Pig Farmers' Perceptions of Economic Incentives to Control Salmonella Prevalence at Herd Level.

This paper investigates how perceived costs and benefits of Salmonella control among Danish pig farmers affect the farmers' choice of action toward reducing the prevalence of Salmonella in their herds. Based on data from an online questionnaire involving 163 Danish pig farmers, we find a considerable uncertainty among pig farmers about the perceived effects of the Salmonella reducing actions. The results indicate large variations in the perceived costs of implementing different types of Salmonella reducing actions (management-, hygiene- and feed-related). For some cases, farmers associate net benefits and positive productivity effects with implementation of the actions while studies by the industry indicate net costs to the farmers. Differences among farmers support the idea of an outcome-based Salmonella penalty scheme but the large uncertainties about costs and effects of actions toward Salmonella control might hamper the effectiveness of such a penalty scheme as a regulatory instrument to affect farmer behavior.

Costs and Benefits of Alternative Strategies to Control the Spread of Livestock-Acquired Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus From Pig Production.

BACKGROUND: Livestock-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA-MRSA) is a concern in healthcare and a political priority in some countries. OBJECTIVE: This study investigates the net societal costs of 2 alternative strategies for controlling LA-MRSA in Denmark: (1) eradicating LA-MRSA in all pig housing units, and (2) containing LA-MRSA within the units. METHODS: Benefits and costs are considered for affected economic sectors: healthcare, pig production, pig-related industries, and public administration. RESULTS: The cost to society of eradication is estimated at €2.3 to €2.5 billion (present value). Containment will cost €55 to €93 million. For both strategies, the main cost lies in primary pig production-for containment this is mainly due to establishing and operating anterooms and shower rooms, and for eradication it is due to production losses, loss of genetic resources, and costs of cleaning and disinfection. CONCLUSION: Compared with these costs, health economic benefits are moderate for both strategies. Containment is superior to eradication when measured by a benefit-cost ratio.

Food Taxation and the Double Burden of Malnutrition.

Dietary transition towards more animal-based and more highly processed energy-dense foods and beverages has led to sufficient or excessive intake of calories, but also a risk of insufficient intake of various essential macro- and micronutrients (the so-called double burden of malnutrition), in high-income countries, as well as in low- and middle-income countries. Taxation of energy-dense and non-essential food and beverage products has been proposed as a policy tool to reduce the intake of these foods, and such taxes have been implemented in several countries, often targeted at sugared beverages, candies, or snacks. Several studies tend to confirm an effect of such taxes on the consumption of the targeted products, but there is less knowledge as to how these taxes influence the "double burden" challenges associated with insufficient intake of important nutrients for some consumers. This paper reviews and discusses the mechanisms and experiences with taxation of unhealthy food products, as well as some implications of food taxation in light of the double burden perspective. Existing evidence suggests that taxation of unhealthy food products has the potential to reduce consumers' intake of these products and a potential to stimulate the consumption of other food products through substitution effects. However, except for the taxation of "sweets," it is not generally evident whether such substitution effects will be beneficial or harmful from a nutritional point of view. Concerns in this respect include whether individuals' sufficiency in different macro- and micronutrients will be improved or deteriorated by such effects, and whether these effects differ between population segments with currently high and low nutritional risk.

A systematic review of financial incentives given in the healthcare setting; do they effectively improve physical activity levels?

BACKGROUND: According to current physical activity guidelines, a substantial percentage of the population in high-income countries is inactive, and inactivity is an important risk factor for chronic conditions and mortality. Financial incentives may encourage people to become more active. The objective of this review was to provide insight in the effectiveness of financial incentives used for promoting physical activity in the healthcare setting. METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed in three databases: Medline, EMBASE and SciSearch. In total, 1395 papers published up until April 2015 were identified. Eleven of them were screened on in- and exclusion criteria based on the full-text publication. RESULTS: Three studies were included in the review. Two studies combined a financial incentive with nutrition classes or motivational interviewing. One of these provided a free membership to a sports facility and the other one provided vouchers for one episode of aerobic activities at a local leisure center or swimming pool. The third study provided a schedule for exercise sessions. None of the studies addressed the preferences of their target population with regard to financial incentives. Despite some short-term effects, neither of the studies showed significant long-term effects of the financial incentive. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the limited number of studies and the diversity in findings, no solid conclusion can be drawn regarding the effectiveness of financial incentives on physical activity in the healthcare setting. Therefore, there is a need for more research on the effectiveness of financial incentives in changing physical activity behavior in this setting. There is possibly something to be gained by studying the preferred type and size of the financial incentive.

Effects of the Danish saturated fat tax on the demand for meat and dairy products.

OBJECTIVE: Taxation of unhealthy food is considered a regulation tool to improve diets. In 2011 Denmark introduced a tax on saturated fat in food products, the first country in the world to do so. The objective of the present paper is to investigate the effects of the tax on consumers' intake of saturated fat within three different types of food product group: minced beef, regular cream and sour cream. DESIGN: We use an augmented version of the Linearized Almost Ideal Demand System (LAIDS) functional form for econometric analysis, allowing for tax-induced structural breaks. SETTING: Data originate from one of the largest retail chains in Denmark (Coop Danmark) and cover January 2010 to October 2012, with monthly records of sales volume, sales revenue and information about specific campaigns from 1293 stores. RESULTS: The Danish fat tax had an insignificant or small negative effect on the price for low- and medium-fat varieties, and led to a 13-16 % price increase for high-fat varieties of minced beef and cream products. The tax induced substitution effects, budget effects and preference change effects on consumption, yielding a total decrease of 4-6 % in the intake of saturated fat from minced beef and regular cream, and a negligible effect on the intake from sour cream. CONCLUSIONS: The Danish introduction of a tax on saturated fat in food in October 2011 had statistically significant effects on the sales of fat in minced beef and cream products, but the tax seems to have reduced the beyond-recommendation saturated fat intake to only a limited extent.

Cross-achievements between policies for drinking water protection.

Environmental dynamics have important spatial dimensions, which calls for a spatial approach in policy analyses. Further to this, assessing agri-environmental policies involves analyses of individual measures as well as their combined effects on farmer behaviour and the environment. The integration of an economic behavioural model in a spatial framework has enabled analyses of a geographically targeted subsidy scheme for drinking water protection in combination with a uniform tax on commercial nitrogen fertilizer. Results show that policy measures for reducing nitrogen use can have combined effects (cross-achievements), thereby affecting each other's cost-effectiveness. Cross-achievements between a nitrogen fertilizer tax and a subsidy scheme based on elicitation are shown not to be additive, making partial analyses of policy measures more uncertain.