Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 70-84 |
| Number of pages | 15 |
| Journal | Forest Policy and Economics |
| Volume | 87 |
| Early online date | 28 Nov 2017 |
| Publication status | Published - Feb 2018 |
Abstract
The rapid expansion of natural rubber farming in southern China has led to negative environmental consequences, such as soil erosion and biodiversity loss. Therefore, local governments have made the restoration and protection of ecosystems a major policy issue. However, such efforts will only be successful if local communities participate. Using cross-sectional data on 612 smallholder rubber farmers in Xishuangbanna, this study investigates the willingness of smallholder rubber farmers to participate in ecosystem protection. We employ a multivariate probit regression model to estimate three ways of participating in environmental protection: (i) through monetary contributions of rubber farmers, (ii) by reducing rubber areas, and (iii) through the provision of free labor. The results show that most rubber farmers are willing to participate in local ecosystem protection. While wealthier households tend to participate by contributing money and providing free labor, poorer households prefer to reduce their rubber planting areas. Approximately 10% of the farmers believe that rubber cultivation has positive environmental effects and therefore abstain from participating in ecosystem protection measures. Our findings have important implications for policymakers who want to implement programs to restore and protect ecosystems in Xishuangbanna and other rubber planting regions in southern China.
Keywords
- Ecosystem, Environmental awareness, Household wealth, Rubber farmer
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Agricultural and Biological Sciences(all)
- Forestry
- Social Sciences(all)
- Sociology and Political Science
- Economics, Econometrics and Finance(all)
- Economics and Econometrics
- Environmental Science(all)
- Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law
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In: Forest Policy and Economics, Vol. 87, 02.2018, p. 70-84.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Willingness of smallholder rubber farmers to participate in ecosystem protection
T2 - Effects of household wealth and environmental awareness
AU - Min, Shi
AU - Bai, Junfei
AU - Huang, Jikun
AU - Waibel, Hermann
N1 - Funding information: This study was conducted in the framework of the Sino-German “SURUMER Project”, funded by the Bundesministerium für Wissenschaft, Technologie und Forschung (BMBF), FKZ: 01LL0919 . We also acknowledge the funding support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Project #: 71333013 ). We are especially grateful to the Xishuangbanna biological industry office and local officials for facilitating the field survey of smallholder rubber farmers in Xishuangbanna.
PY - 2018/2
Y1 - 2018/2
N2 - The rapid expansion of natural rubber farming in southern China has led to negative environmental consequences, such as soil erosion and biodiversity loss. Therefore, local governments have made the restoration and protection of ecosystems a major policy issue. However, such efforts will only be successful if local communities participate. Using cross-sectional data on 612 smallholder rubber farmers in Xishuangbanna, this study investigates the willingness of smallholder rubber farmers to participate in ecosystem protection. We employ a multivariate probit regression model to estimate three ways of participating in environmental protection: (i) through monetary contributions of rubber farmers, (ii) by reducing rubber areas, and (iii) through the provision of free labor. The results show that most rubber farmers are willing to participate in local ecosystem protection. While wealthier households tend to participate by contributing money and providing free labor, poorer households prefer to reduce their rubber planting areas. Approximately 10% of the farmers believe that rubber cultivation has positive environmental effects and therefore abstain from participating in ecosystem protection measures. Our findings have important implications for policymakers who want to implement programs to restore and protect ecosystems in Xishuangbanna and other rubber planting regions in southern China.
AB - The rapid expansion of natural rubber farming in southern China has led to negative environmental consequences, such as soil erosion and biodiversity loss. Therefore, local governments have made the restoration and protection of ecosystems a major policy issue. However, such efforts will only be successful if local communities participate. Using cross-sectional data on 612 smallholder rubber farmers in Xishuangbanna, this study investigates the willingness of smallholder rubber farmers to participate in ecosystem protection. We employ a multivariate probit regression model to estimate three ways of participating in environmental protection: (i) through monetary contributions of rubber farmers, (ii) by reducing rubber areas, and (iii) through the provision of free labor. The results show that most rubber farmers are willing to participate in local ecosystem protection. While wealthier households tend to participate by contributing money and providing free labor, poorer households prefer to reduce their rubber planting areas. Approximately 10% of the farmers believe that rubber cultivation has positive environmental effects and therefore abstain from participating in ecosystem protection measures. Our findings have important implications for policymakers who want to implement programs to restore and protect ecosystems in Xishuangbanna and other rubber planting regions in southern China.
KW - Ecosystem
KW - Environmental awareness
KW - Household wealth
KW - Rubber farmer
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85035752807&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.forpol.2017.11.009
DO - 10.1016/j.forpol.2017.11.009
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85035752807
VL - 87
SP - 70
EP - 84
JO - Forest Policy and Economics
JF - Forest Policy and Economics
SN - 1389-9341
ER -