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An Experimental Investigation of the Impact of Fat Taxes: Prices Effects, Food Stigma, and Information Effects on Economics Instruments to Improve Dietary Health

Author

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  • Cash, Sean B.
  • Lacanilao, Ryan D.
  • Adamowicz, Wiktor L.
  • Raine, Kim

Abstract

There is currently no published research on how food taxes may affect consumer behaviour when the imposition of the tax itself may be considered a source of consumer information. The work undertaken here seeks to address this gap in the literature by using experimental methods to enhance understanding on the joint effects of price changes induced by a fat tax and the stigma associated with the application of the tax. First, we conduct an interdisciplinary literature review (drawing from economics, psychology, and health promotion) and theoretical investigation of the impact of stigma on economic choice behaviours. We then employ Attribute-Based Stated Choice Methods (ABSCM) to elicit consumer response to fat tax scenarios that rely only on price changes, and to those that involve both price changes and stigma effects. The study is still ongoing, and will use a computer-assisted field data collection approach to collect data from participants at grocery stores and/or other food purchase venues. Econometric analysis of the resulting data will allow us to investigate the price response, stigma effect, and price-stigma interaction elicited by various taxation and labelling schemes. Preliminary results from pre-test samples are discussed here.

Suggested Citation

  • Cash, Sean B. & Lacanilao, Ryan D. & Adamowicz, Wiktor L. & Raine, Kim, 2008. "An Experimental Investigation of the Impact of Fat Taxes: Prices Effects, Food Stigma, and Information Effects on Economics Instruments to Improve Dietary Health," Consumer and Market Demand Network Papers 45499, University of Alberta, Department of Resource Economics and Environmental Sociology.
  • Handle: RePEc:ags:ualbnp:45499
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.45499
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    Cited by:

    1. Tatiana Chudá & Petr Janský, 2016. "The Impact of a Fat Tax: Progressive in Health, but Regressive in Income?," Prague Economic Papers, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2016(4), pages 445-458.

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    Keywords

    Agribusiness; Agricultural and Food Policy; Consumer/Household Economics; Demand and Price Analysis; Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety;
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