Armando Sánchez Vargas

Water quality concerns and acceptance of irradiated food: a pilot study on Mexican consumers

BACKGROUND Poor quality irrigation water is a major cause of disease transmission for urban inhabitants consuming fresh produce in many developing countries. Irradiation of food is an alternative approach to reducing health risks for consumers, but its implementation depends heavily on consumer acceptance. RESULTS In this pilot study, we show that most respondents consider the water quality of Mexico City to be poor and a health risk, and would be willing to pay for irradiated food as a means of pasteurizing fresh iceberg lettuce. CONCLUSION Irradiated food could, potentially, be accepted in developing countries that have problems with water quality. Such acceptance would presumably be due to the perception that such a novel technology would (1) alleviate water impairment, and (2) lead to economic improvement. It is then possible that the public considers that water quality is a more pressing concern than any potential side effects of food irradiation.

Agent based modeling simulation for land use change and cost-benefit analysis of land management policies

This study shows the Simulation of an Agent Based Model for Land Use Change (SIMBACUS) developed on the Netlogo platform (Wilensky, 1999) for the period of 2010–2030. The model studies the interaction of individual behavior with environmental characteristics considering socioeconomic, demographic, climate and public policy aspects of Pachuca de Soto (Hidalgo). The simulations dynamism is based on population growth and the Cobb-Douglas utility function, which determines the optimal decisions of individuals. The results indicate that in 2030 the municipality would have 303,773 inhabitants, the urban area would grow to 21 km2 and the implementation of a land management program would have a positive impact on social welfare and the permanence of natural resources.