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Browsing by Author "Chishimba, Elizabeth"

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    Are US consumers willing to pay a premium for bee-friendly beef?
    Larochelle, Catherine; Chishimba, Elizabeth (AgEcon, 2022-08-01)
    The loss in biodiversity has resulted in a decline in bee populations which threatens our food production systems due to the reliance of wild plants and agricultural crops on bee pollination services. Thus, the restoration of pollinator habitats calls for concerted efforts from all actors, including producers, retailers and consumers. This study examines consumer willingness to pay for bee-friendly beef using data from a nationwide choice experiment survey of 2,162 U.S. beef consumers. Using a fully correlated mixed logit regression we show that U.S. beef consumers prefer bee-friendly ground beef compared to conventional ground beef and are willing to pay $1.06 - $2.36 more per pound for bee-friendly ground beef. The willingness to pay value varies depending on whether beef consumers donate or volunteer to an environmental organization, are knowledgeable about pollinator population decline, feel they have a role to play in restoring pollinator populations or if the beef consumer considers the environmental impact of food production when purchasing food. The analysis from this study identifies one incentive that can be used to encourage beef producers to contribute to the restoration of pollinator populations by adopting and maintaining wildflower-enhanced pastures on their ranches.
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    Essays on the economics of bee-friendly beef
    Chishimba, Elizabeth (Virginia Tech, 2024-11-12)
    The decline in bee populations, driven by biodiversity loss, poses a major threat to food production systems, as many wild plants and agricultural crops rely on bee pollination services. Addressing this issue requires coordinated efforts from producers, retailers, and consumers to restore pollinator habitats. This study explores two key aspects of promoting bee-friendly beef as a potential solution to support pollinator conservation. First, the study examines beef cattle producers' willingness to adopt native warm-season grass and wildflower (NWSG-WF) pastures through conservation programs. A discrete choice experiment revealed that producers require cost-share payments to convert pastureland into NWSG-WF systems. For a 10% conversion, producers would accept an average of $134.58 per acre (51% of establishment costs), while increasing conversions to 20% or 30% would raise the required payments to $154.55 (59%) and $199.06 (76%), respectively. Factors influencing producer participation include education level and interest in pollinator restoration, with those having thin forage coverage being more likely to adopt NWSG-WF. Second, a nationwide choice experiment survey of 2,136 U.S. beef consumers reveals a clear preference for bee-friendly beef over conventional options. On average, consumers are willing to pay $0.87 more per pound for beef produced using pollinator-friendly practices. Certain consumer segments, such as those who volunteer or donate to environmental organizations ($1.74/lb) and those knowledgeable about pollinator decline ($1.39/lb), exhibit an even higher willingness to pay. This suggests that raising public awareness about pollinator conservation could drive greater support for eco-labeled products like bee-friendly beef. Overall, the findings highlight opportunities to promote bee-friendly beef through consumer awareness campaigns and targeted conservation incentives for producers. By aligning consumer preferences with producer incentives, bee-friendly beef production can contribute to both pollinator conservation and sustainable cattle farming.