Hypothetical bias is a persistent problem in stated preference studies. We propose and test a method for reducing hypothetical bias based on the cognitive dissonance literature in social psychology. A central element of this literature is that people prefer not to take inconsistent stands and...

A 1996 welfare act that allows states more leeway in designing their own welfare programs is expected to dramatically change the role of local governments with respect to human service delivery programs. It is important that policymakers and local officials understand how changes are likely to...

Production data on more than 11,000 state and collective farms in Ukraine were obtained through the VASKhNIL Research Agreement between the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD) at Iowa State University and the Ukrainian Institute of Agrarian Economics. Of particular interest to...

A mixed probit model was applied to survey data to analyze consumers' willingness to buy apples with cosmetic damage caused by the sooty blotch and flyspeck (SBFS) disease complex. The analysis finds consumers will pay a premium for organic production methods and for apples with low amounts of...

Beef is a heterogeneous commodity, which makes it difficult to compare beef prices in an international level. This paper evaluates several methods of comparing beef prices to be used in measuring both comparative advantage and protection. The most suitable method is one that compares the prices...

Major changes in the use of US sweeteners have occurred since 1970, in both the amount and composition. Increased consumption of caloric sweeteners, especially in beverages, has been linked to excess energy intake and lower-quality diets. We examine how US farm policies (specifically...

An analysis of the structure of demand was performed on household data, classified into income groups, for urban Indonesia. A demographically augmented, linearized, almost ideal demand system was used to estimate the structural parameters of the demand equations. The results confirmed that the...

We extend the existing literature on food taxes targeting obesity. We systematically incorporate the implicit substitution between added sugars and solid fats into a comprehensive food demand system and evaluate the effect of taxes on sugars and fats. The approach conditions how food and obesity...

Facilitating healthy eating among young people, particularly among minorities who are at high risk for gaining excess weight, is at the forefront of the current policy discussions in the U.S. We investigate the effects of social interactions and relative prices on fruit and vegetable consumption...

We investigate factors affecting the duration of eating and food preparation among adults in single decision-maker households. Eating time is differentiated into primary and secondary eating time and further differentiated by location: at home vs. away from home. We construct a simple...