Evaluating farmers’ likely participation in a payment programme for water quality protection in the UK uplands

摘要: Maintaining drinking water quality is essential to companies and their customers, agricultural non-point source pollution a major cause of degradation. In this paper, we examine the potential use payments financed by company as incentives for farmers adjust land management practices in order protect quality. We choice experiment (CE) measure farmers’ minimum willingness accept (WTA) requirements Nidderdale Washburn valley (Yorkshire, UK) under local payment ecosystem services (PES) programme. Latent class analysis CE responses was used quantify size spread preferences WTA values compensation payments, investigate drivers preference variation. Analysis suggested that emphasis on sheep or cattle/dairy production within mixed farming businesses area provides partial explanation considerable observed heterogeneity participation PES