Objective: Higher intakes of red and processed meat are associated with poorer health outcomes and negative environmental impacts. Drawing upon a population survey the present paper investigates meat consumption behaviours, exploring perceived impacts for human health, animal welfare and the environment. Design: Structured self-completion postal survey relating to red and processed meat, capturing data on attitudes, sustainable meat purchasing behaviour, red and processed meat intake, plus sociodemographic characteristics of respondents. Setting: Urban and rural districts of Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, UK, drawn from the electoral register. Subjects: UK adults (n 842) aged 18-91 years, 497 females and 345 males, representing a 35·6 % response rate from 2500 randomly selected residents. Results: Women were significantly more likely (P < 0·01) to consume ≤ 1 portion of meat/d compared with men. Females and older respondents (>60 years) were more likely to hold positive attitudes towards animal welfare (P < 0·01). Less than a fifth (18·4 %) of the sample agreed that the impact of climate change could be reduced by consuming less meat, dairy products and eggs. Positive attitudes towards animal welfare were associated with consuming less meat and a greater frequency of 'higher welfare' meat purchases. Conclusions: Human health and animal welfare are more common motivations to avoid red and processed meat than environmental sustainability. Policy makers, nutritionists and health professionals need to increase the public's awareness of the environmental impact of eating red and processed meat. A first step could be to ensure that dietary guidelines integrate the nutritional, animal welfare and environmental components of sustainable diets.

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Technical efficiency of wheat farms in eastern England is measured through the estimation of a stochastic frontier production function using panel data for the 1993-1997 crop years. Variations in the technical efficiency index across production units are explained through a number of managerial and farm characteristic variables following Battese and Coelli ( 1995) [Empirical Econ. 20, and incorporating the spirit of Rougooret al. (1998) [Agric. Econ. IS, 261-2721, The technical efficiency index across production units ranges from 62 to 98%. The objectives of maximising annual profits and maintaining the environment are positively correlated with, and have the largest influence on, technical efficiency. Moreover, those farmers who seek information, have more years of managerial experience, and have a large farm are also associated with higher levels of technical efficiency. Future studies that seek to explain variation in technical efficiency should include further aspects of the managerial decision-making process. 0 200 1 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. * Corresponding author. Tel.: +44-I 15-95 1-6075: fax: +44-I 15-95 1-6060.formance. Kay and Edwards define the functions of management as planning, implementation and control. Rougoor et al. (1998) have renewed the debate on how to measure the ability of a farmer to influence hidher farm results. Rougoor et al. (1998) broadened the definition of management and group management capacity into two components: personal aspects (e.g. drives, motivations, abilities and biographical facts) and aspects of the decision-making process (e.g. the practices and procedures in planning, implementation and control of decisions). It is argued that these two components are linked because the personal aspects of the manager may influence hidher ability to follow a decision-making process. Moreover, accounting for only one of these two components is E-mail address: paul.wilxm8nottingham.ac.uk (P. Wilson). argued to be a necessary but not sufficient condition

Virtual reality, or virtual environment computer technology, generates simulated objects and events with which people can interact. Existing and potential applications for this technology in the field of disability and rehabilitation are discussed. The main benefits identified for disabled people are that they can engage in a range of activities in a simulator relatively free from the limitations imposed by their disability, and they can do so in safety. Evidence that the knowledge and skills acquired by disabled individuals in simulated environments can transfer to the real world is presented. In particular, spatial information and life skills learned in a virtual environment have been shown to transfer to the real world. Applications for visually impaired people are discussed, and the potential for medical interventions and the assessment and treatment of neurological damage are considered. Finally some current limitations of the technology, and ethical concerns in relation to disability, are discussed.

Incentive payments to private landowners provide a common strategy to conserve biodiversity and enhance the supply of goods and services from ecosystems. To deliver cost-effective improvements in biodiversity, payment schemes must trade-off inefficiencies that result from over-simplified policies with the administrative burden of implementing more complex incentive designs. We examine the effectiveness of different payment schemes using field parameterized, ecological economic models of extensive grazing farms. We focus on profit maximising farm management plans and use bird species as a policy-relevant indicator of biodiversity. Common policy simplifications result in a 49-100% loss in biodiversity benefits depending on the conservation target chosen. Failure to differentiate prices for conservation improvements in space is particularly problematic. Additional implementation costs that accompany more complicated policies are worth bearing even when these constitute a substantial proportion (70% or more) of the payments that would otherwise have been given to farmers.