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Citizen support for agri-environmental measures motivated by environmental consciousness
Highlights Citizens support agri-environmental measures applied by farmers. Preference heterogeneity occurs within and between specific measures. Measures that impact the production process are favored over landscape elements. Relevant knowledge and environmental attitude have limited influence on preferences. Hybrid choice models clarify the cognitive processes that precede such preferences.
Abstract Citizens are indispensable stakeholders in rural social-ecological systems and public policies that affect them. For example, the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) promotes agri-environmental measures (AEMs) to reduce agricultural externalities and enhance supply of ecosystem services to benefit society, compensating farmers for incurred costs and income foregone with public money. However, studies on citizen support for AEMs are rather rare. This study assesses citizen preferences for specific AEMs with a discrete choice experiment in a rural area in Flanders, which stands as an example for densely populated, intensive agricultural landscapes. Hybrid choice modelling based on the multidimensional environmental consciousness framework revealed support and significant willingness to pay for all AEMs, although with substantial heterogeneity. Mechanical weeding and increasing nesting opportunities for bees and birds were particularly favored. The affective dimension of environmental consciousness, i.e., environmental attitude, only plays a limited role in shaping the observed preferences. The cognitive dimension is even less relevant for specific preferences. This should be considered if one aims to realize community supported policies. The study presents the applicability of hybrid choice modelling in the field of environmental economics and highlights some methodological issues.
Citizen support for agri-environmental measures motivated by environmental consciousness
Highlights Citizens support agri-environmental measures applied by farmers. Preference heterogeneity occurs within and between specific measures. Measures that impact the production process are favored over landscape elements. Relevant knowledge and environmental attitude have limited influence on preferences. Hybrid choice models clarify the cognitive processes that precede such preferences.
Abstract Citizens are indispensable stakeholders in rural social-ecological systems and public policies that affect them. For example, the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) promotes agri-environmental measures (AEMs) to reduce agricultural externalities and enhance supply of ecosystem services to benefit society, compensating farmers for incurred costs and income foregone with public money. However, studies on citizen support for AEMs are rather rare. This study assesses citizen preferences for specific AEMs with a discrete choice experiment in a rural area in Flanders, which stands as an example for densely populated, intensive agricultural landscapes. Hybrid choice modelling based on the multidimensional environmental consciousness framework revealed support and significant willingness to pay for all AEMs, although with substantial heterogeneity. Mechanical weeding and increasing nesting opportunities for bees and birds were particularly favored. The affective dimension of environmental consciousness, i.e., environmental attitude, only plays a limited role in shaping the observed preferences. The cognitive dimension is even less relevant for specific preferences. This should be considered if one aims to realize community supported policies. The study presents the applicability of hybrid choice modelling in the field of environmental economics and highlights some methodological issues.
Citizen support for agri-environmental measures motivated by environmental consciousness
Fockaert, Lysander (author) / Mathijs, Erik (author) / Vranken, Liesbet (author)
2022-12-21
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
Integrated cost-effectiveness analysis of agri-environmental measures for water quality
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