Browsing by Author "Carpio, Carlos E. (TTU)"
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Item Comparison between experience-based and household-undernourishment food security indicators: A cautionary tale(2020) Sandoval, Luis A.; Carpio, Carlos E. (TTU); Garcia, Manuel (TTU)Food security is a multi-dimensional concept that requires multiple indicators to measure it correctly; however, single food security indicators are often used individually or interchangeably. The misinterpretation of individual food security indicators can have important implications for policy design and implementation. The general objective of this paper is to show the discrepancies that may arise when using two different food security indicators that operate in the same dimension of the food security concept and yield the same outcome (food security status of the household) in three of the scenarios that they might be used: (1) for measuring the prevalence of food insecurity, (2) for understanding its drivers, and (3) for estimating the potential impact of a policy. The specific objectives of this paper are (1) to measure and compare the prevalence of food insecurity in a country using the Latin America Food Security Scale (ELCSA, by its acronym in Spanish) and the household undernourishment indicator, (2) to compare the factors associated with households’ food security status using the two indicators, and (3) to assess the potential use of the two indicators for ex ante policy analysis. Data for the study comes from the 2011 Survey of Living Standards from Guatemala, which collected all the data for estimating the ELCSA and the household level data required for calculating the household undernourishment indicator. Our results indicate considerable differences in the estimated prevalence of food insecurity at the national and regional levels using the two alternative indicators, with ELCSA resulting in higher estimates. Logistic regression models estimated to assess and identify household food insecurity drivers also found large differences in both the direction and magnitude of factors affecting food insecurity using the alternative food security indicators. Finally, the magnitude of the simulated impact of a cash transfer policy varied depending on the food indicator used.Item Consumer willingness to pay for organic and locally grown produce on Dominica: Insights into the potential for an "Organic Island"(2014) Boys, Kathryn A.; Willis, David B.; Carpio, Carlos E. (TTU)With the intent of improving agricultural revenues and solidifying her place as an ecotourism destination, it has been proposed that the island nation of The Commonwealth of Dominica convert all agriculture to organic production. This study explores Dominica's current and potential domestic demand for organic and/or "locally grown" produce. Surveys were conducted with Dominican consumers to assess their opinions and willingness to pay for these products, and evaluated using a maximum likelihood estimation procedure. On average, Dominican consumers are willing to pay 17.5 % more for organic, and 12 % more for locally grown, produce. These results were varied significantly across demographic segments of the sampled population, respondent tastes and preferences, the health status of their family, and the extent to which they were early adopters of new products. Despite several expected challenges of a successful transition to organic, implementation of this policy may offer a net positive welfare increase for Dominica's permanent residents. Results from this analysis suggest that, from the perspective of domestic consumers, Dominica should continue to pursue the possibility of becoming an "Organic Island." © 2013 The Author(s).Item Cost and Profitability Analysis of Producing Specialty Coffee in El Salvador and Honduras(2023) Carpio, Carlos E. (TTU); Sandoval, Luis A.; Munoz, MarioIn Honduras and El Salvador, coffee (Coffea arabica) is one of the leading agricultural exports, and the share of specialty coffee is growing each year. However, despite the importance of specialty coffee production and exports, there is a knowledge gap regarding its cost structure and profitability, particularly those associated with labor costs. The specific objectives of the study were to determine the cost structure of specialty coffee in Honduras and El Salvador and to estimate the costs and profitability of producing specialty coffee in these countries. A semi-structured survey instrument was administered to 14 farmers in Honduras and El Salvador selected as a convenience sample to represent different farm sizes, regions, and specialty-conventional and organic production systems. Specialty-conventional refers to high-quality coffee with or without certifications. Then,cost-profitability models were developed using an economic cost approach, which considered cash, noncash cost, and the opportunity costs of inputs. The results showed that although both countries are neighbors and economically and culturally similar, the cost structure of producing specialty coffee differed significantly. Costs were lower and profits were higher in Honduras than in El Salvador, and the specialty-conventional coffee production system was more profitable than the organic production system.Item Decay rates of two tracer gases compared to DNA-tagged liquid aerosol tracer particles: Impact of varying dilution rate and filtration(2022) Arvelo, Ilan; Pagone, Frank; Persky, Jacob; Carpio, Carlos E. (TTU); Arnold, Phil; Clements, NicholasCurrent gas-and aerosol-based tracers do not adequately simulate the emission and transport of liquid aerosols containing a pathogen indoors. To evaluate a liquid aerosol tracer containing synthetic DNA, the tracer was emitted in a chamber to measure changes in decay rates as outdoor air dilution rate and filter rating varied. DNA tracer concentration decay rates were compared to decay rates of size distributions of liquid tracer aerosols and two tracer gases (CO2 and SF6) to characterize the evolution of the particle size distribution simulated by the aerosols containing DNA tracer compared to common air change rate measurements. The effect of dilution ventilation on tracer decay rates was assessed at four air change rates using HEPA-filtered outdoor air (0, 1.3, 2.5, and 4.2 ACH), and the simultaneous impact of filtration of recirculated air (0, 1.3, 2.5, and 4.2 ACH) was tested using MERV8 and MERV13 filters. DNA tracer concentrations decayed at a rate comparable to liquid aerosols of 5–25 μm in diameter. Filter type did not consistently impact the rate of coarse particle or DNA tracer removal, though differences were observed for fine aerosols. Results indicate DNA-tagged tracer aerosols can simulate liquid aerosol emission and transport in a room, and the effectiveness of aerosol control strategies can be evaluated by observing the decay rate of DNA tracer concentrations.Item Demand for High-Quality Beef Attributes in Developing Countries: The Case of Ecuador(2019) Castillo, María José; Carpio, Carlos E. (TTU)Consumer preferences are likely to become more important in policy and market initiatives in developing countries. This study explores current and potential demand for high-quality beef in Ecuador. A survey of 547 households (including two choice experiments) was carried out in order to gather knowledge, quality perceptions, and experiences regarding Ecuadorian beef and preferences for specific beef attributes. Consumers have positive and economically significant willingness-to-pay values for all credence attributes considered in the study: sanitary control, meat maturation, animal welfare, and traceability. The results provide evidence that there is a potential market for increased-quality beef in Ecuador.Item Do SNAP Recipients Get the Best Prices?(2020) March, Raymond J.; Carpio, Carlos E. (TTU); Boonsaeng, Tullaya (TTU); Lyford, Conrad P. (TTU)We developed an expensiveness index and used the Food Acquisition and Purchase Survey data set to examine empirically whether Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants pay higher prices compared with nonqualifying and qualifying, but nonparticipating, households. Purchasers' ability to minimize food expenditures has significant effects on the program's effectiveness and on participants' food security. Using ordinary least squares and two techniques that control for the endogeneity of SNAP participation, we found no significant effect of SNAP participation on food prices. Moreover, we found that SNAP participants pay, on average, lower prices than do nonparticipants. We conclude by providing suggestions for policy improvements and implications for future research.Item Efficacy of Common Antimicrobial Interventions at and above Regulatory Allowable Pick-Up Levels on Pathogen Reduction(2023) Blandon, Sabrina E. (TTU); Vargas, David A. (TTU); Casas, Diego E. (TTU); Sarasty, Oscar (TTU); Woerner, Dale R. (TTU); Echeverry, Alejandro (TTU); Miller, Markus F. (TTU); Carpio, Carlos E. (TTU); Sanchez-Plata, Marcos X. (TTU); Legako, Jerrad F. (TTU)The objective of this study was to evaluate the food safety efficacy of common antimicrobial interventions at and above required uptake levels for processing aids on the reduction of Shiga-toxin producing E. coli (STEC) and Salmonella spp. through spray and dip applications. Beef trim was inoculated with specific isolates of STEC or Salmonella strains. Trim was intervened with peracetic or lactic acid through spray or dip application. Meat rinses were serially diluted and plated following the drop dilution method; an enumerable range of 2–30 colonies was used to report results before log transformation. The combination of all treatments exhibits an average reduction rate of 0.16 LogCFU/g for STEC and Salmonella spp., suggesting that for every 1% increase in uptake there is an increase of 0.16 LogCFU/g of reduction rate. There is a statistical significance in the reduction rate of Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli in relation to the uptake percentage (p < 0.01). The addition of explanatory variables increases the R2 of the regression for STEC, where all the additional explanatory variables are statistically significant for reduction (p < 0.01). The addition of explanatory variables increases the R2 of the regression for Salmonella spp., but only trim type is statistically significant for reduction rate (p < 0.01). An increase in uptake percentages showed a significant increase in reduction rate of pathogens on beef trimmings.Item Food demand estimation from consumption and expenditure data: Meat demand in Nigeria(2024) Aborisade, Olumide; Carpio, Carlos E. (TTU); Boonsaeng, Tullaya (TTU)Hidden consumption is a potential problem when consumers' expenditure data from household surveys are used in demand analyses. A solution is to collect and use actual consumption data. This study compares demand estimation using consumption and expenditure data and evaluates meat demand in Nigeria. Data are from a nationally representative panel from Nigeria. The results show the elasticities estimated across both datasets were very similar; thus, if the only objective of data collection is to estimate elasticity using a demand system framework, collection of both types of data (consumption and expenditures) may be unnecessary. The elasticity estimates classify poultry, beef, and processed seafood as luxuries, while other meat and unprocessed seafood are classified as necessities. Own-price elasticities from both datasets indicated that poultry, beef, and processed seafood were price-elastic, and poultry was the most price-elastic.Item Supporting local food system development through food price premium donations: A policy proposal(2016) Willis, David B.; Carpio, Carlos E. (TTU); Boys, Kathryn A.This study investigates consumer preferences for a marketing system that improves integration of farmers into a local food system. Attribute-based methods are used to estimate consumer willingness to pay for a locally grown product that is bundled with a local food bank (LFB) donation. Estimates reveal that, on average, households are willing to pay 11% more for locally grown relative to nonlocal agricultural products. When the locally grown product attribute is combined with a donation to support a LFB, the premium nearly doubles. Results suggest that the proposed system could provide resources to strengthen local food distribution networks.Item The effect of ‘Traffic-Light’ nutritional labelling in carbonated soft drink purchases in Ecuador(2019) Sandoval, Luis A.; Carpio, Carlos E. (TTU); Sanchez-Plata, Marcos (TTU)Overweight and obesity have become global concerns in developed and developing countries due to their rise in recent years and their association with the prevalence of non-communicable diseases including diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. In fact, it is estimated that roughly 39% of adults worldwide are overweight and 13% are obese. Ecuador is an example of a developing country concerned with the overweight and obesity problem, where it is estimated that 30% of children, 26% of teenagers and 63% of adults are either overweight or obese and where 1 in 4 deaths are attributed to chronic diseases. To address the overweight and obesity problem via the promotion of healthy eating habits, in 2013 the country approved technical regulation for the labelling of packed processed food products. The regulation included a mandatory traffic-light (TL) supplemental nutritional information labelling system to be displayed on the package of all processed foods for sale in the country. This new labelling system displays a traffic light panel for the product content of sugar, fat and salt in addition to the traditional nutrient declaration label. The objective of this paper was to evaluate the effect of the TL supplemental nutritional information on consumers’ buying behavior in Ecuador. More specifically, we concentrated on the purchasing behavior of carbonated soft drinks. For our analysis, we used monthly aggregated purchase data (total expenditures, quantities and average prices) of carbonated soft drinks from January 2013 to December 2015 obtained from Kantar World Panel—Ecuador. We estimated a non-linear Almost Ideal Demand System where we model the demand for high sugar and low sugar carbonated soft drinks. We found that the introduction of the traffic light supplemental nutrition labelling did not have the expected effect of reducing purchases of carbonated soft drinks during its first year of implementation, especially those high in sugar. Additionally, we found that lower income-status households tend to spend more on and consume more calories from CSD than households with higher socio-economic status. Finally, we identified that over time purchases of high sugar soft drinks decreased while purchases of low and no sugar soft drinks increased. Beyond our contribution of evaluating the effect of the traffic light on the purchases of carbonated soft drinks, we also estimated price and income elasticities of carbonated soft drinks which can be useful in the evaluation of fiscal policies.Item Traffic light nutrition labeling preferences among children(2023) Cabrera, Tania; Carpio, Carlos E. (TTU); Sarasty, Oscar (TTU); Watson, Susan E.; Gonzalez, María SusanaObjective: This study evaluates the effects of traffic light (TL) nutritional label attributes on children’s food choices. Data were collected from a survey of 1179 Ecuadorian students attending public middle and high school in three major cities in the country’s southern region (Machala, Loja, and Zamora). The survey instrument included two sets of choice experiments: one with yogurt products and the other with soft drinks (sodas and juices). In the choice scenarios, children were presented with two products that differed in price and the TL label colors for sugar, salt, and fat. Children’s product selections in the choice experiments were analyzed using mixed logit models. The results indicate that labels affect food choices. Additionally, children are willing to pay increasing premium levels for products with yellow, green, and “does not contain” labels compared to products with red labels. Overall, the study’s findings offer evidence that TL labels are effective in helping children make food choices consistent with their preferences for food products with TL labels representing healthier alternatives.