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AEDE

Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics

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News article: Meat industry not threatened by plant-based alternatives, study suggests

At least for now, there is no reason for the traditional meat industry to have much of a beef with producers of plant-based burgers and other meat alternatives, new research suggests. 

The study showed that while sales and market share of new-generation plant-based meat alternatives have grown in recent years, those gains haven’t translated into reduced consumer spending on animal meat products.  

Media mention: With bans or fees off the table, study suggests nudge can reduce plastic bags

New research from Professor Wuyang Hu A recent suggests using charitable donations as a way to reduce single-use plastic bag waste.

News article: Giving shoppers a nudge to forgo plastic bags

The opportunity to make a small charitable donation on a store owner’s nickel may be just the encouragement shoppers need to forgo toting their goods home in a single-use plastic bag, new research suggests.

In the study, conducted at two convenience stores on a college campus, giving customers a 5-cent token toward a charitable donation in exchange for their rejection of a disposable bag reduced plastic bag use by about 30%.

News article: Survey says…better designed survey questions generate truer responses

Whether it is after a webinar or an organization soliciting information, we all fill out our fair share of surveys.

According to Wuyang Hu, professor and AEDE Honors Coordinator, the responses recorded in a survey may not always reflect reality, particularly surveys asking folks “what do you plan to do” instead of “what have you done.”

Media mention: Grant funds received to support food entrepreneurship in Wayne

A research grant was received to support the startup of a new nonprofit entrepreneurial center that will support food producers in Wayne County. The results of the project also will support farmers and food producers throughout Ohio by providing recommendations for new programs to help these producers increase profitability, access new markets and develop new value-added food products.

News article: In Surveys, People Say They'll Pay Twice What They're Actually Willing to Spend

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Perhaps people like to think of themselves as big spenders. Or maybe they just aren’t very honest. But when researchers compared what study participants reported they were willing to spend on goods with what they actually shelled out in experiments designed to mimic a real-world shopping experience, there was a big gap.

News article: AEDE Welcomes Professor Wuyang Hu to OSU

“Applied economists are concerned with more than just numbers and economic theory,” says new AEDE Professor Wuyang Hu.  “Many of us are interested in solving real-life problems and making a difference on an individual level.”

A fitting philosophy for a professor and researcher whose work over the past twenty-years has kept him focused on food related issues where the environment, economics and society intersect.