Benefits of conserving agricultural genetic resources in Finland : Summary of the recent Finnish research and setting it in the international context

The diversity of agricultural genetic resources (AgGR) is the foundation of food security. A diverse gene pool enables adaptation to changing conditions and is therefore essential, for example, to responding to climate change. However, during the past decades, intensification of agriculture has led to genetic erosion. Previously common animal breeds and plant varieties are becoming rare or extinct throughout the world as they are being replaced with small ranges of more productive specialized breeds and varieties. Yet, indigenous breeds and varieties have a wide range of socio-economic, cultural, ecological and genetic values and, in fact, the importance of conserving genetic resources has been acknowledged in global agreements and national policy programs. Nonetheless, as the resources available for conservation are limited, information on the value of AgGR is needed in order to compare the costs and benefits of conservation and to support decision making. Benefits from the conservation of AgGR can be measured from citizens’ and consumers’ preferences. This dissertation provides new, policy-relevant information on citizens’ and consumers’ willingness to pay for conservation and sustainable use of AgGR. Three stated preference methods were used to examine the value that citizens and consumers place on AgGR. Consumers’ willingness to purchase Finncattle meat and their willingness to pay for it was studied with contingent behavior and contingent valuation methods. In turn, willingness to support a conservation program for AgGR was examined with contingent valuation and choice experiment methods. In addition, heterogeneity in preferences and the effect of information use were analyzed. The results show strong support for the conservation of AgGR. There is a high will-ingness to purchase Finncattle meat among Finnish consumers, and a share of respondents is willing to pay +20-26% more for Finncattle meat compared to conventional meat. Studies also revealed that over 70% of the respondents supported an AgGR conservation program despite the increased cost related to it. Average willingness to pay for the program was €50-170 depending on the method of calculation. However, there was significant heterogeneity among respondents’ preferences. This is important to take into account, as ignoring the heterogeneity can lead to overestimation of benefit estimates. This dissertation provides new information on the benefit estimates of the AgGR conservation in Finland, which has not been studied before. It also contributes to the globally scarce literature on citizens’ and consumers’ preferences related to AgGR. The results of this dissertation can be used in cost–benefit analysis and they can assist in designing optimal AgGR conservation policies.Alkuperäisten eläinrotujen ja kasvilajikkeiden uhanalaistuminen maataloudessa on maailmanlaajuinen ympäristöongelma. Geneettisen monimuotoisuuden väheneminen pienentää merkittävästi mahdollisuuksia mukautua moniin haasteisiin, kuten väestönkasvuun, kasvavaan ruoan kysyntään ja ilmastonmuutokseen. Viime vuosikymmeninä maataloustuotannossa on keskitytty vain muutamiin tuottavimpiin, pitkälle jalostettuihin rotuihin ja lajikkeisiin, minkä seurauksena maatalouden alkuperäiset eläinrodut ja kasvilajikkeet ovat harvinaistuneet tai jopa kuolleet sukupuuttoon. Alkuperäisillä roduilla ja lajikkeilla on kuitenkin monia sosioekonomisia, kulttuurisia, ekologisia ja geneettisiä arvoja. Geenivarojen säilyttämisen merkitys on tunnustettu sekä kansallisesti että maailmanlaajuisesti. Koska säilyttämiseen käytettävissä olevat resurssit ovat rajalliset, tarvitaan tietoa maatalouden geenivarojen arvosta. Arvotieto auttaa vertaamaan geenivarojen säilyttämisen kustannuksia ja hyötyjä sekä tukemaan poliittista päätöksentekoa, kun suunnitellaan optimaalista geenivarojen säilyttämispolitiikkaa. Geenivarojen säilyttäminen voi tapahtua myös markkinalähtöisesti. Vaikka geenivarojen säilyttäminen esimerkiksi alkuperäiskarjan lihaa syömällä voi kuulostaa järjenvastaiselta, kuluttajien kysyntä voisi luoda maatiloille kannustimen alkuperäisrotujen kasvattamiseen. Käsitystä maatalouden geenivarojen arvosta tutkittiin kolmella eri arvottamismenetelmällä. Menetelmillä selvitettiin kuluttajien halukkuutta ostaa suomenkarjan lihaa, kuluttajien halukkuutta maksaa siitä lisähintaa tavanomaiseen lihaan verrattuna sekä kansalaisten halukkuutta tukea maatalouden geenivarojen säilyttämisohjelmaa verovaroin. Lisäksi analysoitiin, miten geenivaroista tarjottu informaatio vaikuttaa vastaajien valintoihin. Tutkimustulokset osoittavat, että maatalouden geenivarojen säilyttäminen on suomalaisille tärkeää. Kuluttajat ovat halukkaita ostamaan suomenkarjan lihaa, ja osa vastaajista on valmis maksamaan lihasta jopa neljänneksen enemmän kuin tavanomaisesta lihasta. Lisäksi yli 70 prosenttia vastaajista oli valmiita maksamaan tehostetusta geenivarojen säilyttämisohjelmasta. Tämä väitöstutkimus tuo esiin uutta, poliittisesti relevanttia tietoa suomalaisten halusta tukea maatalouden geenivarojen säilyttämistä ja kestävää käyttöä. Tutkimus täydentää maailmanlaajuisestikin erittäin niukkaa tietoa kansalaisten ja kuluttajien preferensseistä maatalouden geenivaroja kohtaan

Contingent allocation of the agri-food budget: comparison of farmer and non-farmer preferences

Agricultural production faces diverse and often conflicting expectations, such as considerations related to environmental protection, food security and risk management, as well as strengthening the profitability and competitiveness of domestic production. In this study, we applied the contingent allocation method to a national agricultural budget to analyse the preferences of farmers and other citizens for allocating budget funds. Survey data collected from 2014 citizens and 518 farmers were used in compositional data analysis where it is considered that each spending decision bears an opportunity cost, and the decision maker faces trade-offs across budget priorities. The allocations of farmers and non-farmers were found to differ considerably. Farmers emphasized agricultural income and the economic resilience of farms as well as the self-sufficiency in food production and soil conditions. Non-farmers emphasized environmental public goods. The allocations were used to form compositional respondent clusters. The first cluster emphasised multiple objectives for agricultural policy, whereas the second cluster was clearly production oriented and the third cluster environmentally oriented. The results highlight the differences between farmers and non-farmers challenging the planning of legitimate agricultural policy

The legitimacy of result-oriented and action-oriented agri-environmental schemes : A comparison of farmers’ and citizens’ perceptions

Farmers’ and citizens’ perceptions of the legitimacy of the current action-oriented and the proposed result- oriented agri-environmental schemes (AES) are poorly known. To help fill this gap, this study analysed such perceptions in the context of Finnish citizens and farmers. Hypotheses on legitimacy, ecosystem service per-ceptions and environmental values were developed and empirically tested with nationwide surveys of Finnish citizens (n =1,744) and farmers (n =1,215) using t-test and multiple linear regression. The results demonstrated that Finnish citizens perceive the proposed result-oriented AES as more legitimate, whereas Finnish farmers attribute greater legitimacy to the current action-oriented AES. Among both groups, a preference for action- oriented AES, and reluctance to change them, was associated with the perception that Finnish agriculture has been successful in producing ecosystem services. Among both groups, environmental preferences were associated with the legitimation of both AES. The conclusion is that in order for a change in AES to be legitimate, that change should be perceived as necessary, justified and based on the values considered important by farmers and citizens.Peer reviewe

Finnish indigenous cattle meat : consumers’ willingness to purchase and willingness to pay

Tutkielman tavoitteena on selvittää suomalaisen alkuperäiskarjan lihan potentiaalista kysyntää. Alkuperäiskarjan lihan erikoistuotemarkkinat voivat auttaa pitämään uhanalaiset, kotimaiset karjarodut tuotantokäytössä. Näin ollen erikoistuotemarkkinat voivat auttaa arvokkaiden suomalaisten eläingeenivarojen säilyttämisessä. Koska alkuperäiskarjan lihan tuotannon kannattavuus riippuu lihasta saatavasta lisähinnasta, tutkimuksen tavoitteena on myös tutkia, millainen kuluttajien maksuhalukkuus alkuperäiskarjan lihasta on verrattuna tavanomaiseen lihaan. Tutkimusaineisto kerättiin Maa- ja elintarviketalouden tutkimuskeskuksen ja Kuluttajatutkimuskeskuksen suunnittelemalla kyselytutkimuksella keväällä 2010. Tutkimuksessa käytettiin ehdollisen käyttäytymisen ja ehdollisen arvottamisen menetelmiä ja sen otoskoko on 1623. Kuluttajien ostohalukkuutta ja siihen vaikuttavia tekijöitä tutkittiin sekä binäärisen että ordinaalisen regression malleilla. Kuluttajien maksuhalukkuutta alkuperäiskarjan lihasta ja siihen vaikuttavia tekijöitä tutkittiin grouped data -mallin avulla. Malleissa käytettiin selittävinä muuttujina sosioekonomisten muuttujien lisäksi kuluttajien asenteita ja käyttäytymistä kuvaavia muuttujia. Tutkielman tulosten mukaan jopa 86 % vastaajista ostaisi alkuperäiskarjan lihaa, jos sitä olisi tarjolla kaupoissa. Ostohalukkuutta lisää muun muassa, jos vastaajalla on alle 18-vuotiaita lapsia ja vastaaja arvostaa lähellä tuotettua, paikallista ruokaa sekä ympäristöystävällisyyttä. Miehet ostaisivat alkuperäiskarjan lihaa todennäköisemmin kuin naiset. Suurin osa vastaajista ostaisi alkuperäiskarjan lihaa, jos se olisi samanhintaista kuin tavanomainen liha, mutta noin neljäsosa (23,5 %) vastaajista olisi valmis maksamaan alkuperäiskarjan lihasta korkeampaa hintaa kuin tavanomaisesta lihasta. Maksuhalukkuuteen vaikuttivat positiivisesti muun muassa kuuluminen ympäristöjärjestöön ja korkea tulotaso. Negatiivisesti vaikutti puolestaan esimerkiksi se, että vastaaja on nainen. Keskimääräinen maksuhalukkuus alkuperäiskarjan lihasta oli 6,25 % korkeampi kuin tavanomaisesta lihasta. Maksuhalukkuus alkuperäiskarjan lihasta oli selvästi yhteydessä siihen, kuinka usein vastaaja olisi halukas ostamaan sitä. Maksuhalukkuus oli korkein niillä vastaajilla, jotka haluaisivat ostaa lihaa säännöllisesti.The purpose of this study is to examine the potential demand for Finnish indigenous cattle meat. The specialty product markets for indigenous cattle meat can help to keep these rare, native breeds in production use. Therefore the markets can provide means to preserve valuable Finnish animal genetic resources. Because the profitability of the production of specialty meat product depends on it’s price premium, this study also examines consumers’ willingness to pay for indigenous cattle meat compared to conventional meat. The data was collected in the spring 2010 with survey designed by MTT Agrifood Research Finland and National Consumer Research Center. Both contingent behavior and contingent valuation methods were used in the study. The sample size of the study is 1623. Consumers’ willingness to purchase and the factors affecting it were studied with binary and ordered regression models. Consumers’ willingness to pay for indigenous cattle meat and the factors affecting it were studied with grouped data regression model. In addition to the socio-economic variables, also variables describing consumers’ attitudes and behavior were used as explanatory variables in the models. The results show that up to 86 % of respondents would purchase indigenous cattle meat if it was available in stores. The most relevant variables affecting consumers’ willingness to purchase were gender (female) (-), household with children aged under 18 (+) and positive attitude towards local food (+) and environmental friendliness (+). The majority of respondents would buy indigenous cattle meat if it was as expensive as conventional meat, but about a quarter (23.5 %) of respondents would be willing to pay a higher price for indigenous cattle meat than for conventional meat. The variables affecting consumers’ willingness to pay included for example gender (female) (-), income (+) and being part of some environmental organization (+). The average willingness to pay for indigenous cattle meat was 6,25 % higher than for conventional meat among all respondents. Willingness to pay was clearly linked to how often the respondent would be willing to buy indigenous cattle meat. Willingness to pay was highest among those respondents who would like to buy meat on a regular basis

Hevosharrastus on itsensä kehittämistä

Vierasyli

Citizens’ preferences for policies to conserve agricultural genetic resources

The intensification of agriculture has led to remarkable changes in the utilization of agricultural genetic resources and many previously common breeds and varieties have become rare or even endangered (FAO 2007, 2010, Drucker, Gomez & Anderson 2001). In Finland, Eastern and Northern Finncattle, the Kainuu Grey Sheep and the Åland Sheep are endangered according to the FAO classification (FAO 2003) and, for example, majority of the old Finnish crop varieties and Finnish landrace pig are already extinct. Making informed decisions on the appropriate focus and extent of conservation of agricultural genetic resources requires information on both the costs and benefits of conservation. Economic analyses involving the valuation of conservation benefits can guide resource allocation of various types of genetic resources and conservation methods (Artuso 1998). The value of genetic resources is not typically revealed by markets, as they are not directly traded in the markets or the prices of agricultural products do not completely indicate their value (Oldfield 1989, Brown 1990, Drucker et al. 2001). Although the importance of economic analyses has been recognized, the literature on the monetary value of genetic resources in agriculture is relatively limited (see e.g. Evenson et al. 1998 and Rege and Gibson 2003, Ahtiainen & Pouta 2011). Currently the conservation policy of farm agricultural genetic resources in Finland is based on international agreements such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (1992) and the Global Plan of Action for Animal Genetic resources (FAO 2007). National genetic resource programs were initiated for plants in 2003 and for farm animals in 2005 to strengthen the conservation of genetic resources in Finland. Although there has been some progress in the implementation of the programs, they have also suffered from shortage of funds and lack of political interest in conservation. To re-evaluate the conservation policy, there is a need to use valuation methods capable of estimating also the non-use value components of genetic resources, i.e. stated preference methods. The choice experiment (CE) method has been found suitable to valuing genetic resources due to its flexibility and ability to value the traits of breeds or varieties and their attributes. Choice experiment makes it possible to value benefits of both plant genetic resources (PGR) and animal genetic resources (AnGR). The terms refer to all cultivated plant species and varieties, as well as all animal species and breeds that are of interest in terms of food and agricultural production. The CE method can also be used to evaluate the means of conservation in situ (live animals and plants) and ex situ (as seeds, cryopreserved embryos and other genetic material). Previous choice experiments have focused on valuing breeds or varieties and their attributes, especially on attributes that are related to the use of the breed or variety in agriculture (Birol et al. 2006, Ouma et al. 2007). In this study we present the results of a choice experiment valuing the benefits of a genetic resource conservation program in Finland. We test the effect of in situ and ex situ conservation on citizen choices between programs. We also analyse whether the plant varieties and animal breeds are perceived equally valuable by citizen. As the conservation of agricultural genetic resources (AgGR) cannot be expected to be equally valuable to all citizens, we analyse the existence of citizen segments that value differently the conservation of genetic resources. We can assume that AgGR is a rather unknown good for some of the respondents of the valuation survey. However, in valuation surveys respondents are assumed to make “informed” choices when responding to value elicitation questions (e.g. Blomquist &Whitehead 1998). Therefore, we offered an opportunity for respondents to obtain further information on AgGR. In our case, the internet-based survey allowed us also to measure how much time respondents took in reading the information and responding to questions. Furthermore, we also measured response certainty and tested the effects of uncertainty and information as reasons for heterogeneity

Maatiaiset kiinnostavat kansalaisia sekä tuotteina että suojelukohteina

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Citizens’ preferences for policies to conserve agricultural genetic resources

To evaluate conservation policies of agricultural genetic resources (AgGR), information on the use and non-use values of plant varieties and animal breeds, as well as on the preferences for in situ and ex situ conservation are needed. Here we present the results of a choice experiment of AgGR conservation programs in Finland. The findings indicate that citizens’ have high interest in the conservation of native breeds and varieties, but also that there is heterogeneity in preferences between citizens. Five groups can be identified: one implying lexicographic preferences, two with reasoned choices, one indicating ambivalence and one with status quo preferences