The Logic of Testing Structural Change in Meat Demand: A Methodological Analysis and Appraisal

Abstract In the past two decades, the profession has expended valuable resources testing structural change in meat demand with mixed results. Overlooked to date is a fundamental methodological problem that transcends all methods of testing for structural change. In this study, a methodological framework is used to show that there is no valid test of structural change. Because of this result, additional criteria from the methodology literature are used to evaluate the literature on structural change in meat demand and to provide suggestions for fertile areas of future research.