Kristine M. Grimsrud

Consumer Response to Genetically Modified Food Products in Japan

In Japan, a large U.S. export market, there has been growing public opposition against genetically modified (GM) foods. Using a dichotomous choice contingent valuation method, findings show the discount needed for Japanese Seikyou consumers to purchase GM food products is positively affected (i.e., a greater discount is required) by higher levels of self-reported risk perceptions toward GM food, higher levels of concern about food safety and the environment, higher self-reported knowledge about biotechnology, education levels, and income. Interestingly, gender does not significantly affect the discount needed for GM food. Further, it can be inferred from the results that a transformation of Japanese consumers’ perceptions and attitudes is needed for GM food products to successfully enter the Japanese market.

Unbelievable but improved cookstoves are not helpful in reducing firewood demand in Nepal

This paper analyzes the effect of different types of cookstoves on firewood demand at the household level. Using nationally representative household survey data from Nepal, we find that stove type significantly affects the firewood demand for household uses. Traditional mud-stove user households seem to use less firewood than the open-fire stove users. Surprisingly, households with the so-called ‘improved’ stoves seem to use more firewood than the households with mud stoves. Thus, converting traditional open-fire stoves to mud stoves may be a better conservation strategy in the short term rather than installing improved stoves, unless the technology improves. However, in the long run, making cleaner fuel more accessible to rural households is desirable to reduce indoor air pollution.

Comparison of Consumer Responses to Genetically Modified Foods in Asia, North America, and Europe

Consumer attitudes toward genetically modified (GM) food products are complex and differ across cultures. This study uses consumer survey data to compare consumer attitudes towards GM food across Canada, China, Japan, Norway, and the United States. The comparisons are based on the significance of covariates included in country-wise estimations of willingness to pay for GM foods. The Canadian respondents were similar to U.S. respondents. Japan and China differ more from each other than do Japan and Norway. The Chinese were the most favorable toward GM foods. We argue that cultural attitudes including valuing tradition and skepticism of science must be considered when marketing GM products.

Determinants of National Fire Plan Fuels Treatment Expenditures: A Revealed Preference Analysis for Northern New Mexico

The accumulation of fire fuels in forests throughout the world contributes significantly to the severity of wildfires. To combat the threat of wildfire, especially in the wildland-urban interface (WUI), US federal land management agencies have implemented a number of forest restoration and wildfire risk reduction programs. In the spirit of revealed preference analyses, the objective of this study is to investigate the pattern and determinants of National Fire Plan (NFP) expenditures for fuel reduction treatments in northern New Mexico (USA). Estimation results from a set of Generalized Estimating Equations models are mixed with respect to risk reduction hypotheses, and also raise issues regarding how risk reduction should be defined for a region characterized by both pockets of urban sprawl into the WUI and large areas of chronic rural poverty. Program preferences for project funding under the federal Collaborative Forest Restoration Program in New Mexico are shown to be distinctly different (e.g., exhibiting greater concern for social equity) than for other NFP-funded projects.

Investigation of stated and revealed preferences for an elk hunting raffle.

The charter forest experiment at the Valles Caldera National Preserve (VCNP) in New Mexico provides land managers, policymakers, and researchers a unique opportunity to examine an alternative public land management institution. The VCNP mature bull elk permit lottery has been the largest revenue-generating recreation program at the preserve since the program’s inception in 2002. This paper uses stated and revealed preference ticket purchase data, collected through an online survey, to estimate a set of ticket demand equations for the purpose of assessing revenue generation, access, and the willingness to donate to this program. (JEL Q20)