Projects
2006 PREISM Workshop
Program of Research on the Economics of Invasive Species Management
Workshop organized by Farm Foundation and USDA’s Economic Research Service
October 19-20, 2006 Washington D.C.
In 2003, USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) established the Program of Research on the Economics of Invasive Species Management (PREISM), a competitive awards program to address economic issues associated with invasive species management. Since 2004, ERS and the Farm Foundation have annually sponsored a forum for dialogue on economic issues associated with agricultural invasive species. More than 90 people participated in the 2006 workshop, which was designed to highlight the progress of previous PREISM awardees; offer feedback to workshop presenters; educate the broader invasive species community (e.g., non-economist and NGO attendees) about the PREISM program and research results; and provide networking environment for the workshop attendees.
Themes emerging identified by the wrap-up panel included the importance of interactions and communications between researchers, policy makers and those whose behavior affects the introduction, spread and control of invasive species. A wide range of modeling techniques were used in the research, however, most are data intensive. The research and PREISM in general, has added to knowledge about valuing externalities and understanding why markets fail. Researchers play a key role in articulating important policy questions, as well as communicating the implications of their research to policy-makers.
Panel members suggested that additional work is needed on communicating welfare measures; analytic tools to account for uncertainty, information asymmetry, space, and time; appropriate models to understand the factors affecting voluntary action; the economics of cooperation with other countries; and defining the success of an invasive species policy. Suggestions for future PREISM research included: a) the economic consequences of invasive species, such as tourism, and foreign animal diseases; b) the behavior of marginal, small-scale producers and non-commercial animal owners; c) institutional, technological, and structural change; d) the role of public opinion and consumer response in implementing invasive species programs, especially for foreign animal diseases; and e) studies focused on policy design rather than species-specific research.
| Welcome Welcome to the Workshop Steve A. Halbrook, Farm Foundation Welcome to ERS Mary Bohman, Resource and Rural Economics Division, ERS |
| Research Presentations I |
| The Economics of Ecology of the Risk of Invasive Plant Establishment from the Horticultural Trade in North America Edward B. Barbier, University of Wyoming |
| Strategic Behavior, Incentives, Heterogeneity and Invasive Species Management: Preliminary Results Janie M. Chermak, University of New Mexico |
| Managing Economic Risks caused by Insects: Bug Options James Eaves, Rutgers University, and Timothy Richards, Arizona State University |
| Choosing Efficient Treatment Options by Assessing Costs and Benefits in a Spatial Risk-Based Optimization Framework Lisa A. Wainger and Dennis M. King, University of Maryland |
| Moderator: Mary Lisa Madell, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA Discussant: Joseph Aldy, Resources for the Future |
| Moderator: Robert Dismukes, Market and Trade Economics Division, ERS Luncheon Speech—Foreign Animal Diseases and Farm Biosecurity Simon Kenyon, Purdue University |
| Research Presentations II |
| Integrating Location Theory with Risk Management for Invasive Management David Zilberman, University of California, Berkeley |
| Identifying Arbitrary Regulations of Invasive Species and their Impact on Seed Trade: Some Initial Results John Beghin, Iowa State University |
| Policy Instruments for Prevention of Invasive Species in Strategic International Trade Relationships Lars Olson, University of Maryland |
| Moderator: Kenrett Jefferson-Moore, North Carolina A & T University Discussant: David Abler, Pennsylvania State University |
| Research Presentations III |
| Do Government Payments for Invasive Species Outbreaks Decrease the Need for Biosecurity? Andrew Muhammad, Mississippi State University |
| Integrated Bioeconomic Modeling of Invasive Species Management David Finnoff, University of Wyoming |
| Biology and Economics of Invasive Species: Spatial and Temporal Interactions Rachael E. Goodhue, University of California, Davis |
| Moderator: Lynn Garrett, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA Discussant: Eduardo Segarra, Texas Tech University |
| Moderator: Stan Daberkow, Resource and Rural Economics Division, ERS Keynote Speech: The Successes and Shortcomings of Current Invasive Species and Foreign Animal Disease Programs Gary Smith, University of Pennsylvania |
| Research Presentations IV |
| Value of Animal Traceability Systems in Managing a Foot and Mouth Disease Outbreak Dustin Pendell and Ted Schroeder, Kansas State University |
| The Economics of Managing Infectious Wildlife Disease When Livestock Are at Risk Christopher A. Wolf, Michigan State University |
| Economic Impacts of Select Foreign Animal Diseases Philip L. Paarlberg, Purdue University |
| Moderator: Chris Klocek, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA Discussant: Dawn Thilmany, Colorado State University |
| Wrap-Up Panel Joseph Aldy, Resources for the Future Simon Kenyon, Purdue University Megan Romberg, American Association for the Advancement of Science Eduardo Segarra, Texas Tech University David Abler, Pennsylvania State University Gary Smith, University of Pennsylvania Dawn Thilmany, Colorado State University Moderator: Utpal Vasavada, Economic Research Service, USDA |