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Unpublished Paper
Securing the Border from Invasives: Robust Inspections Under Severe Uncertainty
Economics Department Working Paper Series (2009)
  • Joe L. Moffitt
  • JOHN K STRANLUND, University of Massachusetts - Amherst
  • Craig D. Osteen
Abstract

Two important features of agricultural quarantine inspections of shipping containers for invasive species at U.S. ports of entry are the general absence of economic considerations and the severe uncertainty that surrounds invasive species introductions. In this article, we propose and illustrate a method for determining an inspection monitoring protocol that addresses both issues. An inspection monitoring protocol is developed that is robust in maximizing the set of uncertain outcomes over which an economic performance criterion is achieved. The framework is applied to derive an alternative to Agricultural Quarantine Inspection (AQI) for shipments of fruits and vegetables as currently practiced at ports of entry in the United States.

Keywords
  • Inspection,
  • Invasive Species,
  • Uncertainty
Disciplines
Publication Date
August, 2009
Citation Information
Joe L. Moffitt, JOHN K STRANLUND and Craig D. Osteen. "Securing the Border from Invasives: Robust Inspections Under Severe Uncertainty" Economics Department Working Paper Series (2009)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/john_stranlund/7/