The Impact of Water Protection Measures in the Vittel Impluvium on Recreational Values: A Choice Experiment with Local Residents

Because agriculture jointly provides multiple ecosystem services (ES), actions undertaken for the protection of spring water catchment areas by mineral water companies may produce positive externalities. By implementing environmentally friendly measures in contracting with farmers and forest managers, private water companies do not only create value for themselves and their consumers, but also contribute to the local population welfare with increased level of biodiversity and ES (e.g., recreation and tourism, aesthetic and scenic beauty, cultural heritage) as co-benefits of the protection of water quality. This paper aims at assessing the environmental and social preferences of the local population of Vittel (France) and surroundings, the area where Nestlé Waters produces the natural mineral waters of Vittel®, Contrex® and Hépar®, applying a discrete choice experiment (DCE). We considered “common” recreational areas (i.e., countryside and forest) along with relevant attributes identified in previous studies (e.g., facilities such as picnic tables or information signs, hiking and biking paths) and attributes based on specific measures (e.g., no use of pesticides, presence of hedgerows) implemented by Agrivair, a subsidiary of Nestlé Waters dedicated to the ecological issues in the impluvium. We found that people would prefer avoiding areas with pesticides and even those where they do not know if pesticides are used, for their recreational activities. The preference for hedgerows is shown to be low, sometimes negative, highlighting potential trade-off between biodiversity and recreation activities.