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Nature-based tourism offers several positive effects, including bringing tourists closer to nature and increasing environmental awareness among them, creating new sources of employment, diversifying local and regional economies, promoting the conservation of local ecosystems, and protecting biodiversity. A pilot exercise based on choice experiments is presented to estimate the monetary value per year of nature-based tourism (NbT). The exercise was applied in the Jamapa watershed in Mexico, and the results showed that NbT would amount to USD 7.7 million, with tourism activities linked to agroforestry and USD 5.5 million around regenerative cattle ranching. These results provide input for decision makers in developing public policies to benefit society, nature, and sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forests offer a diverse range of ecosystem services for humans. For example, forests provide the space for passive recreational activities such as camping, hiking and bird watching. These activities are appealing to residents of all ages and in particular to those who cannot engage in more active recreational activities involving substantial expenditure of physical energy. The literature that examines the economic viability of developing passive recreational activities in forest ecosystems in developing countries is limited. Thus, using the Rio Hondo Community Forest in Puerto Rico as a case study, this study seeks to (1) estimate the benefits and costs of passive recreational opportunities, some of the nonmarket goods and services this forest offers, and (2) conduct a cost–benefit analysis to determine the economic viability of developing passive recreational activities. The results from this paper show that, in general, the residents prefer passive recreational activities demanding less effort. The development of such activities is economically viable. This study seeks to encourage inclusive forest management, ensuring that all groups of residents benefit from the forest, while simultaneously emphasizing sustainable practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to maintain the provision of high-quality ecosystem services in wetlands, it is important to protect the ecosystems through the designation of protected areas. However, the process of designating protected areas can potentially give rise to social conflicts or problems by the acquisition of private lands. As an alternative, the institution of payments for ecosystem services (PES) can be a more viable solution. This study intends to propose reasonable contract standards for PES that consider the preferences of both beneficiaries and providers, which are necessary for the successful introduction of PES in wetland protection areas in Korea. In doing so, we employed choice experiments to estimate the willingness to pay (WTP) and willingness to accept (WTA) of different stakeholders. Our findings indicate that both beneficiaries and providers had a positive perception of PES contract terms. Moreover, the WTP and WTA values were comparable, suggesting that the unit price of PES could be determined within a reasonable range. These results can serve as a foundation for acquiring additional funds required for the introduction of PES in wetland protected areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information attributes characterize traceable agri-food. The perceived value of information attributes influences consumers' preferences for traceable agri-food, consisting of two dimensions, predictive value and confidence value. We examine heterogeneous preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) in China's traceable agri-food market. Using the choice experiments, we explore how the traceability information, certification type, region of origin, and price influence Chinese consumers' Fuji apple choices. We identify three consumer classes by a latent class model: certification-oriented class (65.8%), price-sensitive and origin-oriented class (15.0%), and no-buy class (19.2%). The results show that consumer sociodemographic characteristics, predictive value, and confidence value are the heterogeneous sources that determine their preferences for Fuji apple information attributes. Specifically, consumers' age, family income per month, and whether the family has children under 18 significantly impact the membership probability of consumers in both certification-oriented and price-sensitive and origin-oriented classes. Consumers' predicted value and confidence value significantly impact the membership probability of consumers in the certification-oriented class. In contrast, consumers' predicted value and confidence value have no significant impact on the membership probability of consumers in price-sensitive and origin-oriented class. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The various ecosystem services related to water form a complex structure that impacts on human well-being so it is necessary to know the relationships between their attributes to support decision making for water security. Our work investigates individual preferences for water ecosystem service attributes in the Tilacancha River Microbasin, in northern Peru, using two methods of a different nature. In that context, prioritization results using Choice Experiments and Analytic Hierarchy Process are compared for their abilities to represent purchase preferences and theoretical preferences, respectively. Both methods reveal that in a context of abundant water resources, the public has a higher preference for the attributes Quality Maintenance and Water Regulation, over Sediment Control and Water Yield, which were less valued. The differences allowed us to identify possible applications of the results useful for water security management. Additionally, we conclude that it is possible to combine the results of both methods to support decision making, and we highlight the specific cases in which it is appropriate to use the methods individually. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural activities play an important role in shaping landscape, in particular, in Lithuania, where agricultural land accounts for more than half of the surface land. These landscape services are used by people as public goods, contributing to societal welfare. The aim of this study is to assess the value of agricultural landscape, identifying consumer preferences and willingness to pay for agricultural landscape attributes using the choice experiment (CE) method. The article analyses the agricultural landscape services and attributes the condition of which depends directly on the farming systems and practices applied. Four attributes of agricultural landscape were selected for the research: (i) scenic views; (ii) variety of flora and fauna species, (iii) recreational infrastructure and services, and (iv) objects of cultural heritage. The latent class approach (LCA) was used for analysis of heterogenous preferences among the Lithuanian residents. The findings provided quantitative information related to the demand for agricultural landscape goods, identifying a particular interest for the objects of cultural heritage, in relation to which the willingness to pay is particularly high. It is necessary to understand and analyse the preferences for agricultural landscape services with the purpose of improvement of the agricultural policy measures in order to change the farmers' performance towards sustainability. The case study offers new empirical arguments for agri-environmental policy development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecosystem services (ESs) can be defined as the values and benefits provided by ecosystems for human well-being. The main characteristic of ESs is that they benefit people. Agriculture is an important provider of ESs for society, culture, the environment and the economy. In mountain areas, agriculture embodies different functions. This work assesses the value of ESs provided by mountain farms according to mountain tourists' opinions, using a Choice Experiments (CEs) approach and quantitative surveys. CEs allow multiple scenarios with different attributes associated with monetary values that respondents had to choose. The sample comprised 840 mountain tourists, interviewed through an online survey in April 2020. The main results show that the ESs provided by agriculture and preferred by tourists are the maintenance of pastures and grazing, which are considered to shape the mountain landscape and provide for cultural and environmental ESs. Moreover, biodiversity conservation is another one of the most appreciated attributes, being fundamental for protecting the environment. A noticeable result is the importance associated with the ES provided by agriculture related to the regulation of hydrogeological assets, meaning that the awareness of the hydrogeological instability of mountain slopes is widespread and that tourists are sensitive to this topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildlife conservation and management are critical issues that attract substantial attention. To develop a sustainable conservation project for the Kinmen Eurasian otter, the present study established a wildlife conservation framework and constructed a management program suitable for Kinmen Eurasian otter conservation based on the preferences of tourists and residents. The results of this study show that residents and tourists were not satisfied with the current status of Eurasian otter conservation in Kinmen and were willing to pay to change the status quo. Respondents preferred to maintain and artificially construct otter habitats, increase the otter population, limit traffic speed and establish underpasses, Kinmen Eurasian otter products, and educational parks. The findings of the market segmentation analysis divided respondents into two groups, passive conservationists and active conservationists. Both groups preferred protecting the Kinmen Eurasian otter to some extent. Passive conservationists, which included mostly residents and individuals with lower levels of education, lacked awareness of the Kinmen Eurasian otter and preferred to establish Kinmen Eurasian otter products and educational parks. Active conservationists were primarily tourists with higher levels of education who were familiar with the Kinmen Eurasian otter and had previously participated in Kinmen Eurasian otter conservation activities. These tourists preferred all conservation attributes and levels. Both groups of conservationists disliked the decline in the number of Eurasian otters in Kinmen. In addition to understanding respondents' preferences for conservation strategies, these findings reveal the importance of promoting education about the Kinmen Eurasian otter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In subsistence economies where cash is scarce, non-monetary numeraires can be used instead of cash as utility measures. In this study, we investigate the values of the Thai water onion (Crinum thaianum) (WO), an endangered native wetland plant, for each service enhancement in Thailand, by using willingness to pay (WTP) money and willingness to volunteer (WTV) to measure the value of WO habitat conservation outcomes, including biodiversity, water quality, upstream conditions, and recreational opportunities. This study employs choice experiment (CE) surveys and face-to-face interviews with villagers in the WO areas of Phangnga and Ranong provinces in southern Thailand. The results show that improved upstream conditions are the most important benefit for residents, followed by biodiversity and water quality. Improving upstream conditions, biodiversity, and water quality from low to high would increase estimated annual welfare by USD 89 per person, while local residents would also provide an annual WTV of 80.2 days per person in exchange for considerable improvements in upstream conditions, biodiversity, and water quality. We found that low-income people are more likely to provide labor to improve ecosystem services. Overall, the findings suggest that the labor value, just as the monetary value, can also be used to evaluate the preferences for increased ecosystem services. This study implies that employing volunteer labor as a means of payment for accurate welfare estimations might be a practical alternative, and also allowing respondents to indicate their WTV may lead to an increase in the estimated value of ecosystem services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tropical deforestation and forest degradation are serious problems for the global environment; as a result, sustainable forest management and forest certification have become important. In this study, using a choice experiment, we investigated, on the demand side, consumers’ preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for certified wood products that attempt to address public concerns regarding deforestation and forest degradation. Specifically, we investigated how estimates of consumers’ preferences and WTP were influenced by product attributes such as quality, certification, and price. To the authors’ knowledge, few studies of this kind have been conducted, particularly in Japan. The study’s main finding was that Japanese consumers were willing to pay a premium for certified wood products with attributes related to sustainable forest management; most preferred were products with attributes related to preserving biodiversity. These findings indicate that consumers are willing to pay a premium for products that contribute to solving the problems of deforestation and forest degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on a discrete choice experiment with 336 consumers, this study investigated whether the consumer propensity to choose a simplified European Union (EU) vs. non-EU denomination of origin for beef, instead of a specific country-of-origin (COO) denomination, depends upon the amount and type of credence information provided to the individual. The likelihood of choosing the EU/non-EU denomination of origin depended on the total number of other labelling credence attributes provided and also on the type of detailed credence attributes present in the choice. The presence of cues relating to animal welfare and far-reaching traceability had the highest likelihood of influencing the choice of the EU/non-EU denomination of origin. The compensatory qualities of each credence attribute in relation to the EU/non-EU origin denomination thus differed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A choice experiment was used to assess households' willingness-to-pay (WTP) for informational attributes (sources of water used to rear fish, and certification) of fish products in Hanoi, Vietnam. The study showed that households' purchasing decisions are influenced by their access to information of food product attributes and ascribe an economic value to it. The results indicated that households are willing to pay 51% (USD 1.11 per kg) above the prevailing market price of fish for information to know if wastewater is used to rear the fish they consume. Similarly, they are willing to pay 20% above the prevailing market price of fish (USD 0.43 per kg) to know if freshwater is used as a rearing medium. It is important to note that the increased marginal WTP is for information on whether the fish they consume is raised in wastewater over freshwater. This supports the notion of households' concern over the safety of consuming wastewater-raised fish. Households are also willing to pay 65% (USD 1.42 per kg) above the prevailing market price for certified fish. Based on the cost of fish certification and WTP estimates, we found a total economic benefit of USD 172 million for the implementation of a wastewater-raised fish business model in Hanoi. The demand for wastewater-raised fish is likely to be affected by households' perception of certification by a trusted government agency, source of water used to raise the fish, age, income and household size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy performance in buildings has become a milestone in EU environmental policy in the last 15 years. Nonetheless, in some countries such as Spain the full acceptance of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive is still relatively rare and novel, with little evidence as to how relevant it is in the real estate market. There are different reasons for this phenomenon: on the one hand, the real estate crisis has paralyzed the completion of most of the works in new/refurbished efficient buildings (which renders it impossible to use revealed preference methods); on the other hand, information is not complete and the consumer's perception of the relevant cost/benefits could be incorrect. For this reason, assessing the trade-off between the energy label and other specific attributes of the housing market has become important. To that end, a choice experiment following an RPL (Random Parameter Logit) model was employed. This form is suitable to accommodate various empirical situations where the assumptions of the Conditional Logit model have to be relaxed. Results suggest that the Energy Label (EL) does matter in the real estate market in relation to other residential attributes. Marginal willingness to pay for an "A" label instead of an "E" is significantly higher than the stated savings in energy costs. The respondents' utility function seems to be also influenced by their educational level, as well as by their preference to own a house as opposed to renting it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Many issues relating to the sustainability of environmental resource use are informed by environmental valuation studies with stated preference surveys. Within these, researchers often provide descriptions of status quo conditions which may differ from those perceived by respondents. Ignoring this difference in utility baselines may affect the magnitude of estimated utility changes and hence bias benefit estimates of proposed environmental policies. We investigate this issue using data from a choice experiment on a community's willingness to pay for water quality improvements in streams. More than 60% of respondents perceived streams' water quality at the status quo to be better than the description we provided in our scenario. Results show that respondents who could provide details of their perception of the status quo displayed stronger preferences for water quality improvements—and hence higher marginal willingness to pay—than their counterparts. However, respondents who referred to their own status quo description displayed a higher inclination to prefer the status quo, while other respondents tended to prefer the proposed improvements. We argue this might be linked to the amount of knowledge each group displayed about the status quo: a kind of reluctance to leave what one believes he/she knows well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we conducted a nationwide online survey, including discrete choice scenarios, to understand consumers' purchasing behavior for flowering trees and shrubs for home landscapes in the US. In particular, we studied crapemyrtle, which is the most popular summer flowering tree in the US. This research evaluates the change in consumer willingness to pay for crapemyrtle plants due to pest infestation damage. Our study showed that the consumer willingness to pay (WTP) for crapemyrtles will decrease, due to the changes in their attributes, such as flower density and bark color, if infested by crapemyrtle bark scale (CMBS). We also analyzed the effect of consumers' personal characteristics, including their risk attitude, on their willingness to pay for crapemyrtle plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study estimates the economic value of the Daecheong Dam for the public function of responding to climate change. It examines the moderating effect of climate change perceptions on value estimates by applying choice experiments (CE). The study specifies three dam function attributes—drought management (DM), flood control (FC), and water quality monitoring (WM)—subdivided into three levels to improve the existing conditions. Survey data from 603 households living in Daejeon, Chungbuk, and Chungnam have been collected to perform the CE. Subsequently, two clusters—high-involvement and low-involvement groups—have been extracted, based on the climate change perception index. The main results of comparing the marginal willingness-to-pay between the two clusters are as follows. The attributes and price variable significantly affected the choice probability to benefit from improvements in the rational signs of the coefficients. This does not violate the independence of the irrelevant alternatives assumption. The improvement values of high-involvement and low-involvement groups are estimated as KRW 21,570 and KRW 14,572 a year per household, respectively. Both show the same value intensities in the order of WM, DM, and FC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal zones are bearing the brunt of an increase in the likelihood of extreme events, coupled with sea-level rise (SLR). Conventionally, gray infrastructures, such as seawalls, have been constructed to reduce risks in limited coastal zone spaces. Nature-based approaches, known as green infrastructure, have been used in coastal defense, and their ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction functions (Eco-DRR) have received growing attention. However, both gray and green infrastructure alone have limitations in responding to an ongoing increase in the intensity and frequency of natural hazards. To overcome these issues, hybrid infrastructure, which combine gray and green components, is needed, and they have been receiving growing attention. Meanwhile, a large-scale coastal development requires stakeholder agreement; thus, it is imperative to understand people's demands and build a consensus between municipalities and coastal citizens in coastal development for long-term resilience. The author administered the online survey across Japan, applying it to the choice experiment, and obtained 840 valid responses. Therefore, this paper clarified the heterogeneities in coastal people's preferences for coastal ecosystem services provided by gray, green, and hybrid structures in intertidal zones in Japan, recognizing seawalls as gray and coastal pine forests as green infrastructure. Consequently, while coastal citizens acknowledged gray's coastal defense function, the diverse perceptions toward seawalls for SLR preparation were notable as its scenarios became severe. Another remarkable finding is that nearly 60% of respondents preferred Eco-DRR functions provided by coastal forests with JPY 695 in willingness-to-pay for expanding 100 m in width, even though there are uncertainties in their performances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Animal landraces are historic local breeds often characterized by low production levels, so that their economic sustainability is often threatened and the risk of extinction is high. In Basilicata, southern Italy, a sheep landrace jeopardized of extinction is Gentile di Puglia. Thus, the study aimed at investigating the feasibility of a possible conservation strategy for such landrace based on the innovative use of its wool for the production of quality garments, so as to give new value to wool and allow further income to farmers. The results highlighted a possible good demand for such products, so as to reduce the difference in gross margin between Gentile di Puglia and the standardized intensively-farmed Comisana, from 57% to 3%. Such economic performance could be further improved by widening the set of fashion wool garments produced, so as to make the Gentile di Puglia even more preferable than other high-production breeds. In Basilicata, southern Italy, a sheep landrace jeopardized of extinction is Gentile di Puglia due to low production levels, low market values of milk and meat, and replacement of wool with synthetic fibers. Due to these dynamics farmers progressively resort to intensive breeding systems, hence causing the gradual disappearance of the ovine sector, the withering of traditional breeding culture and the abandonment of internal and marginal territories. However, in changing climate, traditional agriculture is getting increased attention worldwide by the consumers who are embracing emerging sustainable food production. Thus, in the light of a possible conservation strategy, the study investigates the prospective market for a garment (pullover) produced with wool from Gentile di Puglia, and woven through traditional techniques. An integrated methodological approach based on choice experiments and Bass diffusion model was carried out in order to analyze the consumers' preferences, the penetration market of this innovative product and the new wool value for farmers. The results pointed out a potential demand focused on women aged 50 years and more and a recognized wool value to farmers of 55 € animal−1 (22 € kg−1). This new revenue could allow the reduction of the difference in gross margin between the Gentile di Puglia and the non-autochthonous intensively-farmed Comisana from 57% to 3%. The production of further wool garments for a wider demand could increase the economic sustainability of Gentile di Puglia, making it even more preferable than other highly productive breeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the often-intangible benefits of agroecosystem services (AES), their cultural, social, and economic value is very difficult to quantify and integrate into decision-making and policy-making processes. The aim of this study is to assess the non-market values of AES in an exceptionally environmentally rich area of the Warmia and Mazury region (Poland), identifying consumers' preferences for them using the choice experiment (CE) method. Four AES attributes were selected for the research: (i) water quality; (ii) wildlife populations; and (iii) agricultural landscape. The study has revealed that the residents of Warmia and Mazury region were concerned about environmental issues that may be caused by agriculture. There was a demand for the provision of AES. The application of multinomial logit (MNL) model has revealed that marginal willingness to pay (MWTP) values were the highest for water quality (EUR 1.94), followed by wildlife population (EUR 1.02) and agricultural landscape (EUR 0.85). The findings have provided quantitative information related to the demand for improvements in AES through agri-environmental protection programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bang Kachao, the largest green area in the Bangkok metropolitan area, delivers significant ecosystem services to sustain society free of charge. It is therefore difficult to achieve socially optimal services because of inefficient allocation of resources, over-consumption, and negative externalities resulting from market failures. This study's purpose is to assess consumers' willingness to pay (WTP) for enhancing ecosystem services from the Bang Kachao Green Area and to investigate factors influencing the WTP of Bangkok residents. A choice experiment was applied by interviewing 200 respondents living in the Bangkok metropolitan area. The data were collected between July and September 2016 and analyzed using a conditional logit model. The results reveal that the respondents are willing to pay 42 USD per year to improve the ecosystem services in Bang Kachao. The respondents demand clean air the most, followed by food, recreation, and bird diversity. The government of Bangkok may take proactive steps to promote agroforestry and ecotourism in Bang Kachao. A Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) scheme may ensure the provision of ecosystem services in Bang Kachao. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this present study is to use choice experiments and an extensive cost-benefit analysis (CBA) to investigate the feasibility of installing two advanced water treatments in Cheongju waterworks in South Korea. The study uses latent class attribute non-attendance models in a choice experiment setting in order to estimate the benefits of the two water treatments. Moreover, it explores strategies to mitigate potential hypothetical bias as this has been the strongest criticism brought to stated preference methods to date. Hypothetical bias is the difference between what people state in a survey they would be willing to pay and what they would actually pay in a real situation. The study employs cheap talk with a budget constraint reminder and honesty priming with the latter showing more evidence of reducing potential hypothetical bias. The lower bound of the median WTP (willingness to pay) for installing a new advanced water treatment system is approximately $2 US/month, similar to the average expenditures for bottled water per household in South Korea. These lower bounds were found using bootstrapping and simulations. The CBA shows that one of the two treatments, granular activated carbon is more robust to sensitivity analyses, making this the recommendation of the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) is an alternative to the monoculture of fin fish species, in which several species are combined in the production process. This can have environmental advantages such as a lower environmental impact through nutrient cycling and natural filters; and can have economic advantages consisting of increased efficiency, product diversification and potential price premiums. In this paper, a choice experiment (CE) was conducted through an online survey in Ireland, the UK, Italy, Israel and Norway, to assess how the public makes decisions on what type of salmon or sea bream to buy based on the attributes of the product. Analysis assessed the Willingness-to-Pay (WTP) for more sustainable produced seafood using a Latent Class multinomial logit modelling approach. In the experiment, an ecolabel was used to distinguish between regularly produced (monoculture) products and sustainably produced (IMTA) products. The general public in each country showed a positive attitude towards the development of such an ecolabel and towards the payment of a price premium for the more sustainably produced salmon or sea bream. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an application of a choice experiment measuring public preferences for a farmland retirement project (FRP) in the Gansu environmental degraded region of China. The project helps improve China’s long-term food security, and information on public preferences can be used to cost-effectively design such policies. FRP is conceptualized with four attributes relating to public preferences: Areas enrolled in the program, duration of the contract, priority zone for conservation, and vegetation type for planting. The analysis employs a mixed logit model, allowing for preference heterogeneity, and explores the differences between the willingness to pay of urban and rural residents. Results identify substantial benefits for FRP, and these benefits are closely linked to the program design. Results also show that the willingness to pay for a longer period of the program of urban residents is significantly higher than that of rural residents. Finally, this study proposes policy recommendations that the number of areas and years of the current FRP in the study area can be increased moderately, but not excessively, to further benefit local residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]