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BACKGROUND: Economic incentives can improve clinical outcomes among in-care people living with HIV (PLHIV), but evidence is limited for their effectiveness among out-of-care PLHIV or those at risk of disengagement. We propose a type 1 hybrid effectiveness-implementation study to advance global knowledge about the use of economic incentives to strengthen the continuity of HIV care and accelerate global goals for HIV epidemic control. METHODS: The Rudi Kundini, Pamoja Kundini study will evaluate two implementation models of an economic incentive strategy for supporting two groups of PLHIV in Tanzania. Phase 1 of the study consists of a two-arm, cluster randomized trial across 32 health facilities to assess the effectiveness of a home visit plus one-time economic incentive on the proportion of out-of-care PLHIV with viral load suppression (

Problem definition: How can retailers incentivize customers to make healthier food choices? Price, convenience, and taste are known to be among the main drivers behind such choices. Unfortunately, healthier food options are often expensive and not adequately promoted. However, we are observing recent efforts to nudge customers toward healthier food. Methodology/results: In this paper, we conducted a field experiment with a global convenience store chain to better understand how different add-on bundle promotions influence healthy food choices. We considered three types of add-on bundles sequentially: (i) an unhealthy bundle (when customers purchased a coffee, they could add a pastry for $1), (ii) a healthy bundle (offering a healthy snack, such as fruit, vegetable, or protein, as a coffee add-on for $1), and (iii) a choice bundle (the option of either a pastry or a healthy snack as an add-on to coffee for $1). In addition to our field experiment, we conducted an online laboratory study to strengthen the validity of our results. Managerial implications: We found that offering healthy snacks as part of an add-on bundle significantly increased healthy purchases (and decreased unhealthy purchases). Surprisingly, this finding continued to hold for the choice bundle, that is, even when unhealthy snacks were concurrently on promotion. However, we did not observe a long-term stickiness effect, meaning that customers returned to their original (unhealthy) purchase patterns once the healthy or choice bundle was discontinued. Finally, we show that offering an add-on choice bundle is also beneficial for retailers, who can earn higher revenue and profit. Funding: This research was supported by the James McGill Scholar Award Fund, the Scale AI Chair Program, IIVADO (Institut de valorisation des données) Fundamental Research Project Grant, and two Discovery Grants from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2023.0336. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The heavy reliance on herbicides for weed control has led to an increase in resistant weeds in the United States. Robotic weed control is emerging as an alternative technology for removing weeds mechanically using artificial intelligence. We develop an integrated weed ecological and economic dynamic (I‐WEED) model to examine the biophysical and economic drivers of adopting robotic weed management and simulate the optimal timing and intensity of robotic adoption within and across growing seasons. We specify a cohort‐based weed growth model that relates yield damages to effective weed density and treats the susceptibility of weeds to herbicides as a renewable resource that can be regenerated by using mechanical weeding robots, due to a fitness cost that makes resistant weeds less prolific. Compared to myopic weed management which ignores resistance development, forward‐looking management leads to earlier adoption of robots and treating robots as complements instead of substitutes to herbicides. This weed management results in adopting fewer robots, deploying robots on a smaller portion of the land, higher profitability, and lower yield loss in the long run, relative to myopic management. Counterintuitively, myopic management leads to a lower resistance level through its higher robot adoption intensity. We also find that a lower level of initial weed seed resistance and/or a higher fitness cost result in a higher level of resistance because they create incentives for farmers to delay the adoption of robotic weed control. Our analysis shows the importance of jointly considering the interactions between weed ecology and economics in analyzing the incentives and effects of robotic weed management on weed resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aims to comprehend sustainable behaviors in high-income nations, where human–environment interactions are crucial. Increased transportation needs in industrialized countries highlight the importance of environmental challenges affecting human well-being. Railway passenger carrier, automobile energy efficiency, technology breakthroughs, financial incentives, and public–private partnerships (PPPs) affect congestion and sustainability, which the study analyses for sound policy inferences in a panel of 28 high-income nations from 2000 to 2022. The panel ARDL estimates reveal that railway passenger carrier increases carbon emissions in the short run while it improves them over time, highlighting the importance of urban planning. Environmental pollution, energy use, transportation behavior (including PPPs), and technical innovation have an inverse connection, demonstrating the efficacy of energy-efficient transport methods, research and development, and renewable energy sources. However, economic incentives highly correspond with carbon-intensive habits, emphasizing the need for high-income countries to phase them out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the study was to conduct a comparative analysis of the management of sustainable land use development projects in Ukraine and the EU countries and to develop recommendations for improving Ukrainian practices in accordance with the requirements of the European Union. The methodology was based on a systematic approach and included the analysis of statistical data, an expert survey, and the calculation of an integral index of compliance with EU requirements. The study focused on three key aspects: restoration of degraded land, introduction of organic farming, and water management. The results revealed that Ukraine is lagging behind in all the parameters under study. In the area of restoration of degraded land, it was found that the area of restored land in Ukraine (8.4% of the total area of degraded land) is almost twice less than the average of the EU countries studied (16.8%). Investments in land restoration in Ukraine (310 EUR/ha) are only 39% of the EU average (792 EUR/ha). The analysis of the development of organic farming showed that the share of organic land in Ukraine (1.1% of the total agricultural area) is almost 6 times lower than the average for the EU countries under study (6.7%). The number of certified organic producers in Ukraine (3.2 per 100,000 population) is 6.4 times lower than the average for EU countries. In the field of water management, it was found that the irrigation efficiency in Ukraine (60%) is significantly lower than the EU average (77.4%), and the share of land with drip irrigation in Ukraine (5.2%) is 3.5 times lower than the EU average (18%). The calculation of the integral index of compliance with EU requirements showed that Ukraine (56 points) significantly lags behind the average of the EU countries studied (82.4 points). Based on the identified differences and successful practices of EU countries, a set of recommendations has been developed to improve the management of sustainable land use projects in Ukraine. Key recommendations include the development of a comprehensive national strategy, the creation of specialised financing funds, the introduction of economic incentives, the modernisation of monitoring systems, the harmonisation of standards with the EU, and large-scale educational campaigns. The study emphasises the need to significantly improve approaches to managing sustainable land use projects in Ukraine to bring them closer to EU standards and ensure efficient use of land resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring the adoption of green production technologies by farmers (GTA) is of great significance, given the context of global climate change and sustainable agricultural development. This article starts from the perspective of the transformation of the farmland transfer market, based on research data from 2076 farmers, and uses the endogenous disposal effect model to examine its impact on GTA. The results indicate that the transformation of China's farmland transfer market has a significant "greening" effect on agriculture. Specifically, the paid transfer of farmland, written leases, and clear lease forms promote GTA, while acquaintance transactions are not conducive to it. Participation in the farmland transfer market has increased the likelihood of GTA by 18.7% and is statistically significant at the 1% level. However, the adoption level of green production technology by ordinary farmers remains low, and achieving green development in agriculture is a long and arduous task. Mechanism analysis shows that the transformation of the farmland transfer market can effectively enhance GTA by increasing the scale of operations, farmers' income, and mechanization levels. When the transfer targets new business entities, such as family farms, professional cooperatives, and enterprises, it significantly promotes GTA. The findings suggest that deepening the reform of the farmland transfer market, promoting large-scale agricultural operations, strengthening the application of green production technologies, improving the level of agricultural mechanization, and accelerating the process of sustainable agricultural development are all essential steps toward enhancing GTA and, ultimately, achieving sustainable agricultural development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable energy policies are recognized as the cornerstone of the low-carbon energy transition. However, they may cause resource misallocation between firms due to information asymmetries and differences in productivity, marginal costs, and revenues. This paper investigates the direct effects of heterogeneous renewable energy policies on resource misallocation and the mediating effects of zombie firms by using the Chinese renewable energy listed firms in the period 1995 to 2020. The empirical results show that the regulation policy not only significantly reduces resource misallocation directly but also indirectly decreases misallocation by inhibiting the formation of zombie firms, whereas economic incentives can significantly result in resource misallocation and exacerbate it by breeding zombie firms. Furthermore, heterogeneous policy effects and the mediating effects of zombie firms are found to be associated with financial dependence, factor intensity, and location. The results have profound policy implications, calling for reasonable regulations, efficient economic incentives, and scientifically targeted policies for renewable energy firms. JEL Classification: C33, C54, O13, Q28, Q48 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The labor force constitutes a paramount factor of production in the realm of business operations. In the past, China's abundant labor force significantly boosted productivity for firms. However, as the demographic dividend gradually wanes, concerns have arisen regarding a scarcity of labor force, exacerbating worries about rising labor costs. Therefore, focusing on enhancing firms' labor investment efficiency becomes pivotal. Using a sample of A-stock listed firms in China from 2013 to 2020, we examine the impact of customer concentration on the labor investment efficiency of supplier firms. Prior literature provides mixed results regarding the effect of concentrated customers. They can act as a governance mechanism for reducing agency problems, thus, increasing investment efficiency. Conversely, agency problems are aggravated in suppliers with concentrated customers, consequently, reducing investment efficiency. Our results suggest that customer concentration reduces labor investment efficiency, and this effect is more pronounced when customers possess high bargaining power. Additionally, the mechanism analysis reveal that customer concentration leads to less accurate information disclosure, higher operating risk, and an incentive to 'empire building', reducing labor investment efficiency. The cross-sectional analysis reveals that customer concentration results in both over- and under-investment in labor, thereby reducing investment efficiency. In addition, we employ augmented models to rule out the possibility of a U-shaped relationship between customer concentration and labor investment efficiency. Furthermore, we adopt the instrumental variables approach as well as a two-stage regression model to address potential endogeneity concerns and mitigate the omitted variable concern. Our results hold after the robustness tests and endogeneity tests. The findings of this paper imply that firms should strategically diversify their customer bases, thereby reducing their reliance on a few large customers. Simultaneously, governments should actively encourage firms to broaden their customer base. It can help enhance labor investment efficiency by spreading the risks associated with customer concentration. Moreover, it is crucial to acknowledge that substantial customer bargaining power can negatively impact supplier firms. Thus, policymakers should promote antitrust regulations and fair trade practices to mitigate the high bargaining power of large customers. JEL Classifications: G31, E22, J20 Keywords: Customer concentration, Agency problems, Business risk, Labor investment efficiency, INTRODUCTION Labor constitutes a fundamental resource for firms' production and operational activities, holding significant implications for both macroeconomic growth and the competitiveness of micro-firms (Atanassov and Kim, 2009; Jung et [...]

The hunter is the key actor in unsustainable hunting of bushmeat in African forests and his behavior is driven by socioeconomic factors among others. However, not much is known about the effectiveness of incentive‐based conservation actions providing socioeconomic benefits to reduce hunting. This study, therefore, examined how changes in the socioeconomic situation of hunters brought about by reciprocal environmental agreements affects their hunting behavior. During a project implemented near the Dja Faunal Reserve (Cameroon), we recorded changes in socioeconomic characteristics of hunters for 15 months spanning 3 years. Bushmeat offtake and hunting effort parameters were also recorded. Comparisons of the evolution of these parameters over the years were made between hunters who signed the agreements and those who did not. We found that signatory hunters were older and had larger households than non‐signatories, and they earned more income from cocoa sales. Although both groups of hunters had similar characteristics regarding hunting behavior at the start of the project, signatory hunters harvested less bushmeat at the end of project. More time was spent in hunting by non‐signatory hunters compared to signatories who hunted less at the end of our monitoring period. Signatory hunters hunted less with firearms than non‐signatories, and they consumed more and sold less of their catches compared to non‐signatories. This study underlines the importance of reciprocal environmental agreements as an incentive‐based conservation scheme that can reduce hunting pressure. These findings show that economic incentives provided to individuals through reciprocal environment agreements can promote livelihood paradigm shifts, alleviating poverty, decreasing dependence on natural resources and benefiting animal conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many studies point to the social and environmental benefits of agroforestry, also in temperate regions such as Flanders. Nevertheless, farmers do not yet see agroforestry as an equally valuable option alongside other farming systems because of the uncertain economic profitability and the current incompatibility of this system with existing market conditions. This paper has the aim to identify and evaluate – existing and hypothetical- economic incentives for agroforestry in Flanders. Data was collected over the period 2015—2021 through focus groups at conferences and in thematic living labs in Flanders with a broad range of stakeholders (e.g. farmers, processors, policy makers, researchers, etc.). The results were analysed qualitatively in Nvivo12 to make a classification of incentives and instruments in a first phase. In a second phase they were evaluated based on an adjusted SAF (Suitability, Acceptability and Feasibility) framework. Four types of incentives were identified: (1) government based; (2) payment for agroforestry products; (3) payment for ecosystem services; and (4) community based incentives. Currently, the highest potential is expected from payment for ecosystem services and the least potential from payment for products and community-based incentives due to a lack of consumer demand for agroforestry products specifically and the unfamiliarity of agroforestry to a broader public. At the end of the data collection period, a positive evolution was already observed in the development of these instruments. To accelerate this evolution, initiatives supporting awareness among a broader public and more insights into the preferences of a wide range of stakeholders is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supplemental Digital Content is Available in the Text. Background: Despite improvements in antiretroviral therapy (ART) availability, suboptimal adherence is common among youth with HIV (YWH) and can increase drug resistance and poor clinical outcomes. Our study examined an innovative mobile app-based intervention that used automated directly observed therapy (aDOT) using artificial intelligence, along with conditional economic incentives (CEIs) to improve ART adherence and enhance viral suppression among YWH. Setting: We conducted a pilot study of the aDOT-CEI intervention, informed by the operant framework of Key Principles in Contingency Management Implementation, to improve ART adherence among YWH (18–29) in California and Florida who had an unsuppressed HIV viral load. Methods: We recruited 28 virally unsuppressed YWH from AIDS Healthcare Foundation clinics, who used the aDOT platform for 3 months. Study outcomes included feasibility and acceptability, self-reported ART adherence, and HIV viral load. Results: Participants reported high satisfaction with the app (91%), and 82% said that it helped them take their medication. Comfort with the security and privacy of the app was moderate (55%), and 59% indicated the incentives helped improve daily adherence. Conclusions: Acceptability and feasibility of the aDOT-CEI intervention were high with potential to improve viral suppression, although some a priori metrics were not met. Pilot results suggest refinements which may improve intervention outcomes, including increased incentive amounts, provision of additional information, and reassurance about app privacy and security. Additional research is recommended to test the efficacy of the aDOT-CEI intervention to improve viral suppression in a larger sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]