Standards of ecological compensation for traditional eco-agriculture: Taking rice-fish system in Hani terrace as an example

Abstract

Traditional eco-agriculture provides many ecosystem services which are important for the local environment; especially in mountain areas. In order to encourage the farmers to engage in eco-agriculture; it is necessary to establish an eco-compensation mechanism for them.As the compensation standard is one of key issues in establishing eco-compensation mechanism; this paper calculated the standard based on the farmers’ willingness to accept (WTA) and the input-output analysis of eco-compensation. We took the traditional rice-fish eco-agriculture as the research object; conducting field surveys in Hani Terrace of Honghe County. Through the questionnairesin 2011; we obtained the farmers’ willingness to accept government compensation and market compensation. Then; the research evaluated the output of eco-compensation; the economic value of rice-fish paddy ecosystem services. Finally; under different market compensation standards; we compared the input and output of government compensation. The results show that; in 2011 the government should to pay farmers 7462 yuan·ha–1·a-1to meet their willingness; but the output (ecological benefit) was only 7393yuan·ha–1·a-1. However; when the rice price increases 1 yuan·kg-1because of the limited use of chemicals in the next year; the government just has to pay farmers 4062 yuan·ha–1·a-1and the surplus will be 3331 yuan·ha–1·a-1.