The Economics of Genomic Information Sharing in the Alberta Beef Sector

Abstract

Abstract In this thesis, I estimate the willingness-to-accept (WTA) for genomic information sharing in Alberta beef cattle production. In addition, I examine the factors that influence the WTA by commercial cow-calf producers in genomic information sharing with Breeding Associations (BAs). As part of this thesis, I conducted a survey among the commercial cow-calf producers in Alberta. In total, 52 respondents completed the survey. Through the survey, I find that educational background, farm size, farm operation and the type of information all affect the willingness to share information. Larger farms and those that already have systems in place to collect genomic data easily are more willing to share their information at a lower price. Furthermore, respondents with genomic-related majors are more willing to share their information. Lastly, the perception about the benefits of genomic information sharing also influences respondent behavior. My results show that paying producers can be an effective tool to encourage cow-calf producers to share genomic information with BAs. However, the type of information and the degree of difficulty associated with collecting the information matter a great deal.