Farm households’ willingness to participate in China's Grain-for-Green Program under different compensation scenarios

Abstract

The Grain-for-Green Program (GFGP) in China, one of the largest payment fot ecosystem services (PES) programs, has been regarded as an effective approach to achieving sustainable development. However, empirical research on factors motivating GFGP participation willingness remains limited and the comparison of the influencing pathways under different compensation scenarios is lacked. In this case study of farm households’ willingness of participation in Mulan Paddock, China, based on a participatory rural appraisal with 11 sample towns and 438 valid questionnaires, the structural equation model was applied to identify key factors influencing participation in GFGP in Mulan Paddock before (2000) and after (2014) the program under different compensation scenarios (i.e. with or without subsidies). It was found that 84.28% of farm households had increased income after the implementation of the GFGP. When the government provided subsidies, the past program support would dominate the willingness to participate in the program. When the government did not provide subsidies, subjective perceptions about the ecological and economic benefits and awareness of landscape protection were further supplemented as the most important factors for household participation. Under the subsidized scenario, neighborhood behavior could enhance household participation in the GFGP, while the participation decision was negatively influenced without subsidies. The findings provide guidance for better implementation of the next round GFGPs in China, and also for investigating the correlation between PES and social welfare in other non-developed areas.