Abstract
The main purpose of this paper is to estimate farmers’ preferences and their willingness to pay (WTP) for ecosystem services derived from four agricultural water management (AWM) and resource recovery and reuse (RRR) intervention options in Burkina Faso, using a choice experiment (CE). These include; small water infrastructure, drip irrigation, recovery of organic matter from waste, and treated wastewater. The design decisions relating to attribute selection, the level of attributes, alternatives and choice tasks were guided by literature, field visits, focus group discussions, expert input and an iterative process of the STATA software to generate an orthogonal main-effects CE design. The data used was generated from a random sample of 300 farm households in the Dano and Ouagadougou municipalities in Burkina Faso. Results from conditional logit, latent class logit and mixt logit models show that farmers have positive and significant preferences for drip irrigation, treated wastewater, and organic matter. However, they are WTP on average more for drip irrigation and organic matter for agricultural sustainability. In line with economic theory, the cost of an intervention reduces demand for a given intervention. These findings can provide policy makers with evidence for agricultural policy design to build farmers’ resilience in the Sahel.
Highlights
IntroductionUnderstanding the economic value of nature and the services it provides to mankind (e.g., food, fiber, medicines, improved air quality and clean water; protection from flooding, storms, and pests; and cultural and spiritual wellbeing, among others) has become increasingly important since the publication of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA) report in 2005 [1]
Understanding the economic value of nature and the services it provides to mankind has become increasingly important since the publication of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA) report in 2005 [1]
Changes in farmers’ behaviour toward the adoption of agricultural water management (AWM) and recovery and reuse (RRR) interventions in Burkina Faso and the Sahel region in general are necessary for sustainable agricultural production
Summary
Understanding the economic value of nature and the services it provides to mankind (e.g., food, fiber, medicines, improved air quality and clean water; protection from flooding, storms, and pests; and cultural and spiritual wellbeing, among others) has become increasingly important since the publication of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA) report in 2005 [1]. It is increasingly being recognized that quantifying and integrating ES and benefits into decision-making will be crucial for sustainable development [1] This is relevant for sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) in general, and West Africa in particular, where agriculture is the main source of livelihood for over 60% of the population, and known to represent humankind’s largest engineered ecosystem through its provisioning services [3]. The intensive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, including agricultural practices that enhance soil degradation among others, lead to ecosystem dis-services that reduce productivity or increase production costs [3] This is coupled with the worsening threat from climate change (CC). According to the Montpellier panel of 2013, without positive productivity changes, food production systems in West Africa, for example, will only be able to meet 13% of needs in 2050; and, under moderate CC without adaptation, total agricultural production in West Africa will even decline by at least 1.5% by 2050 [6]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
