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Benefit Transfer as Preference Calibration

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  • Smith, V. Kerry
  • van Houtven, George
  • Pattanayak, Subhrendu K.

Abstract

This paper proposes and illustrates the use of a new approach to benefit transfer for the non-market valuation of environmental resources. It treats transfer as an identification problem that requires assessing whether available benefit estimates permit the parameters of a preference function to be identified. The transfer method proposed uses these identifying restrictions to calibrate preference parameters and bases the benefit estimates on that preference function. The approach is illustrated using travel cost, hedonic and contingent valuation estimates, as well as combinations of estimates. It has three potential advantages over conventional practice: (1) it allows multiple, potentially overlapping estimates of the benefits of an improvement in environmental quality to be combined consistently; (2) it assures the transferred estimates of the benefits attributed to a proposed change can never exceed income; and (3) it provides a set of additional "outputs" that offer plausibility checks of the benefit transfers.

Suggested Citation

  • Smith, V. Kerry & van Houtven, George & Pattanayak, Subhrendu K., 1999. "Benefit Transfer as Preference Calibration," Discussion Papers 10607, Resources for the Future.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:rffdps:10607
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.10607
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    Cited by:

    1. V. Smith & Subhrendu Pattanayak, 2002. "Is Meta-Analysis a Noah's Ark for Non-Market Valuation?," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 22(1), pages 271-296, June.
    2. Richard T. Carson, 2011. "Contingent Valuation," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 2489.
    3. George L. Van Houtven & Subhrendu K. Pattanayak & V. Kerry Smith, 2004. "Benefit Transfer Functions for Avoided Morbidity: A Preference Calibration Approach," NCEE Working Paper Series 200404, National Center for Environmental Economics, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, revised Apr 2004.
    4. Smith, V. Kerry & Banzhaf, H. Spencer & Walsh, Randy, 2002. "General Equilibrium Benefit Transfers for Spatial Externalities: Revisiting EPA's Prospective Analysis," RFF Working Paper Series dp-02-44, Resources for the Future.
    5. Kukielka, Jessica B. & Johnston, Robert J. & Duke, Joshua M., 2008. "Systematic Variation in Willingness to Pay for Agricultural Land Preservation and Implications for Benefit Transfer: A Meta-Analysis," 2008 Annual Meeting, July 27-29, 2008, Orlando, Florida 6121, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    6. Rolfe, John & Windle, Jill, 2008. "Testing for differences in benefit transfer values between state and regional frameworks," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 52(2), pages 1-20.
    7. Chris Dumas & Pete Schuhmann & John C. Whitehead, 2004. "Measuring the Economic Benefits of Water Quality Improvement with the Benefit Transfer Method: An Introduction for Non-Economists," Working Papers 04-12, Department of Economics, Appalachian State University.
    8. Johnston, Robert J. & Duke, Joshua M. & Kukielka, Jessica B., 2008. "Optimizing Farmland Preservation Choices Across Communities and Jurisdictional Scales: To What Extent are Amenity Values and Selection Criteria Transferable?," 2008 Annual Meeting, July 27-29, 2008, Orlando, Florida 6243, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    9. John Rolfe & Jill Windle, 2008. "Testing for differences in benefit transfer values between state and regional frameworks," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 52(2), pages 149-168, June.
    10. Ingraham, Molly W. & Foster, Shonda Gilliland, 2008. "The value of ecosystem services provided by the U.S. National Wildlife Refuge System in the contiguous U.S," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(4), pages 608-618, November.

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