This paper addresses the representation of landscape complexity in stated preferences research. It integrates landscape ecology and landscape economics and conducts the landscape analysis in a three-dimensional space to provide ecologically meaningful quantitative landscape indicators that are used as variables for the monetary valuation of landscape in a stated preferences study. Expected heterogeneity in taste intensity across respondents is addressed with a mixed logit model in Willingness to Pay space. Our methodology is applied to value, in monetary terms, the landscape of the Sorrento Peninsula in Italy, an area that has faced increasing pressure from urbanization affecting its traditional horticultural, herbaceous, and arboreal structure, with loss of biodiversity, and an increasing risk of landslides. We find that residents of the Sorrento Peninsula would prefer landscapes characterized by large open views and natural features.Residents also appear to dislike heterogeneous landscapes and the presence of lemon orchards and farmers' stewardship, which are associated with the current failure of protecting the traditional landscape. The outcomes suggest that the use of landscape ecology metrics in a stated preferences model may be an effective way to move forward integrated methodologies to better understand and represent landscape and its complexity.
Together with the benefit due to the worldwide increase in consumer interest in traditional European food style, a growing phenomenon of agropiracy has taken place. Firms' marketing strategies tend to concentrate on product purity while we believe there exists a well-defined path worth: 1. introduction of a traditional (original) product on international markets; 2. local firms' imitation of the successful good; 3. local firms redesigning original products according to local consumption models and preferences. A representative sample of American consumers were interviewed in 12 US cities. Econometric analysis results suggest that a strategy aimed at emphasizing the authenticity of the origin of any product may not lead to any improvement in its market share, but it might very likely affect that market as a whole. Products should be offered as part of a sort of traditional product package to promote food habits rather than just commodities. r
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