An application of maximum entropy estimation: the demand for meat in the United Kingdom

In many econometric studies of demand relationships the design matrix is frequently subject to severe collinearity. In this paper the Generalized Maximum Entropy methodology is introduced and used to estimate a set of demand relationships. The ability of Generalized Maximum Entropy to estimate economic relationships that are typically subject to a high degree of collinearity among the explanatory variables, thus potentially causing traditional methods of estimation to be unreliable, is explained. The results derived by this alternative method of estimation, for a UK meat demand data set, are analysed and examined. The potential for this emerging estimation methodology is discussed.