Abstract To address major environmental challenges, meat-focused agri-food systems should shift to more sustainable plant-based alternatives, mainly centered around food legumes. However, not enough is known about the impact of pulse cultivation on nonmarket services, such as biodiversity conservation. Especially knowledge of the exact effect of management on endangered arable flora is limited. Understanding nonmarket services is essential for communicating the benefits of pulses to consumers, for adapting management practices, and for calculating potential remuneration. This study investigates how management practices, environmental (soil and weather), and landscape contextual factors influence biodiversity and provisioning services in pulse fields, and how these two services interact. Vegetation data from lentil and chickpea experimental plots and organic fields in the Mediterranean region were mapped and analyzed using primary data meta-analysis and ordination methods. We found that management practices are critical for biodiversity conservation in pulse systems. Omitting weed control increases arable flora species richness but not necessarily the Shannon index and monocropping outperforms intercropping in terms of arable flora diversity. Biodiversity in organic fields was significantly higher in field edges than in centers, highlighting the need for zone-specific management. Furthermore, landscape diversity and field size emerged as important drivers of biodiversity, particularly in the edges, where they explained over 20% of the variance. No negative relationship was found between arable flora diversity and grain yield, and biodiversity positively correlated with crop cover, showing that pulse cultivation can support both biodiversity conservation and production in organic systems.

Increasing global demand for palm oil (PO) has driven the expansion of oil palm (OP) plantations at the expense of tropical forests, despite the fact that forests are crucial sources of medicine, food, drinking water, and biodiversity. This study investigates the fundamental ecosystem services (ES) trade-offs resulting from forest-to-OP conversion in Cameroon to determine if the benefits provided by farming OP outweigh those of preserving forests for local communities. We utilized a mixed-methods approach, including social valuation and stakeholder analysis. 250 semi-structured questionnaires were administered to OP and non-OP farmers to compare the perceived provision of 14 key ES across both land-use types. Our findings reveal a stark polarization of ES provision. Forests offer a multi-functional bundle of ES, particularly non-marketed provisioning (e.g., wild meat, medicinal plants) and regulating services, that are highly valued and essential for local community subsistence and resilience. In sharp contrast, OP plantations provide a specialized, high-yield service focused almost exclusively on crude palm oil production, which translates into significant and measurable monetary benefits for OP farmers, enabling investments in human capital like education and transportation. However, this economic gain comes at the cost of a catastrophic decline in nearly all non-marketed services, including biodiversity habitat and air/water quality. The resulting ES trade-off is fundamentally inequitable: it concentrates financial benefits among commercial actors and OP farmers while externalizing the ecological and social costs, specifically the loss of non-monetary livelihood support onto the most vulnerable, forest-dependent communities. We conclude that the current model of OP expansion fosters environmental injustice. For OP to genuinely provide a net benefit to local communities, policy frameworks must urgently be implemented to mandate the internalization of ecological costs, such as through Payments for Ecosystem Services schemes, to compensate for lost non-market ES and safeguard the remaining high-value forest fragments.

Natural protected areas harbor ecosystems with significant ecological functions and economic value. The scientific accounting of Gross Ecosystem Product (GEP) is therefore critical for harmonizing ecological conservation with regional development. Using China’s Xilingol Grassland National Nature Reserve as a case study, this paper develops and applies a novel “3M” GEP accounting framework, integrating the three core elements of multi-dimensional indicators, multi-source data, and multi-method adaptation. This framework was employed to systematically quantify the values of the reserve’s provisioning, regulating, and cultural ecosystem services. The results show an annual GEP of CNY 170.5229 billion for the 5835.65 km2 reserve. Regulating services constituted the dominant share (97.77%), with climate regulation being the most significant component (CNY 160.15 billion). It is important to note that this high proportion is method-dependent, stemming from the industrial-substitution scenarios used to value non-market services. The combined contribution of provisioning and cultural services was 2.23%, representing 1.00% and 1.23%, respectively. Uncertainty analysis indicated a total error margin of ±9.3% (95% confidence interval), which is within an acceptable range for ecological accounting. The primary sources of uncertainty were data-resolution limitations, methodological choices, and regional parameter variability. These findings, corroborated by sensitivity analysis, confirm the robustness of the GEP estimate and clarify the influence of key ecological parameters on the valuation. By optimizing regional indicator adaptation, methodological localization, and multi-source data cross-validation, the proposed framework enhances the accuracy and policy relevance of ecosystem service valuation. It thus provides a methodological reference for GEP accounting and ecological asset management in other natural protected areas.

The article analyzes the mechanisms of visualization of the Vinnytsia city brand, namely: the city of ideas, the city of opportunities, the city of travel, the city of comfort, excursions conducted by professional guides of the Communal Enterprise "Vinnytsia City Tourism Office" and successful graduates of the "School of Guides and Ambassadors of Vinnytsia". In the study, the parks and squares of the city of Vinnytsia and the projects of creating new zones for ecological recreation, using the potential of water arteries, were analyzed. The expected results of the implementation of the "Tourism Development Strategy of the City of Vinnytsia until 2030", the activities of the largest Tourist Hub in Ukraine, as well as the peculiarities of the operation of the Vinnytsia Hospitality Association "Hlib Sil" were considered. "Strategy for the development of the city of Vinnytsia until 2030" is aimed at improving the living conditions of both city residents and guests, tourists, and investors through the improvement of the business and investment climate, its cultural attractiveness, the quality of the urban environment and the system of providing market and non-market services. The basis for the Strategy was the competitive advantages of the city, as well as the opportunities that open up due to changes in its external environment. Implementation of the Strategy assumes that within the framework of a strategic partnership of government, community and business, each partner can find their place, their interests and participate in the development of the city. It is noted that the tourism and hospitality industry is a combination of hotels, restaurants and vehicles, catering facilities, as well as entertainment, educational, medical, sports, business, and religious centers. The main advantages of strategic planning and management for tourism business entities are that the strategy: makes it possible to determine the main directions and ways of achieving goals for the activation of development and ensuring survival in the long term, concentrating efforts on obvious priorities; is a way of establishing interaction with the external environment.

The role of services in India's post-reform economic growth

Little is known about patient preferences and the value of pharmacy-collaborative disease management with primary care using technology-driven interprofessional communication under real-world conditions. Discrete Choice Experiments (DCEs) are useful for quantifying preferences for non-market services. 1) To explore variation in patient preferences and estimate willingness-to-accept annual cost to the National Health Service (NHS) for attributes of a collaborative intervention trial between pharmacies and primary care using a trial exit DCE interview; 2) to incorporate a DCE into an economic evaluation using cost-benefit analysis (CBA). We performed a DCE telephone interview with a sample of hypertension and hyperlipidemia trial patients 12 months after trial onset. We used five attributes (levels): waiting time to get urgent/not urgent medical appointment (7 days/45 days; 48 hrs./30 days; same day/15 days), model of pharmacy intervention (5-min. counter basic check; 15-min. office every 3 months for BP and medication review of selected medicines; 30-min. office every 6 months for comprehensive measurements and medication review of all medicines), integration with primary care (weak; partial; full), chance of having a stroke in 5 years (same; slightly lower; much lower), and annual cost to the NHS (0€; 30€; 51€; 76€). We used an experimental orthogonal fractional factorial design. Data were analyzed using conditional logit. We subtracted the estimated annual incremental trial costs from the mean WTA (Net Benefit) for CBA. A total of 122 patients completed the survey. Waiting time to get medical appointment-on the same day (urgent) and within 15 days (non-urgent)-was the most important attribute, followed by 30-minute pharmacy intervention in private office every 6 months for point-of-care measurements and medication review of all medicines, and full integration with primary care. The cost attribute was not significant. Intervention patients were willing to accept the NHS annual cost of €877 for their preferred scenario. The annual net benefit per patient is €788.20 and represents the monetary value of patients' welfare surplus for this model. This study is the first conducted in Portugal alongside a pharmacy collaborative trial, incorporating DCE into CBA. The findings can be used to guide the design of pharmacy collaborative interventions with primary care with the potential for reimbursement for uncontrolled or at-risk chronic disease patients informed by patient preferences. Future DCE studies conducted in community pharmacy may provide additional contributions. Current Controlled Trials (ISRCTN): ISRCTN13410498, retrospectively registered on 12 December 2018.

ABSTRACT Background Empirical support for the appropriate cost-effectiveness threshold (CET) in China remains sparse. Objective This study aimed to estimate the willingness to pay (WTP) for cancer prevention and treatment from the perspective of healthcare policy-makers (i.e. supply side) and to investigate whether there is a difference between the estimated WTP in two scenarios. Methods We conducted a web-based survey from May to July 2022 among experts who offering consultation to the government. We surveyed 79 experts from a national think-tank (84.81% response rate) using contingent valuation method, a method for estimating the monetary value that individuals place on a non-market service. Results The mean WTP for two scenarios were estimated at 1.29 times of per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of China and 1.90 times of per capita GDP, respectively. There was a difference between the WTP in the two scenarios and the WTP for treatment was significantly higher than prevention. Conclusion The findings suggest that though there is a smaller gap between the two scenarios in China as compared to other countries, the WTP may vary under different scenarios. So there’s a need to further refine the development of CET by adding parameters like prevention instead of defining one universal threshold.

The structural transformation path in most developing economies follows an employment shift towards service activities, skipping an industrialisation phase. In this paper, we explore how this premature deindustrialisation trend affects the inclusive growth trajectory of middle-income economies. Considering the trends in manufacturing employment and value-added share, we identify premature deindustrialisation phases in economies. We apply panel fixed-effects and bootstrap-corrected dynamic fixed-effects models to empirically examine the relationship between premature deindustrialisation and income inequality. Our findings suggest that income inequality rises with premature deindustrialisation if the displaced workers are absorbed into market services (especially with employment movement towards non-business market services such as trade, transport, hotels, and accommodation). In contrast, if non-market services (such as education and health) or business services (such as banking and financial services) are the dominant employment provider, it helps to reduce income inequality even in the presence of premature deindustrialisation.

In this article, the application of the Individual Travel Cost Method (ITCM) aims at providing a deeper insight into visitors? preferences and their expenses on marketed and non-marketed services when travelling to the Tra Su Melaleuca Forest Natural Park, an ecotourism destination in An Giang Province of Viet Nam. The empirical findings from the survey of 237 visitors in 2022 showed that the frequency of trips to this recreational site was 1.3 per year on average and relied strongly on the travel costs. Additionally, the estimate of tourism revenues for 2022 of this site was 82,3 billion Viet Nam Dong (VND; equivalent to 3,5 million USD). Meanwhile, its economic value calculated by the ITCM application reaches 206,2 billion VND (or 8,8 million USD). It is obvious that a greater economic value over the monetary amount of revenue also raises several ideas of managerial implications dedicated to the recreational site. It includes building a marketing team for developing recreational services and digital marketing performance, expanding tour services like transportation, lodging, local guides. Finally, enabling local people to engage in dialogues, decision-making, and interest shares is also necessary for the sustainable development of ecotourism.

Economic activities related to changes in the state of forest ecosystems due to the growing demand for forest resources are one of the main factors in the deterioration of forest ecosystems and a decrease in the cost of natural capital. Forest ecosystems are an essential source of ecosystem services, which are the most important element of natural assets. The purpose of review is to consider economic methods for assessing non-market services of forest ecosystems. The author describes methods for estimating the cost of forest ecosystem services based on the paradigm of sustainable development and welfare. With the increasing use of public goods (ecosystem services), there is a need for a better assessment of the role that forest ecosystems play in the conservation and enhancement of natural capital. Forest ecosystems represent a number of intangible values: scientific, cultural, religious, and also represent a heritage that can be passed on to future generations. Given the importance of forest ecosystems in sustaining sustainable development, non-market forest ecosystem services are of much greater value than the profits that forest users receive from timber harvesting. The feasibility of assessing the ecosystem services of forest ecosystems plays a role. The feasibility of assessing ecosystem services of forest ecosystems plays a crucial role in obtaining knowledge for policy development, management of forest ecosystems and spatial planning.

The consequence of human action on environmental resources was noticed by ancient thinkers like Plato. Modern concern for natural resources started with the publication of Marsh’s book Man and Nature in 1864 where he pointed out that natural resources are not infinite. Nature always remained at a core position in economic analysis. During pre-classical period, physiocrats believed that nature was the primary source of value. Classical economists like Ricardo, Malthus, Mill, put nature as an important determinant in their theories. But classical economists concentrated only to the use values, neglecting their exchange values. The writings of Marx are also rich in ecological hints. Rise of neoclassical economists brought about a change in economic analysis. Emphasis was shifted from use value to exchange value. By 1930s scope of economic analysis was restricted to the factors that command price. Gradually, natural resources completely disappeared from economic production function. Economists started to believe that natural resources can substituted for manufactured capital. During that period, non-marketed ecosystem services were kept outside the scope of economic analysis. The advent of environmentalists during the second half of 20th century opened the door for non-marketed services to be incorporated in economic analysis. For this purpose, they devised various tools like market value approaches, revealed preference approaches and stated preference approaches. Present paper will give an account of the trend of environmental concern in economic analysis.

Virtually every country has a problem with preserving protected wild animals, and some countries have their way of protecting animals through legal measures. Animals are a nation’s wealth, just as are forest timber and non-timber forest products. This asset has an economic value that is worth quantifying. Ecosystem assessment is becoming an increasingly crucial factor in determining how much the environment contributes to economic value. Such studies require additional monetary modeling and evaluation of non-market services. This research presents a willingness to pay (WTP) approach to calculate the value of protecting wild animal species. The study area was in North Sulawesi, one of Indonesia’s provinces located at the northern tip of Sulawesi Island. The questionnaire format for collecting data was the dichotomous choice contingency assessment method (DCCVM), and the sample size was 428 respondents. Based on willingness to pay, we assessed the contingency of single bounded dichotomous choice (SBDC) by estimating each protected animal’s average (mean) value in three classes, namely mammals, birds, and reptiles. The mean result of the monetary assessment of protected mammal species was IDR 1,801,870 (USD 124.27), IDR 836,670 (USD 57.70) for protected bird species, and IDR 819,700 (USD 56.53) for protected reptiles. Any loss in wild animals incurs a natural resource debt burden for future generations to repay, just as does forest loss. If we do not want to leave the forest empty for our future generations, we must continue implementing nature conservation measures, including the protection and restoration of wild animals.

Creating measurable ecological accounting units has become a point of emphasis in valuing ecosystem services. Understanding which ecological endpoints, which emanate from biophysical production functions, are important to individuals could help to create measurable ecological accounting units. Using two semi-arid riparian ecosystems we create a suite of ecological endpoints and using benefits transfer techniques compare their ability to be transferred to similar riparian ecosystems. If clearly defined, ecological accounting units can be developed for ecosystem services. This could lead to ecosystem services being properly incorporated into benefit cost analyses that maximize economic product of both market and non-market goods and services.

The introductory part of the article argues the relevance of continuing research on the conceptual and methodological problems of international comparisons of macroeconomic indicators due to begging of new round of the International Comparison Program (ICP) of GDP by Purchasing Power Parities (PPPs), designed to build unique science-based systems of statistical data on the world economy and the place of each country in it.The body of the article formulates the author's view of the basic methodological approaches to international comparisons of macroeconomic indicators; it also focuses on several areas for improving the quality of international statistics. It is argued that to improve the quality of international comparisons, there is a particular need to implement in the national statistical practice of individual countries the methodological procedures for measuring the following main economic transactions: research and development expenditure, government expenditure on the acquisition of weapons systems, imputed output of financial intermediation services, updated in the 2008 SNA. The paper explains the need for updating some purchasing power parities methodology provisions and postulates, especially those concerning non-market government services. According to the author, it would be beneficial to continue the debate on the merits and limitations of the Elteto, Koves and Szulc (EKS) method and the Geary – Khamis method.The conclusion is that the development of standards for international comparisons of PPP-based GDP will be in the interests of the governments across the world, national central banks, international organizations, and, of course, will contribute to solving modern problems in national socio-economic statistics and Russian statistics, in particular.

Structural change, growth, and convergence in Italy: 1951–1970

The main objective of this work was to describe the functional structure of small towns located in the least-developed Polish voivodships (the so-called eastern Polish wall) and its changes between 2008 and 2018. An additional goal was to measure the diversification level of the functions performed by these towns. The results show that the structure of functions performed by small towns in eastern Poland was relatively uncompetitive and characterized by high stability over time. The structure was dominated by functions related to non-market services and industry, which in their case do not generate high added value. The studied structures were also relatively homogenous. The combination of such features in the long term may slow down the economic growth of the surveyed towns and regions in which they are located.

The Laboratory of Economic and Social Geography of the V B Sochava Institute of Geography SB RAS (Irkutsk, Russia) has been carrying out socio-economic research in the indicated field over the past decade. We consider the Siberian macroregion traditionally within the space of Western and Eastern Siberia with the inclusion of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). The research results reflect, firstly, the growth path of Siberia in the new millennium, taking into account the multidirectional external and internal factors. Secondly, our findings include the identified spatial patterns of the main socio-geographical structures (specialization of existing industries, infrastructure, market and non-market services and the population) as the basis of regional policy with the aim of sustainable development, ensuring the modern level of quality of life of Siberians. We studied the key Baikal region in more detail.

Meeting greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets will require a significant increase in electricity production from sustainable and renewable sources such as solar energy. Farmers have recognized this need as a chance to increase the profitability of their farms by allocating farmland to solar power production. However, the shift from agriculture to power production has many tradeoffs, arising primarily from alternative land uses and other means of production. This paper models the farmers’ decision as a constrained profit maximization problem, subject to the amount of land owned by the farmers, who have to allocate it between agriculture and solar power fields, while considering factors affecting production costs. The farmers’ problem is nested in the social welfare maximization problem, which includes additional factors such as ecological and aesthetical values of the competing land uses. Empirical analysis using data from a solar field operating in Israel shows that landowners will choose to have solar power production on their land unless agricultural production generates an unusually high net income. Adding the values of non-market services provided by agricultural land does not change this result. The consideration of the reduction in GHG emissions further increases the social welfare from solar fields.

Neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss.) being an important tropical tree, traditional neem-based agroforestry (bund/boundary/scattered tree planting with field crops) systems were evaluated for their carbon sequestration (CS) potential, soil quality, pest dynamics and provisioning services in comparison with prevailing grain based system in the tropical India. Results revealed higher economic gain from soil quality services followed by CS in all the agroforestry systems among the non-marketable services, whereas higher provisioning services were obtained with crops alone. In all, total economic value was higher in boundary planting ($ 1053.94/ha/yr) followed by bund planting ($ 961.95/ha/yr) and was lower with scattered planting ($ 939.76/ha/yr). However, the provisioning services ($ 841 - 889/ha/yr) rendered by agroforestry systems were lower than those of agriculture alone ($ 904/ha/yr) but were still significant from ecological and sustainable angles.
 Bangladesh J. Bot. 50(2): 427-432, 2021 (June)

Gross economic-ecological product as an integrated measure for ecological service and economic products