Examining the Adoption of Agroforestry In Southeastern Mexico:Three Essays from a Survey with Farmers in Calakmul, Campeche

Abstract

In three essays, farmer preferences are analyzed using Contingent Valuation and Choice Modeling. Particular attention is paid to the role of uncertainty, investment in human capital and the importance of forest conservation. The data analyzed in each of the three essays was collected by the author from July 1997 through March 1998. The first essay empirically tests the hypothesis that investment in human capital increases the likelihood of participation in an agroforestry development program. Results support the hypothesis that human capital investments that reduce uncertainty, improve the likelihood of participation in an agroforestry development program. In the second essay a choice modeling experiment (CM) is used to assess the value farmers have for different agroforestry systems and the individual attributes that make up each system. Results suggest that farmers in Calakmul place a value on 1) conserving and increasing local forest cover, 2) working in a nursery in order to obtain seedlings, and 3) receiving enough technical assistance to get started with a program. The third essay uses an application of the discrete-choice contingent valuation method to estimate the willingness of farmers, in southeastern Mexico, to participate in forest conservation efforts. The estimated values of the marginal effects from a probit model (Cameron 1987) are used to develop welfare estimates. Results suggest farmers are willing to work slightly less than three days per month in order to preserve an area of community forest.