Landscape Economics : The Road Ahead

The aims of this paper are to delineate some important topics in landscape economics, and also to take stock of the works and debates presented during the life of the CEEP project (from the first meeting in Angers (2006) , to the present one in Vienna). The objective of the research progamm initiated by the MEEDAT was to put landscape policy in the perspective of the sustainable development. The research issue is about the relationships between the development paths and landscape changes, paved with examples of consensus, controversies, and conflicts. This perspective was challenging for economists, due to the two gaps observed between the development of landscape research in geography, ecology or sociology and the absence of a corresponding corpus in economics, on one hand, and the development of landscape policies compared to the development of research in economics, on the other one. Precursors in landscape economics are certainly Von Thünen, who created the first model explaining the role of dispersing forces in the landscape making up, and C. Price, for the analysis of landscape preferences and the evaluation of landscape projects.[...]

Designing Water Markets to Manage Coupled Externalities: An Application to Irrigation-Induced Salinity in Australia

In this paper, the design of water markets for the management of irrigation-induced salinity in Australia is addressed. Indeed, this setting exhibits complex interactions between the different features of the resource water. Quality, quantity of surface and ground-water interact in ways that produce coupled environmental externalities. It is then difficult to design efficient policy instruments to tackle all the issues at stake. This paper provides a preliminary analysis of three types of water market mechanisms, involving diversion rights and recharge rights.water markets, irrigation induced salinity, Australia, externalities, policy instruments, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy, Q25, Q53,

Preferences, Norms and Constraints in farmers' agro-ecological choices. Case study using choice experiments survey in the Rhone River Delta, France

The aim of this paper is to elicit the sensitivity of farmers to payment for agro-environmental services in a context of strong ecological and policy constraints. We present results from a choice experiment survey performed among the whole population of agricultural decision-makers (104) in the Camargue area. Several econometric models have been estimated, the most significant being the Latent Classes one. Three classes have been identified, two of them representing farmers with strong committment to a specified technology (either very chemicals intensive or organic farming ), the main class encompassing farmers complying with the norms of the PGI « Riz de Camargue » . The estimated parameters of the utility function, together with the parameter of the monetary attribute provided the monetary value of each relevant agro-ecological attribute and the associated outcomes (average and risk yield). Outcomes of the choice experiments make a strong case for differentiating incentives for spreading environmental friendly technologies.

The Economic Determinants of the On-farm Management of Rice Cultivars in the Rhone River Delta (France)

The aims of our paper are to identify economic determinants of the on-farm cultivars diversity and to empirically characterize the farmers' diversification choices. We focus on the private decision making process involving the choice of rice cultivars and the corresponding allocation of farmland. For a specific crop, the choice of cultivars, and the resulting cultivars portfolio, involves the farmer comparing benefits and costs. Among the many costs involved, we focus on diversity's management costs. Our results rely on original data collected during the spring 2009 in the study area, and involve a sample of 86 economic units growing rice. We estimated a count data model, in which the endogeneous variable is the number of cultivars grown on the farm. After that, we studied the factors explaining the portfolio choice in terms of commercial rice grain, and the on-farm repartition between these different types. A multinomial logit model was used, with three alternatives, be specialized into a particular type of rice grain (long or round), or grow simultaneously these two types, or finally be diversified with niche market varieties. And finally we estimated the percentage of long rice compared to the percentage of round rice with a linear regression model. The results confirm the importance of the interactions between market related benefit and the management constraints on land and labor.varietal diversity, rice cultivar, multinomial logit, Agribusiness, Agricultural and Food Policy, Crop Production/Industries, Environmental Economics and Policy, Land Economics/Use, Production Economics,

To restore or not? A valuation of social and ecological functions of the Marais des Baux wetland in Southern France

The Marais des Baux wetland in southern France has for centuries been subject to drainage, almost causing its entire disappearance. With an increasing awareness of wetland ecosystem services, the extensive drainage is being questioned today. To guide policy-makers and landowners in their decision-making, we use a Choice Experiment to elicit the preferences of the general public for potential land use and activity changes in the Marais des Baux. These changes concern wetland restoration, the extent of tree hedges, recreational opportunities, mosquito control and biodiversity.

The case for offshore wind farms, artificial reefs and sustainable tourism in the French Mediterranean

As the French government strives to achieve their offshore renewable energy target, the impact of offshore wind farms on coastal tourism in the Languedoc Rousillon is now being questioned. To assess this issue, a choice experiment was undertaken to elicit tourist preferences for wind turbines at different distances from the shore. We also examined whether potential visual nuisances may be compensated by wind farm associated reef-recreation or by adopting a coherent environmental policy. The findings indicate that age, nationality, vacation activities and their destination loyalty influence attitudes toward compensatory policies. Two policy recommendations are suggested. First, everything else being equal, wind farms should be located 12 km offshore. Second, and alternatively, a wind farm can be located from 5 km and outwards without a loss in tourism revenues if accompanied by a coherent environmental policy and wind farm associated recreational activities.

Couplage simple entre système d'information géographique et modèle multi-agents pour simuler l’impact des politiques publiques sur les dynamiques du paysage

Cet article traite l'aspect technique d'un couplage simple entre un système d'information géographique et un système multi-agents. Pour situer le contexte, nous faisons le point sur les données disponibles et le projet afin de comprendre pourquoi vouloir utiliser un fond cadastral dans un système de simulation. Ensuite nous abordons la réalité du couplage à travers la phase d'initialisation du modèle multi-agents, en prenant quelques exemples de traitements spécifiques tels que le voisinage des entités spatiales élémentaires.