
Firms may voluntary abate pollution using one of two options: internalizing its own external effe... more Firms may voluntary abate pollution using one of two options: internalizing its own external effects and incuring abatement costs ("making") or delegating environmental protection by purchasing offsets ("buying"). We aim to elicit consumers' WTP for producers' use of the "making" option as compared to the "buying" option, controlling for spatial effects (joint local public goods) and level of GHG emissions. Using a stated choice survey with 722 respondents, we find consumers are more willing to pay for a "making" policy. Consumers do not significantly care for the producers' use of offsets when the level of local externalities is controlled for.
Information Policy and Genetically Modified Food: Weighting the Benefits and Costs
QA - Rivista dell'Associazione Rossi-Doria, 2003
The labeling of genetically modified foods is the topic of a debate that could dramatically alter... more The labeling of genetically modified foods is the topic of a debate that could dramatically alter the structure of the US and international food industry. The current lack of harmonization of policy across countries makes Gmf labelling an international trade issue. The US and Canada do not require Gmfs to be labeled unless the Gmf is significantly different than the conventional food or the Gmf presents a health concern. However, many other countries are requiring Gmfs to be labeled. This paper discusses empirical work on the sources and magnitude of benefits and costs from labeling programs.Gmo, Biotechnology, Labeling, Benefits, Costs
One Step Forward: Consumer Reactions to Food-Safety Technologies
Journal of food distribution research, 2007
Global Ecolabelling Network
The website of the Global Ecolabelling Network (GEN) notes that GEN is a "non-profit associa... more The website of the Global Ecolabelling Network (GEN) notes that GEN is a "non-profit association of third-party, environmental performance labelling organizations founded in 1994 to improve, promote, and develop the 'ecolabelling' of products and services". In the early years GEN focused on setting up the organization, deciding on goals, aims, and direction, and began discussing and developing capacity for potential long-run strategies. GEN membership is primarily limited to national and multinational nonprofit ecolabelling organizations that act consistently within GEN's objectives as outlined in the GEN By-Laws. GEN is a corporation, whose business and affairs are managed by a Board of Directors with day-to-day operations administered by a General Affairs Office and a Secretariat. The General Affairs Office and the Secretariat, both of which report to the Board of Directors, provide administrative support to the membership and Board. Keywords: General Affairs Office; Global Ecolabelling Network (GEN) membership; Secretariat
A Comparison of Conjoint Analysis Response Formats: Reply
ABSTRACT No abstract available.
Moose hunting preferences and setting season timings
Journal of Agricultural & Food Industrial Organization, Jan 4, 2009
Information programs to promote cellulosic biofuels may not achieve their objectives unless consu... more Information programs to promote cellulosic biofuels may not achieve their objectives unless consumers can be induced to care about the information presented to them. The social psychology literature highlights two commonly used models to link psychological variables to environmentally related behaviors: the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the Norm Activation Theory (NAT). Other studies have compared the strength of these models or have adapted these models by adding additional variables, but few have compared across the alternative variable combinations noted in the literature. That is, most studies have added one or two psychological variables to the NAT or TPB models and have found that the additional variable is a significant factor influencing behavior. However, we are unfamiliar with any study that has included the full suite of examined variables within one model. This could be a problem in that the psychological variables are likely to be correlated. In turn, the output of these models may suffer from omitted variable bias; which could lead to erroneous conclusions about the importance of any specific variable. Previous findings that individual variables are significant in influencing behaviors may be incorrect. One objective here then is to start examining whether these 'significant findings' are robust, and if not, whether we can be more parsimonious in future modeling efforts. Economists often assume preferences are adequately proxied by the person's socioeconomic characteristics or by the person's participation in some environmental behavior. Recently, economists have begun to recognize that these characteristics are poor proxies especially since the proxies commonly used are binary (0/1) variables that provide relatively little detail, are usually not policy or program relevant and lack a theoretical justification. Thus, another objective is to compare the performance of models that incorporate these proxy variables with models incorporating psychological variables. Our results suggest: that a combined TPB and NAT model may be more effective than either model alone; that many variables seen as important in the literature may be less important than previously thought (allowing for more parsimonious models-resulting in less costly data collection); and that common proxy variables like membership in an environmental group may not work that well.
Unsafe food-handling practices in the home are linked with foodborne illnesses that represent siz... more Unsafe food-handling practices in the home are linked with foodborne illnesses that represent sizable costs on the US healthcare industry and welfare losses to households. Past consumer food-safety education programs have only been modestly successful. Optimism bias may distort food-safety risk perceptions encouraging participation in risky food behaviors. Using multiple years of the FDA Food Safety Survey data, we explore the link between behavior-specific risk perceptions and three food-handling practices: handwashing, avoiding cross-contamination, and proper refrigeration of cooked foods. This approach describes risk perceptions as endogenous variables and allows for the decomposition of factors that directly influence food-safety behaviors, from those that indirectly influence behavior by changing risk perceptions. Our results suggest well-designed targeted information campaigns aimed at improving people's safe food-handling practices must first decrease people's optimism in the safety of their current practices. Given the lack of regulatory options to influence behavior in the home, this may provide an effective tool to address issues in performing safe food handling.
American Journal of Agricultural Economics, May 1, 2001
A split-sample design is used to cvnluatc the convergent validity of three rcsponsc formats used ... more A split-sample design is used to cvnluatc the convergent validity of three rcsponsc formats used in conjoint analysis experiments. WC investigate whether recoding rating data to rankings and chooscone formats. and recoding rranking data to choose one. result in structural models and welfare estimates that arc statistically indistinguishalde from estimates based on ranking or C~OOSC-one questions. Our results indicate that convergent validity of ratings, ranks, and choose one is not established. in addition, WC: find that people frequently use "ties" in rcsponscs to rating questions. and that the option not to choose any of the alternatives ("opt-out") affects some prefcrcnce cstimales. KCJ,V word.s: conjoint analysis. convcr~cnt validity. forest valuation. hicksian surplus.
ScholarWorks@UMassAmherst (University of Massachusetts Amherst), Feb 1, 2003
The labeling of genetically modified foods (GMFs) is the topic of a debate that could dramaticall... more The labeling of genetically modified foods (GMFs) is the topic of a debate that could dramatically alter the structure of the U.S. and international food industry. The current lack of harmonization of policy across countries makes GMF labeling an international trade issue. The U.S. and Canada do not require GMFs to be labeled unless the GMF is significantly different than the conventional food or the GMF presents a health concern. However, many other countries are requiring GMFs to be labeled. This paper discusses empirical work on the sources and magnitude of benefits and costs from labeling programs, with particular emphasis on the impact of the design of the labeling program on benefits and costs.
Forest-based biomass has a significant role to play in the development of a renewable U.S. energy... more Forest-based biomass has a significant role to play in the development of a renewable U.S. energy portfolio, especially in the context of mandated cellulosic biofuel production requirements. Biorefinery development has the potential to create economic, environmental, and social benefits. In Maine, colocation opportunities for biorefineries and existing pulp and paper manufacturing facilities could strengthen industry and mill communities. Understanding general public and local perceptions of bioenergy industries and products may play a key role in their establishment, success, and sustainability. Our aim was to compare the general Maine public and mill towns in their support for forest-based biorefineries, and we surveyed: (1) Statewide residents, and (2) Mill Town residents from 10 communities with major pulp and paper facilities. We found differences between local and state support for biorefineries across all response categories. Mill Town respondents were significantly more supportive of biorefinery projects in their communities, and overall the potential positive impacts of biorefineries were rated higher than the potential negative impacts. Both groups preferred facility siting at pulp mills no longer in operation, and Mill Town respondents expressed less concern about potential negative impacts than Statewide respondents. Our findings provide important insight into forest-based biorefinery issues important to communities. We encourage policy makers, industry leaders, and researchers to use our results as a foundation to actively engage statewide and local communities future biorefinery policies and siting proposals.
Stavovi izraeni u radovima u ovoj seriji publikacija stavovi su autora i nuno ne odraavaju stavov... more Stavovi izraeni u radovima u ovoj seriji publikacija stavovi su autora i nuno ne odraavaju stavove Ekonomskog instituta, Zagreb. Radovi se objavljuju s ciljem poticanja rasprave i kritièkih komentara kojima aee se unaprijediti buduaee verzije rada. Autor(i) u potpunosti zadravaju autorska prava nad èlancima objavljenim u ovoj seriji publikacija.
HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), Dec 8, 2011
Firms may voluntary abate pollution using one of two options: internalizing its own external effe... more Firms may voluntary abate pollution using one of two options: internalizing its own external effects and incuring abatement costs ("making") or delegating environmental protection by purchasing offsets ("buying"). We aim to elicit consumers' WTP for producers' use of the "making" option as compared to the "buying" option, controlling for spatial effects (joint local public goods) and level of GHG emissions. Using a stated choice survey with 722 respondents, we find consumers are more willing to pay for a "making" policy. Consumers do not significantly care for the producers' use of offsets when the level of local externalities is controlled for.
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Papers by Mariano Teisl