Valuation of agricultural land-use scenarios with choice experiments: a political market share approach

Abstract

This paper evaluates the preferences of cantonal politicians for future agricultural land-use scenarios in a rural region of the Swiss lowlands. We combine results from a choice experiment with the outcome of a mathematical programming model. As a result, we define cost-efficient future land-use scenarios which would find acceptance in the cantonal parliament. Our study indicates that the level of agricultural production associated with the extent of environmental goods and services in these land-use scenarios is a crucial issue in the political acceptance and thus in the design of green payments for agriculture.