A model for consumers' preferences for Novel Protein Foods and environmental quality

• Published in: Economic modelling Vol. 22; no. 4; pp. 720 - 744
• Main Authors: Zhu, Xueqin, van Ierland, Ekko C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.07.2005; Elsevier; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Series: Economic Modelling
• Subjects: AGE models; Agrarische bedrijfseconomie; Applied general equilibrium models; Bedrijfseconomie; Business Economics; Consumer behavior; Consumer preferences; Consumption; Consumption theory; Economic analysis; Economic models; Environmental economic modelling; Environmental economics; Environmental Economics and Natural Resources; Environmental Economics and Natural Resources Group; Environmental protection; Environmental quality; European Union; Food industry; Food policy; Leerstoelgroep Milieu-economie en natuurlijke hulpbronnen; Milieu-Economie en Natuurlijke Hulpbronnen; Novel Protein Foods; Pork; Preferences; Quality standards; Sensitivity analysis; Studies; Willingness to pay; WIMEK; Europe; Environmental economic modelling; C68; D58; Q18; Novel Protein Foods; Pork; AGE models
• ISSN: 0264-9993; 1873-6122
• DOI: 10.1016/j.econmod.2005.05.004

We develop an environmental Applied General Equilibrium (AGE) model, which includes the economic functions of the environment, to investigate the impacts of consumers' preference changes towards the enhanced consumption of Novel Protein Foods (NPFs) and towards a higher willingness to pay for protection of the environment in the Europe Union (EU). We find that these preference changes impact the pork production and consumption as well as ammonia (NH 3) emissions. Sensitivity analysis shows that the results are more sensitive to the value of the elasticity of utility with respect to environmental quality than to that of the substitution elasticity between pork and NPFs.