Usage
  • 481 views
  • 477 downloads

The Political Economy of Animal Testing and Traceability in Response to Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs)

  • Author / Creator
    Myae, Aye C
  • Transmissible Spongifrom Encephalopathies (TSEs), which include bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle and chronic wasting disease (CWD) in cervids, are associated with three possible risks. The risks of food safety outbreaks, the risks to economic benefits, and the risks to society's perceptions, attitudes and behaviour have been identified. In situations in which there appear to be no possible satisfactory market adjustments through individual choices and market chain interactions, governments mitigate risk by imposing appropriate regulations, particular standards, trade barriers or other risk management strategies. In this thesis, the impacts of CWD on consumer behaviour, the rationale for government decisions about the appropriate level of animal testing for CWD and the public interest in animal testing and traceability for cervid meats are considered, representing part but not all of the government regulatory responses to the existence of CWD. In the first paper of this dissertation, the underlying factors determining CWD-testing requirements in wild and farmed cervids (compared to BSE-testing regulations in cattle) in the context of economics, politics and society are determined across regions in Canada and the US. Political economy models for the level of animal testing are specified and estimated using time series data from 1991 to 2012. The results provided broaden stakeholders’ and consumers’/ society’s knowledge about the important factors considered in TSE-management policy, and how these differ by region. In the second paper, society's preferences for CWD-testing and traceability systems in venison consumption are determined. The analysis is conducted with surveys of Canadian and US household shoppers of whom at least 50% having eaten venison in their life. The results of the mixed logit models on the stated choice data sets across respondent segments with different risk perceptions and risk attitudes towards venison provide the link between society's perceived risks about CWD and preferences for these food-safety attributes. In the third paper, Canadian household's meat consumption behaviour is determined using HomescanTM panel data from 2003 to 2009 and survey data in 2011 from the Nielsen Company. The comparisons of results from two-stage demand models across consumer segments with different preferences for obtaining venison provide some indications of the variations in public responses to TSEs risks in daily purchasing. In summary, this dissertation conducts a comprehensive analysis, from both a policy maker's perspective and a consumer's perspective, across sectors (cattle, farmed cervids and wild cervids) and across countries, Canada and the US. Using two regulatory policies – animal-testing and traceability – two important questions related to TSEs risks are investigated empirically: Why do governments undertake specific regulatory policies? and How does society perceive the regulatory policies and risks in their lives? The results provided background rich in enhancing risk management and trade development strategies in the face of animal disease induced food safety issues in the future.

  • Subjects / Keywords
  • Graduation date
    Spring 2015
  • Type of Item
    Thesis
  • Degree
    Doctor of Philosophy
  • DOI
    https://doi.org/10.7939/R3TX35F4K
  • License
    This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.
  • Language
    English
  • Institution
    University of Alberta
  • Degree level
    Doctoral
  • Department
  • Specialization
    • Agricultural and Resource Economics
  • Supervisor / co-supervisor and their department(s)
  • Examining committee members and their departments
    • Anders, Sven (Resource Economics and Environmental Sociology)
    • Goddard, Ellen (Resource Economics and Environmental Sociology)
    • Luckert, Marty (Resource Economics and Environmental Sociology)
    • Mohapatra, Sandeep (Resource Economics and Environmental Sociology)
    • Roosen, Jutta (Marketing and Consumer Research)