Estimating non-market values of fruit tree diversity in the Czech Republic
Nicholas Tyack  1, *@  , Milan Scasny  2@  
1 : The Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies  (IHEID)
2 : Charles University [Prague]  -  Website
Ovocný trh 3-5, Prague 1, 116 36 Czech Republic -  Czech Republic
* : Corresponding author

Inspired by John Krutilla's landmark essay, “Conservation Reconsidered,” we investigate the non-use values of fruit tree diversity in the Czech Republic by using stated preference methods to estimate the willingness-to-pay (WTP) of a representative sample of the Czech public for different components of the total economic value of this historic Czech resource. We find significant and positive estimates for all types of value in both samples, with respondents from the Czech representative sample WTP the most for insurance value (with a mean value of $10 per respondent) and respondents from the S. Moravian sample WTP the most for option value (with a mean value of $11 per respondent). The mean WTP for existence and bequest value were found to be lower in both samples (around $7 to $8 per respondent) and statistically lower than the estimate for insurance value (with option value only being found to be statistically higher than the estimate for bequest value). In addition, we find large differences in WTP due to socio-economic characteristics. For example, we find that those who believe it is important to adapt the Czech agriculture sector to climate change were WTP much more for the insurance and existence values stemming from conserving Czech fruit tree diversity, while preferring palenka (Czech fruit brandy) to other kinds of alcohol was highly significant in predicting WTP for option and bequest value value (and retired individuals were found to have a higher WTP for bequest value but a lower WTP for option value). This analysis is of interest both for the local insights it provides into the different values of fruit tree diversity for Czechs, and also as a broader example of how individuals value different non-use values related to crop diversity. Economists have typically focused on estimating the use value of crop diversity, though the conservation of genetic resources is likely to be associated with the provision of non-use values as well. Thus, this study contributes to a quite limited literature on the non-use values of agrobiodiversity, and provides specific estimates of existence, bequest, insurance and option values in the case of traditional Czech fruit tree diversity.

 


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