UNDERSTANDING INDIVIDUAL AND MARKET REACTIONS TO CHANGES IN INFORMATION

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: COMPLETE
• Funding Source: HATCH
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 0214998
• Project Start Date: Oct 1, 2008
• Project End Date: Sep 30, 2013
• Program Code: [(N/A)]- (N/A)

Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF MAINE
(N/A)
ORONO,ME 04469

Performing Department
School of Economics

Non Technical Summary
The function of product information approaches (e.g., labeling and social marketing) is to improve the flow of information to consumers who, in turn, alter their information search and or product purchase behaviors. These changes in consumer behaviors then may lead to changes in producer behaviors. For example, firms may develop new marketing strategies or target different consumers, develop new products, and alter the attributes of current products. In theory, firms that are better able to take advantage of the labeling and marketing programs will be rewarded with a comparative advantage. However, only a few firms need to initially respond to these more progressive consumers, as many firms respond with imitation effects. Such information programs are widespread and work well when the focus of the information is a change in product quality that directly benefits the consumers (e.g., provides a private benefit). Recently, such information programs are also being used to provide information about products that provide public benefits (e.g., improved air quality). Empirical comparisons of the effectiveness of these types of information programs are lacking. Although there are a growing number of survey-based studies indicating that these information programs may alter consumers' perceptions of products and influence product choices, these results have been based solely on hypothetical or experimental scenarios. Other studies, which have looked at changes in actual behavior due to changes in such programs, have indicated some success. However, each of the programs studied also includes other, non-informational factors (e.g., subsidies, rebates or lottery prizes for participation in the program). Thus, it is unclear whether the success of these programs was due to the informational component of the program. For products and services where consumer choice can have a substantial impact on public good provision, effective implementation of information programs may be cost effective and desirable. Properly executed and supported, these programs allow customers to make choices that clearly reflect their preferences while simultaneously achieving policy objectives (e.g., reductions in fossil fuel use and air emissions). However, such programs may not achieve these objectives unless consumers notice, believe, understand and can use the information presented to them. Social psychologists identify several steps in the process of behavioral change in response to information, and some of the factors that influence the steps in the process. This literature highlights that the effectiveness of such programs is influenced by the way the information is presented and by the capacity of the consumer to absorb and act on it. Current studies of these information programs have been limited in that they all focus on measuring how information effectiveness varies across the characteristics of the information or the consumer.

Animal Health Component

65%

Research Effort Categories

Basic

35%

Applied

65%

Developmental

(N/A)

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
501	5010	3010	40%
603	5010	3010	20%
607	5010	3010	20%
703	5010	3010	20%

Knowledge Area
703 - Nutrition Education and Behavior; 603 - Market Economics; 501 - New and Improved Food Processing Technologies; 607 - Consumer Economics;

Subject Of Investigation
5010 - Food;

Field Of Science
3010 - Economics;

Keywords

valuation

food safety

information policy

research methods

food technology

consumer reaction

Goals / Objectives
Use consumer and economic research methods to: 1)elicit, and advance the development of stated preference methods used to elicit, individuals willingness-to-pay for changes in risk and other non-marketed attributes 2)devise research that leads to the appropriate design of various information policies and strategies; 3)compare consumer reactions to various food processing technologies and determine the factors influencing their reactions; 4)examine the factors that explain trends in peoples food safety knowledge, perceptions and behaviors Short-term Outcomes change in knowledge Federal and State policy makers will learn more about the principles of food safety economics There will be an increased knowledge about how consumers interact with information presented on product labels and in marketing literature Businesses will have an increased understanding of how consumers view eco-marketing claims Medium-term Outcomes change in action Businesses will use findings to enhance their design and use of environmental marketing strategies State agencies will use findings to enhance their regulation of environmental marketing claims State agencies will use findings to design more effective health information programs Federal food safety agencies may alter the way they calculate the benefits of food safety programs and may change their food safety program priorities Long-term Outcomes change in condition Increase in the effectiveness of labeling and marketing regulations Increase sales of environmental products leading to enhanced environmental conditions Improved food safety programs

Project Methods
The proposed research will use various survey datasets to measure the effects of altering product quality, or information about product quality on consumer behavior and welfare. A. This project will use a data set, funded by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), designed to provide empirical estimates of individuals willingness to pay (WTP) for reductions in the probability of contracting foodborne illnesses and to determine whether WTP varies across pathogens and food products, and to determine if the above WTPs are affected by the amount of information presented to the respondent. B. This project will use national survey data, (2002 FoodNet Population Survey) to evaluate the factors that impact food safety values. An economic model of risk processing appropriate for predicting individuals WTP for food safety protection will be developed and estimated to analyze the relationship between the elicited values and the hypothesized factors that would impact these values. C. This project will use a USDA funded data set designed to measure consumer reactions to alternative labeling policies for genetically modified (GM) foods. A relatively detailed set of preference questions allows us to segment consumers into relatively homogeneous groups and then examine how these segments differ in how they evaluate GM foods and how they evaluate the need and structure of GM labeling policies. Another facet of this data set is that some of the WTP questions varied in their order of presentation within the survey. This will allow us to test if the responses to the valuation questions are affected by the order of presentation. D. This project will use the U.S. Food Safety Survey to measure consumer reactions to alternative food technologies: irradiation, genetic modification and organic. In the survey, respondents were asked a series of questions to elicit their knowledge of, and attitudes toward these technologies. Various statistical techniques (factor analysis, multivariate regression) will be used to determine the factors that influence consumer knowledge and attitudes. E. This project uses data from an EPA funded project, which studied the effect of an eco-labeling and marking effort for environmentally better vehicles. The project provides an excellent opportunity to identify whether eco-information programs can be effective as a policy variable to change consumer knowledge, perceptions, attitudes, and information search behaviors (we focus on these metrics because these are important antecedents to environmentally preferred behavior).

Progress 10/01/08 to 09/30/13

Outputs
Target Audience: TARGET AUDIENCES: Researchers, practitioners and policy makers in the public health, food and agriculture, WIC educators, nutrition extension professionals and environmental education communities. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Researchers: through journal articles and confernce presentations Policy makers: through local presentations (e.g., Maine water conference, Maine wind conference); hearings on propossed state legislation; What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Change in knowledge: Federal and State policy makers learned more about the principles of food safety and environmental economics and labeling. There was an increased knowledge about how consumers interact with information presented on product labels and in marketing literature. Businesses will have an increased understanding of how consumers view ecomarketing and health-related claims. Change in action: Businesses could use findings to enhance their design and use of environmental marketing strategies. State agencies can use findings to enhance their regulation of environmental and healthrelated information. Maine CDC used findings to design more effective health information programs, especially as it relates to targeted messaging. US EPA used findings to design more effective vehicle eco-labeling programs. Change in condition: Increase in the effectiveness of labeling and marketing regulations. Increased sales of environmental products leading to enhanced environmental conditions Improved food safety programs

Publications

• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Haley Engelberth, Mario F. Teisl, Eric Frohmberg, Karyn Butts, Kathleen P. Bell, Sue Stableford and Andrew E. Smith. 2013. Can fish consumption advisories do better? Providing benefit and risk information to increase knowledge. Environmental Research Douadia Bougherara, Sandrine Costa and Mario Teisl. 2013. Making or buying environmental public goods: Do consumers care? Land Economics. 89(4):767-781 Caroline Noblet, Mark Anderson and Mario F. Teisl. 2013. An empirical test of anchoring the NEP scale in environmental ethics Environmental Education Research. 19(4): 540551 Kathleen P. Bell, Laura Lindenfeld, Ann E. Speers, Mario F. Teisl, and Jessica E. Leahy. 2013. Creating opportunities for improving lake-focused stakeholder engagement: knowledge-action systems, pro-environment behavior, and sustainable lake management Lakes and Reservoirs: Research & Management 18(1):5-14 Caroline L. Noblet, John Th�gersen and Mario Teisl. 2013. Drive Less: Easy to Say, Hard to do. Understanding decisions to change travel modes. Behavior Energy and Climate Change Conference. Sacramento, California November 17-20. Mario F. Teisl, Amy Lando and Alan S. Levy. 2013. Germ Warfare: Explaining changes in households' food-handling behaviors. invited seminar, Economics Department. Bates College, Lewiston ME, Nov. 7 Michelle L. Johnson, Mario F. Teisl, Kathleen P. Bell, and Shannon K. McCoy. 2013. Assessing psychological factors affecting personal relevance of landscape change scenarios Poster Presentation. Maine State EPSCoR Conference, Orono ME, Sept. 30. Mario F. Teisl. 2013. Economic and policy implications of abrupt climate change Abrupt Climate Change Seminar Series, Climate Change Institute, University of Maine, Orono ME, Sept. 25. Laura Teisl, Tora Johnson and Mario Teisl. 2013. Public reactions to land-based wind farms in Maine. Selected Poster. Maine Association of Planners Annual Meeting. Belfast ME, June 21. Caroline Noblet, John Th�gersen and Mario Teisl. 2013. Drive Less: Easy to Say, Hard to do. Understanding decisions to change travel modes. Selected presentation. Behavior, Energy and Climate Change Conference, Sacramento CA, November 18-20 Amy M. Lando, Mario F. Teisl and Alan Levy. 2013. Changes in Food Handling in the United States, 1993 to 2010: An Age-Period-Cohort Analysis Symposium Paper: New Insights on Consumer Food Handling Behavior Marketing & Public Policy Conference Washington D.C. May 30-June 1. Mario F. Teisl, Shannon McCoy, Sarah Marrinan, Caroline Noblet, Teresa Johnson, Megan Wibberly, Robert Roper & Sharon Klein. 2013. Will offshore energy face fair winds and following seas?: Understanding what influences offshore wind acceptance. Selected presentation. Maine Economics Conference, Bates College, ME. April 27 Mary Ellen Camire, Heidi England Morin and Mario Teisl. 2013. Dietary Fiber Content and Benefit Labeling Did Not Increase High-Fiber Bread Sales. Joint Annual Meeting of the ASPET/BPS at Experimental Biology Boston, MA April 20-24

Progress 10/01/11 to 09/30/12

Outputs
OUTPUTS: We find people favor offshore wind development over hydroelectric dams. People are WTP a 5% price premium per month for a 1% increase in wind but only a 1% price premium for a 1% increase in hydroelectricity (if they provide air quality improvements). Older generations more accepting of offshore wind as they may be more familiar with problems associated with the dams. A key finding is we developed and compared a perceptual measure of a person's budget constraint with the typically used proxy (income) and we find perceptual measure has more explanatory power, even when the analysis includes income. We find peoples WTP for cellulosic ethanol increases with knowledge of its improvements in air quality, fuel security and local economic development. Consumers are not WTP a premium for corn-based ethanol but are WTP a $0.02-0.06/gallon premium for wood-based e10; this premium is driven by greenhouse gas and local employment benefits. In studying the characteristics of those who most support land-based from those who most support deep-water offshore wind power development we find a split in the views of life-long residents versus those who have spent time living elsewhere. Proximity to current or planned wind farm sites did not decrease support for wind power; in fact, people living near land-based wind power having a preference for land-based wind. Broader implications of this work describe the urgency of understanding not only majority views but also diverging community visions for achieving stable long-term programs. Our analysis also examined differences in areas of wind power support; one surrounds the siting of projects while the other surrounds a more general acceptance of changes in institutions and policies to allow, or support, offshore energy projects. Understanding what drives this second type of support is important as governments have made many structural changes (e.g., financial incentives, policy changes) to support renewable energy. We find people's evaluations of the benefits and costs of offshore wind impact their level of general support for offshore wind. In two studies we examine the effectiveness of Maine CDC's fish consumption advisory. The results of the first study (reported last year) led CDC to redesign the advisory and for us to re-examine the effectiveness of the advisory. We find readers of the new advisory: were more aware and knowledgeable of safe fish consumption, increased their consumption of low-mercury, high omega-3 pre-packaged salmon, decreased their consumption of high-mercury white tuna and, significantly, increased their consumption of low-mercury fish. We examined how labeling of dietary fiber impacted college students' knowledge and purchasing behavior. Students seeing fiber labeling were more likely to correctly answer questions about the RDA for dietary fiber. However, a halo effect occurred in that students seeing fiber labeling were more likely to incorrectly think that fiber reduced other health risks. Although there were significant knowledge gains behavior did not change. We are currently working on a new project to perform a cost-benefit analysis of the Maine WIC Nutrition Education Program. PARTICIPANTS: Participants: School of Economis faculty: Caroline Noblet, Mark Anderson, Sharon Wagner, Gary Hunt, Jonathan Rubin Department of Psychology faculty: Shannon McCoy School of Marine Science faculty: Teresa Johnson, Gayle Zydlewski UMaine Extension: Cathy Elliot Organizations Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Andy Smith, Eric Frohmberg) US Food and Drug Administration (Amy Lando, Alan Levy) TARGET AUDIENCES: Researchers, practitioners and policy makers in the public health, food and agriculture, WIC educators, nutrition extension professionals and environmental education communities. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
Change in knowledge: Federal and State policy makers learned more about the principles of food safety and environmental economics and labeling. There was an increased knowledge about how consumers interact with information presented on product labels and in marketing literature. Businesses will have an increased understanding of how consumers view eco-marketing and health-related claims. Change in action: Businesses could use findings to enhance their design and use of environmental marketing strategies. State agencies can use findings to enhance their regulation of environmental and health-related information. Maine CDC used findings to design more effective health information programs, especially as it relates to targeted messaging. US EPA used findings to design more effective vehicle eco-labeling programs. Change in condition: Increase in the effectiveness of labeling and marketing regulations. Increased sales of environmental products leading to enhanced environmental conditions Improved food safety programs.

Publications

• Caroline L. Noblet, Mario F. Teisl, Katherine H. Farrow, Jonathan Rubin. 2013. Biofuels development in Maine: Using trees to oil the wheels of sustainability. Maine Policy Review
• Mark W. Anderson, Mario Teisl, and Caroline Noblet. 2012. Retrospective assessment to learn prospective stakeholder engagement: Toward finding a voice for the future in sustainability science. Ecological Economics 84:1-6
• Caroline Noblet, Mark Anderson and Mario F. Teisl. 2012. An empirical test of anchoring the NEP scale in environmental ethics Environmental Education Research. DOI:10.1080/13504622.2012.704899 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2012.704899
• Stephan Marette, Brian Roe and Mario Teisl. 2012. The consequences of a human food pathogen vaccine: A calibrated partial-equilibrium analysis Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics. 56 (3): 366-384
• Mark W. Anderson, Caroline Noblet and Mario Teisl. 2012. Our environment: A glimpse at what Mainers value Maine Policy Review 21(1): 104-109
• Caroline Noblet, Kathleen Bell, Charlie Colgan and Mario F. Teisl, 2012. Economic development and Maine's Sustainability Solutions Initiative. Maine Policy Review 21(1): 128-135
• Stephan Marette, Brian Roe and Mario Teisl. 2012. The welfare impacts of food pathogen vaccines Food Policy 37(1):86-93.
• Shyamani Siriwardena, Gary Hunt, Mario Teisl, and Caroline Noblet. 2012. Effectiveness of eco-marketing on green car purchase behavior in Maine: A nested-logit model approach. Transportation Research Part D: transport and Environmental 17 (2) 237-242

Progress 10/01/10 to 09/30/11

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Activities: Administered one mail survey collecting data from pregnant women about their fish consumption; the data are being used to measure the effectiveness of Maine CDC's education strategy to have pregnant and nursing women switch away from eating fish with high levels of mercury contamination to fish with low levels of contamination. Statistically analyzed data from two mail surveys: one survey measured people's (sample is northeast US) perceptions and willingness to buy wood-based transportation fuels (cellulosic ethanol); the survey is also being used to determine the factors that impact driving behavior. the second survey measured people's (sample is Maine) perceptions and willingness to buy wind-power electricity; the data is also being used to: measure people's reaction to 10 different information messages about wind power development; understand what factors influence people's views of university researchers as a source of information; identify factors that influence people's other environmental behaviors (e.g., buying organic products) and develop a model of behavior that combines both economic and social psychology determinants. Cheng and Teisl helped write one pre-proposal (NSF-Partners in international research and education) to build an interdisciplinary team to examine factors influence the marketability of tidal-based electricity (pending). Cheng is primarily in assessing perceptions and barriers and may collaborate with international partners in Taiwan and China. Teisl will be collaborating with international partners in France, Denmark and Botswana. Helped write one proposal (NSF-Sustainability research network) to develop a research network focused on alternative energy development (pending) Co-lead a data integration team - helping develop a linked social and physical science data series across multiple projects and institutions Mentored a new faculty member mentored, 5 MS thesis students; 2 I-PhD students Taught one graduate level social-science research methods course Events: 27 professional presentations; 9 posters Cheng helped in the application and estimation of an econometric model using conditional (recursive) mixed process (CMP) to assess French consumers' choice of milk products with various environmental impacts in their production process. Cheng collaborated in the development of a multinomial choice econometric model to analyze factors affection consumers purchase of green vehicles. The work involved the development of a SAS procedure to simulate consumer green vehicles choice set. Dissemination: Our research has been shared with over 30 wind-power stakeholder groups, both at workshops and through email dissemination of results. PARTICIPANTS: C Noblet; lecturer in economics - co-mentored several graduate students; supervised a dozen undergradaute students and 4 high school students working oon the project Partner Organizations: Orono High School, Orono ME Maine Center for Disease Control, Augusta ME 14 wind power NGOs in Maine French National Agricultural Research Labs (Paris, Rennes, Montpellier) School of Business, University of Aarhus, Aarhus Denmark Ohio State University U.S. FDA Collaborators & contacts: M. Anderson, K. Bell, G. Criner, G. Hunt, M. Hunter, S. McCoy, C. Noblet, J. Rubin, TARGET AUDIENCES: Target audiences: wind power industry environmental NGOs biofuel industry public health officials Efforts include: presentations at Maine wind Conference; several presentations to two Maine Epscor Conferences; spoke at one legislative hearing about a potential cell phone warning label regulation; shared results to EPA and DOE personnel; PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
A change in knowledge: much of this year I have been working with social psychologists and communications researchers. I have learned, or extended my knowledge of the interface between these 3 disciplines, and have more knowledge of experimental design, and analysis techniques like factor and cluster analysis; i have an new understanding of structural equation modeling. Working with Cheng has expanded my knowledge of mixed-process modeling techniques. I have also gained contant knowledge tidal and wind power generation. A change in actions: I have expanded my domestic and international collaborators, and have incorporated new statistical techniques in my work. My expanded knowledge of mixed-process modeling techniques has altered the way I design mail surveys, particularly with respect to constructing conjoint analysis scenarios, which can be used to model market behavior and consumer's valuations for new products). Working on the data integration project has lead me to alter how data is managed and documented. A change in conditions: The data integration project is leading to new hypotheses that can be tested across the various data sets.

Publications

• Sara B. Fein, Amy M. Lando, Alan S. Levy and Mario F. Teisl. 2012. in press. Trends in US consumers safe handling and consumption of food and their risk perceptions 1988-2010 Journal of Food Protection.
• Mark W. Anderson, Caroline Noblet and Mario Teisl. 2012. in press. Our Environment: A Glimpse at What Mainers Value Maine Policy Review
• Shyamani Siriwardena, Gary Hunt, Mario Teisl, and Caroline Noblet. 2012. in press. Effectiveness of eco-marketing on green vehicle purchase behavior in Maine: A nested-logit model approach. Transportation Research Part D: transport and Environmental
• Stephan Marette, Brian Roe and Mario Teisl. 2012. in press.The Welfare Impacts of Food Pathogen Vaccinces Food Policy
• Stephan Marette, Brian Roe and Mario Teisl. 2012. in press. The Consequences of a Human Food Pathogen Vaccine: A Calibrated Partial-Equilibrium Analysis Australian Journal of Agricultural Economics
• Mario F. Teisl, Eric Fromberg, Andrew E. Smith, Kevin J. Boyle and Haley Engelberth. 2011. Awake at the switch: Measuring the impact of Maines fish consumption advisory for at-risk women Science of the Total Environment 409:3257-66.
• Coffin, Donna. R and Hsiang-tai Cheng, 2011, Variation between Urban and Rural Farm Direct Market Consumers, Journal of the National Association of County Agricultural Agents, June 2011, 4(1).
• Mario Teisl, Mark W. Anderson, Caroline Noblet, George K. Criner, and Jonathan Rubin. 2011. Are Environmental Professors Unbalanced Evidence from the Field Journal of Environmental Education 42 (2):67-83
• Mario Teisl and Brian E. Roe. 2010. Consumer willingness-to-pay to reduce the probability of retail foodborne pathogen contamination Food Policy, 35(6):521-530.
• Katherine Farrow, Mario F. Teisl, Caroline L. Noblet, Shannon McCoy and Jonathan Rubin. 2011. Does Money Grow on Trees Peoples Willingness to Pay for Cellulosic Wood Ethanol. Chapter 12 in Biofuel / Book 1: 241-256. InTech Publishing.
• Mario F. Teisl. 2011. Environmental Concerns in Food Consumption Chapter 35 in the Oxford Handbook of the Economic of Food Consumption and Policy (J. L. Lusk, J. Roosen and J. E. Shogren, eds.) pp. 843-868. Oxford University Press, New York.
• Mario F. Teisl. 2011. Ecolabeling., The Encyclopedia of Sustainability, Vol. 3: The Law and Politics of Sustainability, (K. Bosselmann, D. Fogel, and J. B. Ruhl, eds.) pp. 130-134. Great Barrington, MA: Berkshire Publishing.
• Mario F. Teisl, Eric Fromberg, Kevin J. Boyle, and Andy Smith. 2010. Measuring the impact of Maines Safe Eating Guidelines: A Fish Consumption Advisory for at-risk women. University of Maine, School of Economics Staff Paper # 585
• Todd Gabe and Mario Teisl. 2010. Effects of Cellular Telephone Warning Labels (Ld 1706) on Maine Retailers University of Maine, School of Economics Staff Paper # 584
• Mario F. Teisl, Caroline Noblet, and Shannon McCoy. 2011. Maine Voices: Offshore wind has role in Maine's future Maine Sunday Telegram. June 26. http://www.pressherald.com/opinion/offshore-wind-has-role-in-maines-f uture_2011-06-26.html

Progress 10/01/09 to 09/30/10

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Vaccines against several common foodborne pathogens are being developed and could substantially alter the policy tools available to address foodborne illness. However, little analysis is available to suggest how social welfare would be affected by consumer and industry response to these new vaccines. To address this void, we use stated-preference data to estimate consumer willingness to pay (WTP) for food safety vaccines and then simulate the welfare impacts of subsidizing consumer purchases of the vaccine given two different industry responses: maintaining current levels of food safety vigilance and reducing food safety vigilance due to a moral hazard response that undermines consumer confidence in food safety. Paper is under review at Food Policy and was presented at the AAEA, CAES, & WAEA Joint Annual Meeting Vaccines against several common foodborne pathogens are being developed and could substantially alter the policy tools available to address foodborne illness. We calibrate a partial-equilibrium model of the US beef sector using parameters for consumer vaccine uptake from previous stated-preference work, parameters for expected damages from previous experimental work and parameters for demand and marginal costs from the literature. We simulate the introduction of an E. coli vaccine, the tightening of pathogen standards and the simultaneous introduction of both vaccinations and tighter standards. Paper is under review at Australian Journal of Agricultural Economics Although results of surveys of the safety of consumers' food handling and risky food consumption practices have been published for over 20 years, the designs of the published studies do not enable trend analyses. We combined the 1988, 1993, 2001, 2006, and 2010 Food Safety Surveys and analyzed trends in food handling and consumption practices and perceived risk from foodborne illness. Data were analyzed descriptively and four indices measuring meat/chicken/egg cross-contamination, fish cross-contamination, risky consumption, and risk perceptions were analyzed using Generalized Linear Models. Paper is under review at Journal of Food Safety and was presented at the 2010 Food Safety Education Conference. We have been working with a team of economic researchers in France on a web-based survey of French citizens. The purpose of the survey effort is to examine how people evaluate across various environmental problems that differ by media (water pollution vs. air pollution related to climate change) and geographic scope (proximal water pollution vs. distal water pollution). Further, the survey will provide data on people's preferences for environmental solutions that vary by policy type (e.g., changes in production methods vs. purchasing of pollution offsets). Finally, the survey will allow us to differentiate people's responses by various psychological profiles. PARTICIPANTS: Collaborators: at the University of Maine: S. McCoy, C. Noblet, L. Lindenfeld, L. Silka, M. Anderson, J. Leahy, G. Hunt, L. Forstadt, K. Bell, at Ohio State: B. Roe at Economics Laboratory, AgroParisTech, Paris France: S. Marette at Economics Laboratory, INRA AgroParisTech. Rennes, France: D. Buougerara at Economics Laboratory, INRA SupAgro, Montpellier, France: S. Costa Training or professional development: 8 graduate students and 4 undergraduates obtained training under this project TARGET AUDIENCES: TARGET AUDIENCES: Researchers, practitioners and policy makers in the public health, food and agriculture, and environmental education communities PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
We use stated-preference data to estimate consumer willingness to pay (WTP) for food safety vaccines and then simulate the welfare impacts of subsidizing consumer purchases of the vaccine. Our simulations show large social benefits if vaccines are relatively inexpensive while the presence of moral hazard increases responsents' willingness to pay and their voluntary uptake of vaccine. Our simulation of the impact of an E. coli vaccine with food safety policy shows that all policies can increase aggregate welfare given our calibration, though the largest effects are due to vaccine introductions. Firms profit most from vaccine introductions, as this stimulates demand among vaccinated consumers without shifting firm costs. Consumers who would choose not to become vaccinated due to the high vaccine price or lack of awareness benefit most from tighter standards alone. The magnitude and distribution of the impacts we simulate suggest that the introduction of such vaccines could stimulate vigorous discussion about the relative roles of consumers, industry and government in ensuring safe food. OUr analysis of trends in food safety practices, we found a substantial improvement in food handling and consumption practices and an increase in perceived risk from foodborne illness between 1993 and 1998. This level was maintained in 2001 for all indices and in 2006 for the meat/chicken/egg index. In 2006, the other 3 indices were significantly lower than in 2001. In 2010, the safety of the 2 food handling practices increased relative to 2006, but safe consumption declined again. Females, those with at least some college education, Hispanics, and respondents aged 30 to 64 years had safer practices on at least one index than the corresponding comparison groups. The increases and decreases in the levels of safety over the survey years are consistent with an explanation that consumer behavior is associated with extent of media coverage of food safety issues.

Publications

• Norton, Wendy, Kevin Athern, Doug McMaught, Sherry Larkin and Mario Teisl. 2010. Assessing the Impact of MSC certification on Management and Conservation in the New Zealand Hoki and Orange Roughy Fisheries. Final report to the David and Lucile Packard Foundation Project 2008-32492
• Mario Teisl, Caroline L. Noblet and Jonathan Rubin. 2010. Success and failure in eco-marketing vehicles Selected Paper 2010 Behavior, Energy and Climate Change Conference Sacramento, CA, November 14-17. www.beccconference.org
• Katherine Hassett, Mario F. Teisl, Caroline Noblet and Shannon McCoy. 2010. Whats Attitude got to do with it Consumer Demand for Biofuels. Selected poster. Joint conference of the International Association for Research in Economic Psychology and the Society for the Advancement of Behavioral Economics University of Cologne, Germany September 5-8.
• Katherine Hassett, Caroline Noblet, Mario F. Teisl and Shannon McCoy. 2010. Take a Hike! The Simultaneous Relationship between Recreation Behavior & Environmental Concern. Selected Paper. Joint conference of the International Association for Research in Economic Psychology and the Society for the Advancement of Behavioral Economics University of Cologne, Germany September 5-8.
• Mario F. Teisl, Shannon McCoy and Caroline Noblet,. 2010. Whats Driving Eco-Substitution Behaviors A study in choices related to biofuels. Selected Paper. Joint conference of the International Association for Research in Economic Psychology and the Society for the Advancement of Behavioral Economics University of Cologne, Germany September 5-8.
• Stephan Marette, Brian Roe and Mario Teisl 2010. Would Subsidizing a Food Pathogen Vaccine Upset the Food Policy Applecart Selected Paper. Agricultural & Applied Economics Association. AAEA, CAES, & WAEA Joint Annual Meeting, Denver, Colorado, July 25-27. Caroline L. Noblet, Mario F. Teisl and Jonathan Rubin. 2010. What will New England Consumers want from their Biofuels Invited Symposium Paper (Bioenergy Demand, Economics and Feedstock Supply). Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association Annual Conference Atlantic City, NJ. June 13-15.
• Katherine Hassett, Mario F. Teisl, Caroline L. Noblet and Shannon McCoy. 2010. Linking Peoples Environmental Concern to their Exposure to Various Outdoor Activities. Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association Annual Conference Atlantic City, NJ. June 13-15.
• Douadia Boughherara, Sandrine Costa and Mario F. Teisl. 2010. Are environmental offsets indulgences Invited presentation. 3rd International Workshop on Ecolabeling, Laboratory of Forest Economics, INRA AgroParisTech. Rennes, France June 2-3.
• Mario F. Teisl, Caroline L. Noblet and Shannon McCoy. 2010. Typology of consumers beliefs, attitudes and norms and substitution patterns across various environmental behaviors. Invited presentation. 3rd International Workshop on Ecolabeling, Laboratory of Forest Economics, INRA AgroParisTech. Rennes, France June 2-3, 2010.
• Mario F. Teisl, Caroline L. Noblet and Shannon McCoy. 2010. Mapping consumers green, economic and security motivations to participate in various energy behaviors. Invited presentation. Economics Laboratory, INRA SupAgro, Montpellier, France June 7, 2010.
• Kate Hassett, Mario F. Teisl and Caroline L. Noblet. 2010. Attitudes and Attributes: What Determines Fuel Choice Invited presentation. The Northeast Sungrant Annual Meeting; Syracure NY. May 24.
• Sara B. Fein, Amy M. Lando, Alan S. Levy, and Mario F. Teisl. 2010. Trends in US consumers safe handling and consumption of food and their risk perceptions 1988-2006. Food Safety Education Conference. Atlanta, GA. March 23.

Progress 10/01/08 to 09/30/09

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Activities included: adminstering and analyzing focus groups collecting and analyzing survey data mentoring 3 graduate students and 1 undergraduate student related to the project's data analysis and report writing working with agency personnel (Maine CDC) working with new researchers in France Dissimination included workshops and professional presentations Mario F. Teisl and Caroline L. Noblet. 2009. The Psychology of Eco-Consumption - Invited paper. 2nd International Workshop on Ecolabeling, Laboratory of Forest Economics, INRA-AgroParisTech. Nancy, France June 29-30. Mario F. Teisl and Brian Roe. 2009. U.S. Consumers' Willingness to Pay to Reduce the Probability of Retail Foodborne Pathogen Contamination: National Results from a Stated Preference Survey. Presented at the Joint Research Unit for Public Economics INRA-AgroParisTech Paris France. June 22. Mario F. Teisl 2009. Eco-information strategies: Are they effective Invited presentation and panelist; Wharton Business School - Initiative for Global Environmental Leadership, Philadelphia, PA March 28. Mario F. Teisl, Caroline L. Noblet and Jonathan Rubin 2009. Designing a marketing program for cellulosic ethanol; SunGrant Initiative Energy Conference. Washington DC. March 13. PARTICIPANTS: Partner Organizations: Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention Training or professional development: 2 graduate students and 4 undergraduates obtained training under this project TARGET AUDIENCES: Researchers, practitioners and policy makers in the public health, food and agriculture, and environmental education communities PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
We find a fish consumption advisory aimed at reducing fish consumption risks (mercury consumption) reduced some women's consumption of fish (an undesired effect since eating fish provides health benefits), successfully increased women's mercury-related knowledge, improved their perceptions of fish consumption risks and induced appropriate switching behavior, i.e., women reading the advisory decreased their consumption of high-risk fish and increased their consumption of low-risk fish. We conclude a well-designed advisory can successfully transform a complex risk/benefit message, leading to appropriate knowledge and behavior changes. In studying consumer reactions to biofuels we find many consumers were misinformed and had negative impressions of cellulosic ethanol; few knew about the potential environmental benefits (e.g., greenhouse gas reduction). A concern for forests and forest management stood out as the largest detracting factor for consumer interest. There is a lack of consumer knowledge of biofuels, especially cellulosic ethanol. Most hadn't heard of cellulosic ethanol and few understood it was made from woody biomass. An educational campaign would need to accompany any attempt to market cellulosic ethanol. When we examine the effect of an environmental marketing program for passenger vehicles we found individuals exposed to the marketing are less likely to think all vehicles pollute about the same when driven; a key misperceptions the campaign attempted to correct. However, we also find three negative impacts of the campaign. Individuals exposed to the marketing viewed vehicle emissions as being a smaller contributor to air quality problems, and had an increased perception that environmentally friendly vehicles suffered from poor performance and were more expensive. In studying the effect of knowledge about food technologies (organic, biotechnology, irradiation) on attitudes towards these technologies we find consumer knowledge of a technology led to positive attitudes toward the same technology but led to more negative attitudes toward the other technologies. The reason consumers are more likely to know about (and have more positive attitudes toward) organic foods is probably that organic foods are widely available and clearly labeled. In contrast, irradiated foods are labeled but generally unavailable, and foods derived from biotechnology are available but generally not labeled. The above suggests that product availability and the presence of labeling increases a person's knowledge of a technology. Importantly, it seems consumers are educated about all 3 technologies through their interaction with information about organic food. People who know more about organic technology respond negatively toward the other technologies; they may have been exposed to negative information about the other technologies while receiving information about organic production.

Publications

• Mario F. Teisl, Caroline L. Noblet, and Jonathan Rubin. 2009. The Psychology of Eco-Consumption, Journal of Agricultural & Food Industrial Organization: 7(2), Article 9. Available at: http://www.bepress.com/jafio/vol7/iss2/art9
• Mario F. Teisl, Sara B. Fein and Alan S. Levy. 2009. Information effects on consumer attitudes toward three food technologies: organic production, biotechnology, and irradiation Food Quality and Preference 20:586-596
• Mario F. Teisl, Caroline L. Noblet, and Jonathan Rubin. 2009. Can Environmental Promotion Backfire Evidence from the vehicle market Social Marketing Quarterly 15 (3):2-32.
• Mario F. Teisl, Caroline Noblet, Andrew Knox and Jonathan Rubin. 2009. Consumer Biofuel Knowledge and Preferences: Results of Focus Groups School of Economics Staff Paper # 580.
• Mario F. Teisl. 2009. Measuring the Impacts of Maine's Safe Eating Guidelines: A Fish Consumption Advisory for At-risk Women. Report to Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Augusta ME