Staff profile

Riccardo Scarpa is an applied economist who was educated at the Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison (1993-98), with a first degree (Laurea) in Agricultural Science from the University of Tuscia, Italy (1983-88) and an MSc in Environmental Impact Assessment from University College of Wales, Aberystwyth (1989-90). In 1998 he moved to the UK to take up a lectureship first in Newcastle and then at York. In 2005 he took a chair at the Waikato Management School in NZ, where he still has academic involvement. In 2012-2014 he held the Gibson Chair in Environmental, Rural and Food Economics at Queens University Belfast. Since 2014 he has held a part-time associate professorship at the University of Verona at the dpt of Business Economics. Ric has acted as an expert for several national and international funding agencies (including the EU Commission) in grant proposal evaluations. He has also acted as external and internal member of several promotion committees, including a role as OECD member of the “Abilitazione Scientifica Nazionale” in Public Economics and Finance (sector 13/A3) for the Italian Government in 2013-14. 

Publishing and editorial engagements

Ric’s has co-authored over 160 peer-reviewed interdisciplinary papers which have been published in a variety of academic journals, including all top field journals in environmental and agricultural economics. Ric has acted as academic reviewer for over 70 academic journals and as an associate editor and member of the editorial board of several field journals. He has supervised over 20 PhD students, most of whom went on to academic or research-based positions. His publications have been cited more than 5,000 times in ISI journals (h-index 43). He has served in various editorial roles in all international agricultural economics journals. He still serves as member of editorial boards of journals in other fields. In the last 10 years he has been consistently ranked in the top 1% of REPECS authors for H-index in economics and in the top 5% for most other indicators.

 

Consultancy

Ric has a keen interest in making his research relevant to society and has been engaged in a variety of consultancy tasks using advanced stated choice survey design to derive estimates of nonmarket goods. His consultancy engagements touched on the economics of water, energy and transport utilities in the UK, Italy, Australia and New Zealand. More consultancy tasks were for international research organisations (e.g. FAO, CGIAR, OECD, etc.) and land management agencies (various national and regional parks) as well as local authorities. 

His most recent World Bank consultancy (2019-2020) involved participating in the team that evaluated the cost of environmental degradation in 2017 for the coastal area of the country of Georgia.

He is listed in the “top Italian Scientists List” for the macro area “business sciences”.

Current research projects and relevant links

 

CV

• Econometrics of discrete choice
• Public goods and quasi-public good valuation and financing

• Economics & Finance Department
• Environmental and Energy Economics

Chapter in book

• Koundouri, P., Scarpa, R. & Stithou, M. (2014). A Choice Experiment for the Estimation of the Economic Value of the River Ecosystem: Management Policies for Sustaining NATURA (2000) Species and the Coastal Environment. In Water Resources Management Sustaining Socio-Economic Welfare: The Implementation of the European Water Framework Directive in Asopos River Basin in Greece. Koundouri, P. & Nikos, A. Springer. 7: 101-112.
• Ruto, E. & Scarpa, R. (2010). Using choice experiments to investigate preferences for cattle traits in Kenya. In Choice Experiments in Developing Countries: Implementation, Challenges and Policy Implications. Bennett, J. & Birol, E. Cheltenham, U.K.: Edward Elgar. 244-260.
• Beharry-Borg, N. & Scarpa, R. (2010). Researcher-selected versus respondent-selected attributes: improved coastal water quality in Tobago. In Choice Experiments in Developing Countries. Bennett, Jeff. & Birol, Ekin. Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, U.K. 67-86.
• Campbell, D. Hutchinson, W.G. & Scarpa, R. (2008). Using mixed logit models to derive individual-specific WTP estimates for landscape improvements under agri-environmental schemes: evidence from the Rural Environment Protection Scheme in Ireland. In Choice Experiments Informing Environmental Policy: A European Perspective. Birol, E. & Koundouri, P. Edward Elgar, Cheltenham U.K. 58-81.
• Beharry, N. & Scarpa, R. (2008). Valuing improved coastal water quality for beach recreation on the Caribbean island of Tobago. In Payment for Ecosystems Services. Kumar, P. & Muradian, R. Oxford University Press, U.K.

Journal Article

• Bellelli, Francesco S. Scarpa, Riccardo & Aftab, Ashar (2023). An empirical analysis of participation in international environmental agreements. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management
• Bellelli, Francesco S., Aftab, Ashar & Scarpa, Riccardo (2022). The Participation Dilemma: A Survey of the Empirical Literature on International Environmental Agreement Ratification. Review of Environmental Economics and Policy
• Franceschinis, Cristiano, Scarpa, Riccardo, Rossetto, Luca & Thiene, Mara (2022). Is local and organic produce less satiating? Some evidence from a field experiment. European Review of Agricultural Economics 49(5): 1146–1178.
• Kassie, Girma T., Zeleke, Fresenbet Birhanu, Mulugeta Yitayih & Scarpa, Riccardo (2022). Would a simple attention-reminder in discrete choice experiments affect heuristics, preferences, and willingness to pay for livestock market facilities? PLoS ONE 17(7): e0270917.
• Pellegrini, A., Rose, J. & Scarpa, R. (2022). Multiple herbicide use in cropland: A discrete continuous model for stated choice data. Land Economics 98(2): 355-375.
• Atzori, R., Pellegrini, A., Lombardi, G. & Scarpa, R. (2022). Response times and subjective complexity of food choices: A web-based experiment across 3 countries. Social Science Computer Review
• Asiago-Reddy, E. A. McPeak, J., Scarpa, R., Braksmajer, A., Ruszkowski, N., McMahon, J. & London, A. S. (2022). Perceived access to PrEP as a critical step in engagement: A qualitative analysis and discrete choice experiment among young men who have sex with men. PLOS One 17(1): e0258530.
• Dorgali, M.V., Longo, A. Vass, C., Shields, G., Harrison, R. Scarpa, R. & Boeri, M. (2022). A General Public Study on Preferences and Welfare Impacts of Antimicrobial Resistance in the United Kingdom. PharmacoEconomics 40(1): 65-76.
• Crastes Dit Sourd, R, Beaumais, O, Mahieu, P.A, Martinez-Camblor, P & Scarpa, R (2021). A Contingent Valuation Test for Measuring the Construct Validity of Willingness-to-pay Estimates derived from choice-experiments. Land Economics 97(3): 608-625.
• de Villiers, C., Cho, C. H., Turner, M. J. & Scarpa, R. (2021). Are Shareholders Willing To Pay For Financial, Social And Environmental Disclosure? A Choice-Based Experiment. European Accounting Review
• Aftab, Ashar, Ahmed, Ajaz & Scarpa, Riccardo (2021). Farm Households’ Perception of Weather Change and Flood Adaptations in Northern Pakistan. Ecological Economics 182(April 2021): 106882.
• Scarpa, Riccardo Bazzani, Claudia Begalli, Diego & Capitello, Roberta (2021). Resolvable and near-epistemic uncertainty in stated preference for olive oil: an empirical exploration. Journal of Agricultural Economics 72(2): 335-369.
• Arata, Linda Guastella, Gianni, Pareglio, Stefano Scarpa, Riccardo & Sckokai, Paolo (2021). Do city dwellers care about peri-urban land use? The case of environment-friendly agriculture around Milan. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management 64(6): 1044-1066.
• Scarpa, R., Franceschinis, C. & Thiene, M. (2021). Logit Mixed Logit Under Asymmetry and Multimodality of WTP: a Monte Carlo Evaluation. American Journal of Agricultural Economics 103(2): 643-662.
• De Salvo, Maria Scarpa, Riccardo Capitello, Roberta & Begalli, Diego (2020). Multi-country stated preferences choice analysis for fresh tomatoes. Bio-based and Applied Economics 9(3): 241-262.
• Silz-Carson, K, Chilton, S. M., Hutchinson, W. G. & Scarpa, R. (2020). Public Resource Allocation, Strategic Behavior, and Status Quo Bias in Choice Experiments. Public Choice 185(1-2): 1-19.
• Pedersen, L. B., Mørkbak, M. R. & Scarpa, R. (2020). Handling resolvable uncertainty from incomplete scenarios in future doctors' job choice – probabilities vs discrete choices. The Journal of Choice Modelling 34: 100199.
• Ndebele, T, Marsh, D & Scarpa, R. (2019). Consumer switching in retail electricity markets: Is price all that matters? Energy Economics 83: 88-103.
• Thiene, M., Franceschinis, C. & Scarpa, R. (2019). Congestion management in protected areas: accounting for respondents’ inattention and preference heterogeneity in stated choice data. European Review of Agricultural Economics 46(5): 834-861.
• Masiero, M., Franceschinis, C., Mattea, S., Thiene, M., D., Pettenella, D. & Scarpa, R. (2018). Ecosystem services' values and improved revenue collection for regional protected areas. Ecosystem Services 34(A): 136-153.
• Thiene, M., Scarpa, R., Longo, A. & Hutchinson, W.G. (2018). Types of front of pack food labels: Do obese consumers care? Evidence from Northern Ireland. Food Policy 80: 84-102.
• Bennett, M. T., Gong, Y. & Scarpa, R. (2018). Hungry Birds and Angry Farmers: Using Choice Experiments to Assess “Eco-compensation” for Coastal Wetlands Protection in China. Ecological Economics 154: 71-87.
• Agnoli, L., Boeri, M., Scarpa, R., Capitello, R. & Begalli, D. (2018). Behavioural patterns in Mediterranean-style drinking: Generation Y preferences in alcoholic beverage consumption. Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics 75: 117-125.
• Caputo, V., Scarpa, R., Nayga, Jr. R. M. & Ortega, D. L. (2018). Are Preferences for Food Quality Attributes Really Normally Distributed? An Analysis using Flexible Mixing Distributions. Journal of Choice Modelling 28: 10-27.
• Mariel, P., Scarpa, R. & Vega-Bayo, A. (2018). Joint parental school choice: exploring the influence of individual preferences of husbands and wives. Regional Science and Urban Economics 68: 23-35.
• Matthews, Y., Scarpa, R. & Marsh, D. (2018). Cumulative attraction and spatial dependence in a destination choice model for beach recreation. Tourism Management 66: 318-328.
• Caputo, V., van Loo, E., Scarpa, R., Nayga Jr., R.M. & Verbeke, W. (2018). Comparing Serial, and Choice Task Stated and Inferred Attribute Non-Attendance Methods in Food Choice Experiments. Journal of Agricultural Economics 69(1): 35-57.
• Phillips, Y., Scarpa, R. & Marsh, D. (2017). Stability of willingness-to-pay for coastal management: a choice experiment across three time periods. Ecological Economics 138: 64-73.
• Johnston, R.J., Boyle, K.J., Adamowicz, W., Bennett, J., Brouwer, R., Cameron, T.A., Hanemann, W.M., Hanley, N., Scarpa, R., Tourangeau, R. & Vossler, C.A. (2017). Contemporary Guidance for Stated Preference Studies. Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists 4(2): 319-405.
• Franceschinis, C., Thiene, M., Scarpa, R., Rose, J., Moretto, M. & Cavalli, R. (2017). Adoption of renewable heating systems: An empirical test of the diffusion of innovation theory. Energy 125: 313-326.
• Thiene, M., Shaw, D. & Scarpa, R. (2017). Perceived risks of mountain landslides in Italy: stated choices for subjective risk reductions. Landslides 14(3): 1077-1089.
• Matthews, Y., Scarpa, R. & Marsh, D. (2017). Using virtual environments to improve the realism of choice experiments: a case study about coastal erosion management. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management 81: 193-208.
• McMichel, A., Boeri, M., Rolison, J., Kane, J., O’Neill, F., Kee, F. & Scarpa, R. (2017). The influence of genotype information on psychiatrists’ treatment recommendations: more experienced clinicians know better what to ignore. Value in Health 20(1): 126-131.
• Caputo, V., Scarpa, R. & Nayga, R. (2017). Cue versus independent food attributes: the effect of adding attributes in choice experiments. European Review of Agricultural Economics 44(2): 211-230.
• Fu, B., Dyer, F., Kravchenko, A., Dyack, B., Merritt, W. & Scarpa, R. (2017). A note on communicating environmental change for non-market valuation. Ecological Indicators 72: 165-172.
• Gibson, J., Scarpa, R. & Rohorua, H. (2017). Estimating the willingness to pay for Warmer and Drier Homes. New Zealand Economic Papers 51(1): 15-27.
• Thiene, M., Swait, J. & Scarpa, R. (2017). Choice set formation for outdoor destinations: the role of motivations and preference discrimination in site selection for the management of public expenditures on protected areas. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management 81: 152-173.
• Mattea, S., Franceschinis, C., Scarpa, R. & Thiene, M. (2016). Valuing landslide risk reduction programs in the Italian Alps: the effect of visual information on preference stability. Land Use Policy 59: 176-184.
• Franceschinis, C., Scarpa, R., Thiene, M., Rose, J., Moretto, M. & Cavalli, R. (2016). Exploring The Spatial Heterogeneity of Individual Preferences for Ambient Heating Systems. Energies 9(6): 407.
• Newman, P.A., Cameron, S., Roungprakhon, S., Tepjan, S. & Scarpa, R. (2016). Acceptability and Preferences for Hypothetical Rectal Microbicides among a Community Sample of Young Men who have Sex with Men and Transgender Women in Thailand: A Discrete Choice Experiment. AIDS and Behaviour 20(11): 2588-2601.
• Thiene, M., Scarpa, R. & Louviere, J. (2015). Addressing preference heterogeneity, multiple scales and attribute attendance with a correlated finite mixing model of tap water choice. Environmental and Resource Economics 62(3): 637-656.
• Mkwara, L., Marsh, D. & Scarpa, R. (2015). The effect of within-season variability on estimates of recreational value for trout anglers in New Zealand. Ecological Economics 119: 338-345.
• Yao, R., Scarpa, R., Rose, J.M. & Turner, J. (2015). Experimental Design Criteria and Their Behavioural Efficiency: An Evaluation in the Field. Environmental and Resource Economics 62(3): 433-455.
• Rungie, C., Scarpa, R. & Thiene, M. (2014). The influence of individuals in forming collective household preferences for water quality. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management 68(1): 161-174.
• Boeri, M., Scarpa, R. & Chorus, C.G. (2014). Stated choices and benefit estimates in the context of traffic calming schemes: Utility maximization, regret minimization, or both? Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice 61: 121-135.
• Yao, R.T., Scarpa, R., Turner, J.A., Barnard, T.D., Rose, J.M., Palma, J.H.N. & Harrison, D.R. (2014). Valuing biodiversity enhancement in New Zealand's planted forests: Socioeconomic and spatial determinants of willingness-to-pay. Ecological Economics 98: 90-101.
• Tee, J., Scarpa, R., Marsh, D. & Guthrie, G. (2014). Forest valuation under the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme: a real options binomial tree with stochastic carbon and timber prices. Land Economics 90(1): 44-60.
• Campbell, D., Hensher, D.A. & Scarpa, R. (2014). Bounding WTP distributions to reflect the ‘actual’ consideration set. Journal of Choice Modelling 11: 4-15.
• Aravena, C., Martinsson, P. & Scarpa, R. (2014). Does money talk? — The effect of a monetary attribute on the marginal values in a choice experiment. Energy Economics 44: 483-491.
• Cicia, G., Cembalo, L., Del Giudice, T. & Scarpa, R. (2013). Country-of-origin effects on Russian wine consumers. Journal of Food Products Marketing 19(4): 247-260.
• Thiene, M., Scarpa R., Galletto L. & Boatto V. (2013). Sparkling wine choice from supermarket shelves: the impact of certification of origin and production practices. Agricultural Economics 44: 523-536.
• Caputo, V., Nayga R. & Scarpa R. (2013). Food miles or carbon emissions? Exploring labeling preference for food transport footprint with a stated choice study. Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics 57: 465-482.
• Cameron M. P., Newman P. A., Roungprakhon S. & Scarpa R. (2013). The Marginal Willingness-to-Pay for Attributes of a Hypothetical HIV Vaccine. Vaccine 31(36): 12: 3712–3717.
• Scarpa, R., Zanoli R., Bruschi V. & Naspetti S. (2013). Inferred and stated attribute non-attendance in food choice experiments. American Journal of Agricultural Economics 95(1): 165-180.
• Thiene, M., Scarpa, R., Galletto, L. & Boatto, V. (2013). Determinants of WTP for Prosecco wine: a latent class regression with attitudinal responses. British Food Journal 11(2): 279-289.
• Stefani, G., Scarpa, R. & Cavicchi, A. (2012). Exploring consumer’s preferences for farmed sea bream. Aquaculture International 20(4): 673-691.
• Stithou, M. & Scarpa, R. (2012). Collective versus voluntary payment in contingent valuations for the conservation of marine biodiversity: an exploratory study from Zakynthos, Greece. Ocean and Coastal Management 56: 1-9.
• Campbell, D., Hensher D. & Scarpa R. (2012). Cost thresholds, cut-offs and sensitivities in stated choice analysis: identification and implications. Resource and Energy Economics 34(3): 396-411.
• Zanoli, R. Scarpa, R. Napolitano, F. Piasentier, E. Naspetti, S. & Bruschi V. (2012). Organic label as an identifier of environmentally related quality: A consumer choice experiment on beef in Italy. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems 28(1): 70-79.
• Nocella, G., Boecker, A., Hubbard, L. & Scarpa, R. (2012). Eliciting consumer preferences for certified animal-friendly foods: can elements of the theory of planned behavior improve choice experiment analysis? Psychology and Marketing 29(11): 850-868.
• Day, B., Bateman, I., Carson, R., Dupont, D. Louviere, J.J. Morimoto, S. Scarpa, R. & Wang, P. (2012). Ordering Effects and Choice Set Awareness in Repeat-Response Stated Preference Studies. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management 63: 73-91.
• Scarpa, R., Thiene, M. & Hensher D. (2012). Preferences for tap water attributes within couples: An exploration of alternative mixed logit parameterizations. Water Resources Research
• Cicia, G., Cembalo, L. del Giudice, T. & Scarpa, R. (2011). The impact of country-of-origin information on consumer perception of environmental environment-friendly characteristics. International Journal on Food System Dynamics 2(1): 106-111.
• Marsh, D., Mkwara, L. & Scarpa, R. (2011). Do Respondents’ Perceptions of the Status Quo Matter in Non-Market Valuation with Choice Experiments? An Application to New Zealand Freshwater Streams. Sustainabilit 3(9): 1593-1615.
• Willis, K. Scarpa, R. Gilroy, R. & Hamza, N. (2011). Renewable energy adoption in an ageing population: Heterogeneity in preferences for micro-generation technology adoption. Energy Policy 39(10): 6021-6029.
• Vermeulen, B. Goos, P. Scarpa, R. & Vandebroek, M.L. (2011). Bayesian Conjoint Choice Designs to Measure the WTP. Environmental and Resource Economics 48: 129-149.
• Scarpa, R., Notaro, S., Louviere, J.J. & Raffaelli, R. (2011). Exploring Scale Effects of Best/Worst Rank Ordered Choice Data to Estimate Benefits of Tourism in Alpine Grazing Commons. American Journal of Agricultural Economics 93(3): 813-828.
• Scarpa R. & Thiene, M. (2011). Organic food choices and Protection Motivation Theory: addressing the psychological sources of heterogeneity. Food quality and preferences 22(6): 532-541.
• Campbell, D. Hensher, D.A. & Scarpa, R. (2011). Non-attendance to attributes in environmental choice analysis: a latent class specification. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management 54(8): 1061-1076.
• Beharry-Borg, N. & Scarpa, R. (2010). Valuing quality changes in Caribbean coastal waters for heterogeneous beach visitors. Ecological Economics 69: 1124-1139.
• Nocella, G., Hubbard, L.L. & Scarpa, R. (2010). Farm Animal Welfare, Consumer Willingness to Pay, and Trust: Results of a Cross-National Survey. Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy 32(2): 275-297.
• Scarpa, R., Thiene, M. & Hensher, D.A. (2010). Monitoring choice task attribute attendance in non-market valuation of multiple park management services: Does it matter? Land Economics 86(4): 817-839.
• Scarpa, R. & Willis, K.G. (2010). Willingness-to-pay for renewable energy: Primary and discretionary choice of British households’ for micro-generation technologies. Energy Economics 32(1): 129-136.
• Scarpa, R. & Hess, S. (2010). Specification and interpretation issues in behavioural models used for environmental assessment. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment 15(7): 367-442.
• Thiene, M. & Scarpa, R. (2009). Deriving and testing efficient estimates of WTP distributions in destination choice models. Environmental and Resource Economics 44(3): 379-395.
• Beharry-Borg, N., Hensher, D.A. & Scarpa, R. (2009). An analytical framework for joint vs separate decisions by couples in choice experiments: the case of coastal water quality in Tobago. Environmental and Resource Economics 43(1): 95-117.
• Campbell D., Hutchinson W.G. & Scarpa, R. (2009). Using choice experiments to explore the spatial distribution of willingness to pay for rural landscape improvements. Environment and Planning A 41(97-111).
• Scarpa R., Thiene M. & Galletto L. (2009). Consumers WTP for wine with certified origin: preliminary results from Latent Classes based on attitudinal responses. Journal of Food Products Marketing 15: 231-248.
• Matthews, D.I., Hutchinson, W.G. & Scarpa, R. (2009). Testing the stability of the benefit transfer function for discrete choice contingent valuation data. Journal of Forest Economics 15(1-2): 131-146.
• Scarpa R., Gilbride, T.J., Campbell, D. & Hensher, D.A. (2009). Modelling attribute non-attendance in choice experiments for rural landscape valuation. European Review of Agricultural Economics 36(2): 151-174.
• Kaval, P., Stithou, M. & Scarpa, R. (2009). Social values of biodiversity conservation: for the endangered loggerhead turtle and monk seal. International Journal of Ecological Economics and Statistics 14(P09): 67-76.
• Hynes, S., Hanley N. & Scarpa, R. (2008). Effects on Welfare Measures of Alternative Means of Accounting for Preference Heterogeneity in Recreational Demand Models. American Journal of Agricultural Economics 90(4): 1011-1027.
• Scarpa, R. & Rose, J.M. (2008). Design efficiency for non-market valuation with choice modelling: how to measure it, what to report and why. Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics 52(3): 253-282.
• Campbell, D., Hutchinson, W.G. & Scarpa, R. (2008). Incorporating discontinuous preferences into the analysis of discrete choice experiments. Environmental and Resource Economics 41: 401-417.
• Thiene, M. & Scarpa, R. (2008). Hiking in the Alps: exploring substitution patterns of hiking destinations. Tourism Economics 14(2): 263-282.
• Leon-Gonzalez, R. & Scarpa, R. (2008). Improving multi-site benefit functions via Bayesian model averaging: A new approach to benefit transfer. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management. 56(1): 50-68.
• Scarpa, R., Thiene, M. & Train, K. (2008). Utility in Willingness to Pay Space: A Tool to Address Confounding Random Scale Effects in Destination Choice to the Alps. American Journal of Agricultural Economics 90(4): 994-1010.
• Campbell, D., Scarpa, R. & Hutchinson, W.G. (2008). Assessing the spatial dependence of welfare estimates obtained from discrete choice experiments. Letters in Spatial and Resource Sciences 1(2-3): 117-126.
• Cembalo, L., Cicia, G., del Giudice T., Scarpa, R. & Tagliafierro, C. (2008). Beyond Agropiracy: The Case of Italian Pasta in the United States Retail Market. Agribusiness 24(3): 403-413.
• Scarpa, R., Thiene, M. & Marangon, F. (2008). Using flexible taste distributions to value collective reputation for environmentally-friendly production methods. Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics / Revue canadienne d'agroeconomie 56: 145-162.
• Ruto, E., Garrod. G. & Scarpa, R. (2008). Valuing animal genetic resources: a case study of cattle in Kenya using choice experiments. Agricultural Economics 38: 89-98.
• Roessler, R., Drucker, A.G., Scarpa, R., Markemann, A., Lemke, U., Thuy, L.T. & Valle Zárate, A. (2008). Using choice experiments to assess smallholder farmers' preferences for pig breeding traits in different production systems in North–West Vietnam. Ecological Economics, 66(1): 184-192.