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Willingness of smallholder rubber farmers to participate in ecosystem protection: Effects of household wealth and environmental awareness

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  • Min, Shi
  • Bai, Junfei
  • Huang, Jikun
  • Waibel, Hermann

Abstract

The rapid expansion of natural rubber farming in southern China has led to negative environmental consequences, such as soil erosion and biodiversity loss. Therefore, local governments have made the restoration and protection of ecosystems a major policy issue. However, such efforts will only be successful if local communities participate. Using cross-sectional data on 612 smallholder rubber farmers in Xishuangbanna, this study investigates the willingness of smallholder rubber farmers to participate in ecosystem protection. We employ a multivariate probit regression model to estimate three ways of participating in environmental protection: (i) through monetary contributions of rubber farmers, (ii) by reducing rubber areas, and (iii) through the provision of free labor. The results show that most rubber farmers are willing to participate in local ecosystem protection. While wealthier households tend to participate by contributing money and providing free labor, poorer households prefer to reduce their rubber planting areas. Approximately 10% of the farmers believe that rubber cultivation has positive environmental effects and therefore abstain from participating in ecosystem protection measures. Our findings have important implications for policymakers who want to implement programs to restore and protect ecosystems in Xishuangbanna and other rubber planting regions in southern China.

Suggested Citation

  • Min, Shi & Bai, Junfei & Huang, Jikun & Waibel, Hermann, 2018. "Willingness of smallholder rubber farmers to participate in ecosystem protection: Effects of household wealth and environmental awareness," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 70-84.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:forpol:v:87:y:2018:i:c:p:70-84
    DOI: 10.1016/j.forpol.2017.11.009
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Gebregziabher, Dawit & Soltani, Arezoo, 2019. "Exclosures in people’s minds: perceptions and attitudes in the Tigray region, Ethiopia," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 1-14.
    2. Min, Shi & Huang, Jikun & Waibel, Hermann & Yang, Xueqing & Cadisch, Georg, 2019. "Rubber Boom, Land Use Change and the Implications for Carbon Balances in Xishuangbanna, Southwest China," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 156(C), pages 57-67.
    3. Shi Min & Xiaobing Wang & Shaoze Jin & Hermann Waibel & Jikun Huang, 2020. "Climate change and farmers’ perceptions: impact on rubber farming in the upper Mekong region," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 163(1), pages 451-480, November.
    4. Guifang Liu & Jie Li & Liang Ren & Heli Lu & Jingcao Wang & Yaxing Zhang & Cheng Zhang & Chuanrong Zhang, 2022. "Identification of Socio-Economic Impacts as the Main Drivers of Carbon Stocks in China’s Tropical Rainforests: Implications for REDD+," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(22), pages 1-20, November.
    5. Jingdong Li & Qingning Lin, 2022. "Can the Adjustment of China’s Grain Purchase and Storage Policy Improve Its Green Productivity?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(10), pages 1-24, May.
    6. Min, Shi & Wang, Xiaobing & Bai, Junfei & Waibel, Hermann, 2021. "Married to rubber? Evidence from the expansion of natural rubber in Southwest China," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    7. Dehghani Pour, Milad & Barati, Ali Akbar & Azadi, Hossein & Scheffran, Jürgen & Shirkhani, Mehdi, 2023. "Analyzing forest residents' perception and knowledge of forest ecosystem services to guide forest management and biodiversity conservation," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).
    8. Yu Gan & Tao Xu & NengRui Xu & JiLv Xu & Dan Qiao, 2021. "How Environmental Awareness and Knowledge Affect Urban Residents’ Willingness to Participate in Rubber Plantation Ecological Restoration Programs: Evidence from Hainan, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-17, February.
    9. Libang Ma & Meimei Chen & Xinglong Che & Fang Fang, 2019. "Farmers’ Rural-To-Urban Migration, Influencing Factors and Development Framework: A Case Study of Sihe Village of Gansu, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(5), pages 1-19, March.

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