Sinne Smed, born 18 August 1968. Her research interest focuses on behavioral economics and consumer behavior, with emphasis on explaining the underlying reasons for consumer behavior and how the public can regulate consumer behavior through information provision and taxation. Furthermore, she has done a considerable amount of work on demand for organic foods and labelling. She teaches two courses in Econometrics both at BA and MSc level. She actively participates in the public debate, especially concerning taxation of foods, and works as a temporary advisor for the WHO on that matter.

Current position

Associate Professor in Consumer Behaviour

Education (formal)

2005 – 2008       PhD in Economics Center for applied Microeconometrics, University of Copenhagen. Thesis title “Health, information and consumer behaviour”.

2001                 M.Sc. Agricultural Science, The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Denmark.

Previous positions

2013 – Pres.:  Associate Professor Department of Food and Resource Economics, University of Copenhagen

2009 – 2013:  Assistant Professor Department of Food and Resource Economics, University of Copenhagen

2008 - 2009:   Researcher, AKF, Institute of Local Government Studies, Denmark

2005 - 2008:   PhD Student at AKF, Institute of Local Government Studies, Denmark

2001 - 2005:   Research Fellow at Health and Ethics division, Institute of Food and Resource Economics, University of Copenhagen

Key qualifications

I have a general interest in consumer behaviour and how stated attitudes and preferences can complement observed data on behaviour. I want to analyse how to regulate, understand and explain consumer and human behaviour in relation to dietary health, climate and the environment. My  focus is on applied micro-econometric modelling allowing for behavioural heterogeneity and how to integrate attitudes and other behavioural factors into traditional demand models. During this work I have also worked on solving challenges such as self-selection, incomplete data problems as well as dealt with censoring and endogeneity.  My research can be divided into four main topics; 1) Using long panel data, exploring new methods and new combinations of data, 2) Describing the heterogeneity of consumer acquisition, understanding and reaction to information, 3) Understanding the effects and design of optimal regulation of consumer behaviour, 4) To quantify the underlying health, environmental and climate consequences of consumer choice of food.

Selected relevant scientific advisory skills and experiences:

• 2019 – 2021 Member of the Program Committee (PC) of the 2021 EAAE Congress.
• 2017 – 2018 Member of the Dyrnes commission to assess the taxes on sugar sweetened beverages and snack food in Norway https://www.regjeringen.no/no/aktuelt/utvalg-skal-vurdere-avgiftene-pa-sjokolade--og-sukkervarer-og-alkoholfrie-drikkevarer/id2619266/
• 2015 – 2016 Consultant for the World Bank on Fiscal Policies on Diet in the EAP
• 2015 Expert panel member, WHO technical meeting on Fiscal Policies on Diet (http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/250131/1/9789241511247-eng.pdf?ua=1 )
• 2013 – 2017 Member of the advisory board Strategies for Implication of Healthy, Sustainable, Affordable and Culturally Acceptable Food Baskets into Food Policy of EU Countries

• 2014: Organizer of the workshop: Consumer behavior, selfcontrol and intrinsic motiovation
• 2014 – 2017: Member of the advisory board for evaluation of the Mexican softdrink and junkfood tax
• 2012-2013 Special adviser for the WHO on development of a new generation of nutrition, physical activity and obesity-prevention policies in Europe

Teaching Experience

• Applied Economics of consumption. Cource responsible (2016-)
• Summercourse BCs level- Econometrics. Course resonsible (2012 - 2016)
• Applied Econometrics – MSc-level. Course responsible (2009 – )
• Industrial Organisation – MSc-level. Course Responsible (2011 )

Supervision Experiences

• Main supervisor of 27 master thesis (co-supervisor of additionally 4 master thesis), 7 bachelor thesis and a number of minor projects (Project out of course scope, Projects in Practice etc.)
• Supervisor of 3 PhD students (two on-going)
• Part in the assessment committee for 2 PhD students.

Refereeing activities

Referee for leading economic and nutritional journals, among others: American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Public Health Nutrition and the Lancet.

 Bibliometric indicators

(GS): H-index: 23, i-10 index 36; total number of citations: 1963. (WoS): H-index 13, total number of citations 681.

RESEARCH GRANTS (Applicant and CO-applicant)

2023 – 2026: USDA –NIFA Using Natural Experiments To Understand The Impact Of summary Nutrition Labels On Nutrition Disparities And Retail Pricing (total grant 794,626US$)

2022 – 2024: UCPH Interdisciplinary research network for supporting a green transition of food consumption patterns: Plant food and pleasure. Grant size 53755 €. Funded by – Food  consumption’s sustainability and pleasure schism

2021 – 2022: (DIKO) Diagnose og kost - kostændringer i relation til en livsstilsrelateret diagnose. Grant size 78.000 €. Funded by Helsefonden

2021 – 2024: (SYSORG) Organic agro- food systems as models for sustainable food systems in Europe and Northern Africa. NEXS and IFRO grant size 250.000 € (total grant 811000 €) Funded by CoreOrganic and SUSFOOD2

2020 – 2023: (RECONCILE) REcycling, CONsumer CredibILity and Ecosystem integrity. IFRO grant size 336.000€ (total grant size 835.000 €), Funded by Grønt udviklings og demonstrationsprogram.

2016 – 2018: Consequences of aging on the purchase of food. KU- seed money. Approximately grant size €30.000

2012 – 2016: (CLYMBOL) Understanding how health information affects the behaviour of food consumers”. Grant size  (IFRO’s part part) €201000 Funded by the EU – FP7 Cooperation Work Programme: Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, and Biotechnologies.

2012 – 2016: (FiTT) Food in Turbulent Times. Approximate grant size €818000. Funded by the Strategic Research Council

2011 – 2012:  COP-CONCEPTS – synergy. Approximate grant size €147000. Funded by FØJO III.

2010 – 2013: Understanding how health information affects the behaviour of food consumers” . Approximate grant size €413,000 funded by the Danish Council for Independent Research, Social Sciences, FSE.

2007-2008: Socioøkonomiske faktorers betydning for udviklingen af fedme blandt børn og unge (In Danish). Approximate grant size €50000 Funded by the Health Insurance Foundation

2006- 2010: (CONCEPTS) The Viability and Stability of Demand: The Future Outlook for the Organic Market in Denmark. Approximate grant size €1,345,000 funded by International Centre for Research in Organic Food Systems, ICROFS

2004- 2007: Obesity, information and consumer behavior. Grant size €266000 funded by the Danish Council for Independent Research, Social Sciences, FSE).

I have several research projects at the moment, however all of them is related to health, sustainbility and food consumption behaviour. In RECONCILE we are estimating consumer Willingness to Pay for food produced with recirulated nutrients, and assessing the barriers and facilitators for this. In another project we look at the association between dietary health and climate impact based on real life diets using various methods to measure health and climate impact Furthermore, I am working on papers adressing the health and public revenue diluting effects of bordertrade as well as the effect of major life events such as retirement and livestyle related diagnosis on dietary health.