Moral Intensity and Willingness to Pay Concerning Farm Animal Welfare Issues and the Implications for Agricultural Policy

An experimental survey was undertakento explore the links between thecharacteristics of a moral issue, the degree ofmoral intensity/moral imperative associatedwith the issue (Jones, 1991), and people'sstated willingness to pay (wtp) for policy toaddress the issue. Two farm animal welfareissues were chosen for comparison and thecontingent valuation method was used to elicitpeople's wtp. The findings of the surveysuggest that increases in moral characteristicsdo appear to result in an increase in moralintensity and the degree of moral imperativeassociated with an issue. Moreover, there was apositive link between moral intensity/moralimperative associated with an issue andpeople's stated wtp for policy to address theissue. The paper discusses the relevance of thefindings of the survey in the context of thedebate concerning the relationship betweenmoral and economic values and the use of thecontingent valuation method to estimatepeople's wtp of policy options with moraldimensions.     

Naturalness: Beyond Animal Welfare

There is an ongoing debate in animalethics on the meaning and scope of animalwelfare. In certain broader views, leading anatural life through the development of naturalcapabilities is also headed under the conceptof animal welfare. I argue that a concern forthe development of natural capabilities of ananimal such as expressed when living freelyshould be distinguished from the preservationof the naturalness of its behavior andappearance. However, it is not always clearwhere a plea for natural living changes overinto a plea for the preservation of theirnaturalness or wildness. In the first part ofthis article, I examine to what extent theconcerns for natural living meet ``theexperience requirement.' I conclude that someof these concerns go beyond welfare. In thesecond part of the article. I ask whether wehave moral reasons to respect concernsfor the naturalness of an animal's living thattranscend its welfare. I argue that the moralrelevance of such considerations can be graspedwhen we see animals as entities bearingnon-moral intrinsic values. In my view the``natural' appearance and behavior of an animalmay embody intrinsic values. Caring for ananimal's naturalness should then be understoodas caring for such intrinsic values. Intrinsicvalues provide moral reasons for action iffthey are seen as constitutive of the good lifefor humans. I conclude by reinterpreting,within the framework of a perfectionist ethicaltheory, the notion of indirect dutiesregarding animals, which go beyond andsupplement the direct duties towardsanimals.     

Ethics and farm animal welfare

In this paper the authors argue that ethical considerations are relevant for evaluating animal production systems and that in consequence agrologists should seriously consider the arguments of animal welfare supporters. Furthermore, the authors point out the ethical basis for some (though not all) of the conclusions proposed by supporters of animal welfare. In consequence it is necessary to determine the nature of animal welfare and methods of evaluating the welfare of animals and to recognize when production systems fail to satisfy the needs of animals.     

高质量发展的关键:创新驱动、绿色发展和民生福祉

高质量发展是对我国经济发展阶段变化和现在所处关口作出的一个重大判断,本文科学阐释了高质量发展的内涵和外延,系统梳理了高质量发展的现实意义和重要基础,提出了高质量发展的关键环节和思路举措,突出强调了创新驱动、绿色发展、民生福祉对于高质量发展的重要性。     

Measuring the Welfare Cost of Climate Change Policies: A Comparative Assessment Based on the Computable General Equilibrium Model GEMINI-E3

Measuring the welfare cost of climate change policies is a real challenge, raising difficult issues of micro- and macro-economics: cost-benefit analysis on the one hand, foreign trade and international specialization on the second hand. At the domestic level the possible existence of distortions, in particular in the fiscal system, may either increase or alleviate the welfare cost of a climate change policy, as illustrated by the debate on double dividend. Effects on the prices in international markets and distorted competition between countries committed to abate (Annex B) and uncommitted countries affect both the sharing of the burden, in particular through the change in the terms of trade, and the allocation of activities with the frequently waved threat of delocalization. Based on a companion theoretical analysis, the present paper aims at putting order in the welfare analysis of climate change policy and to present and compare various estimations, issuing from macro- or computable general equilibrium models. Beside the global welfare cost, the paper focuses on the marginal abatement cost and its relation to the carbon price.Most present conceptual and applied analysis is based on the case of a single domestic household-consumer. Taking into account several consumers raises new challenges, concerning equity but even more fundamentally the mere definition of fiscal distortion, which have not yet been really addressed.     

基于EDM的农业节水技术补偿

实现农业节水,必须建立有效的农业节水补偿机制对农民进行补偿。文章采用经典EDM模型,分析了农业节水技术投入对生产者、消费者及社会福利的影响。研究认为,农业节水技术投入使得生产者剩余、消费者剩余以及社会总剩余全面增加;政策实施带来社会福利变化在产品市场上的消费者与生产者之间分配,缺乏弹性的一方受到的影响往往大于富有弹性的一方;根据投入产出及"谁受益、谁补偿"的补偿原则,由消费者剩余变化及生产者剩余变化分别占社会总福利变化的比重,即可制定消费者及生产者对农业节水项目的投资付费标准以及补偿标准;建立水权交易市场,使农民通过出售节约的水资源而获益,可有效地激发其投入节水事业的积极性。     

自然资源福利计量的参数模型与表征尺度:理论与应用比较

对自然资源产生的社会福利进行货币化计量是目前资源与环境经济学研究的焦点之一,条件估值法(CVM)在评估自然资源福利的研究方面具有独特的优势。1984年提出的基于线性效用差下福利计量的参数模型及相应的表征尺度在后来的CVM研究中得到了较多的应用,但已有研究多侧重于方法的应用,对模型和尺度的理论有效性缺乏实证性的探讨。基于随机效用最大化原理对消费者偏好函数模型及相应的福利计量尺度进行了较为详细的数学推导(以Logit模型为例)。以上海某城市河流资源CVM福利计量为例,在实证分析过程中结合国外已有研究,将线性模型与基于非线性效用差下的对数模型进行了比较,给出了在CVM研究中对自然资源进行福利计量建议采用的参数模型与表征尺度。     

Holy Cows: A Look at the Influence of Religious Beliefs on Dairy Animal Welfare on Kibbutzim in Israel

The influence of religious beliefs on people's attitudes andactions in the area of animal welfare was examined by interviewing dairyworkers on kibbutzim (communal agricultural settlements) in Israel.Workers on religiously observant kibbutzim were no more consistent intheir attitudes toward and treatment of dairy cows than workers onnon-observant and selectively observant kibbutzim.     

Health and Welfare in Danish Dairy Cattle in the Transition to Organic Production: Problems, Priorities and Perspectives

During the past few years,organic dairy farming has grown dramatically inDenmark. Consequently, an increasing number ofpeople are encountering this method ofproduction for the first time. Amongst these,many veterinarians have suddenly had to dealwith organic herds in their home district, and,meeting examples of poor animal welfare, theyhave recently started to express some concerns.Against this background, a so-called``Synthesis of Knowledge' project was initiatedto examine the health and welfare of dairycattle and the use of medication in thetransition to organic production. The aim ofthe project was to investigate associatedproblems from the point of view of the dairyherd. Based on qualitative research interviewswith vets and agricultural advisors, as well asfocus group interviews with farmers who hadrecently converted from conventional to organicfarming, an expert panel attempted to identifyproblem areas and possible solutions. Theproblems related to (a) the adjustment to newand unknown practices, (b) poor management ingeneral, and (c) inappropriate legislation fororganic farming.One problem area was the rearing of dairycalves, particularly with regard to theestablishment of post partumrelationships between cow and calf, grouphousing, and the grazing of young animals. A``natural life' was identified as beingfundamental to organic animal husbandry. Interms of animal welfare, this concept can beunderstood as a way of living in which the calfis allowed to express its natural behavior andsatisfy its natural needs. Essentially, theconditions needed for good calf welfare requirethe compatibility and interplay of elementsfrom ``nature' (the natural life; includingopportunities to satisfy natural needs) and``culture' (farmer management skills; exerciseof care). These elements should be balanced toensure animal welfare in organic herds.     

中国省际间绿色发展福利测量与评价

在绿色发展理念下,对绿色发展福利进行测量和评价比传统的GDP评价更能体现发展的质量。本文基于生态绩效理论,将绿色发展福利增长速度推导为脱钩指数与GDP增长速度的乘积。首先以人类发展指数作为绿色发展福利的判别标准,根据脱钩指数理论,以数值0和0.1为界线,将2002—2014年中国31个省份的绿色发展福利水平划分为"负福利增长"、"绝对低福利增长"、"相对低福利增长"三类。其次,利用数据包络分析(DEA)方法及Malmquist指数测度兼顾期望产出(GDP)与非期望产出(生态足迹)的绿色经济增长,并对中国省际绿色经济增长效率进行分解,将绿色全要素生产率分为技术效率变动、技术变动、纯技术效率变动和规模效率变动,以探讨影响中国绿色发展"C"模式的关键因素。实证结果表明:中国大陆31个省份的脱钩指数均小于0.6(两个省份的脱钩指数小于0),处于低福利增长状态,但是整体上省际间脱钩指数与GDP增长速度呈现正相关关系,省际间人类发展指数的差异主要表现在公平的教育机会与收入分配差距两个方面。对中国大陆31个省份绿色经济增长速度的分解表明,绿色全要素生产率的提升主要得益于技术效率变动、纯技术效率变动、规模效率变动指数的提高,且每个时期三者的贡献率均在1左右波动。检验期间,北京、上海、广东、天津四个省份作为"创新者"共同推动产出朝着最优生产前沿面外移。最后,为了构筑中国绿色发展"C"模式,认为应该以绿色发展福利水平的提升为导向,在依据绿色全要素生产率提高绿色经济增长效率的同时,应注重教育公平与收入分配差距的缩减。同时,应积极发挥创新者省份绿色发展的示范效应,带动非创新者省份共同发展。