Social Valuation of Genebank Activities: Assessing Public Demand for Genetic Resource Conservation in the Czech Republic

Public Willingness to Pay for Green Lifestyle in China: A Contingent Valuation Method Based on Integrated Model

The purpose of this study was to note how people recognize the green lifestyle and how much extra money they are willing to pay for it. An integrated model based on the theory of planned behavior was constructed, and data on the willingness to pay (WTP) for green lifestyles of 1377 respondents in five cities in East China were measured and calculated using the double-bounded dichotomous choice contingent valuation method (DBDC) combined with interval regression analysis. The results showed that the respondents were willing to pay an extra 81.8 yuan, 52.5 yuan, 38.9 yuan, 53.2 yuan, and 37.2 yuan per month for green food, clothing, travel, housing, and waste recycling, respectively. Attitude and moral norms were the strongest predictors of WTP for green clothing, travel, housing, and waste recycling. Perceived behavior control, environmental awareness, personal habits, subjective knowledge, gender, income, and education can affect a few kinds of green lifestyle's WTP.

Valuing genebanks

The UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Target 2.5 explicitly calls for the maintenance of genetic diversity of seeds through soundly managed and diversified seed and plant banks at national, regional, and international levels as an essential undertaking to end global hunger (SDG Goal 2). This special issue results from a renewed call to demonstrate the value-in-use of conserving and supplying plant genetic resources conserved in genebanks to researchers, plant breeders, and farmers. We present these studies as a collective contribution to a relatively small body of literature that highlights not only the importance of crop plant diversity managed by genebanks but also the diversity of genebank functions and uses. In this overview, we begin by restating foundation concepts that economists have applied to study the value of crop genetic resources conserved as genebank accessions. We then provide a synthesis of previous research on genebank values from the late 1990s until the present. We summarize the main messages of the studies included in this special issue of Food Security and explain how they contribute to a better understanding of the role, function, and value of genebanks, particularly as we address food security challenges in a changing agricultural context. Finally, we draw implications for further applied research and policy.

Consumers’ Valuation of Farmers’ Varieties for Food System Diversity

To increase the diversity in the food system from seed to fork, participatory on-farm breeding schemes have been proposed. For participatory on-farm breeding schemes to be successful, consumers need to be willing to compensate farmers for their efforts in breeding and in diversifying their cultivation. Using vegetables as an example, we investigated whether consumers of four selected European countries liked the idea of having farmers breed their own varieties and whether they would be willing to pay a premium for farmers’ as compared to standard varieties in a supermarket setting. The data was collected in an online survey and a willingness to pay was elicited using a contingent valuation approach. After providing respondents with information about the problem (diversity loss), solution (on-farm breeding), and the benefits of farmers’ varieties, consumers’ acceptance was very high and consumers were willing to pay a small premium. Our findings suggest that farmers’ varieties can be appealing to a wide range of consumers if the appropriate information is provided, as they not only address the increasing demand for more sustainable products but also for more food diversity and tasty products. To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine consumer preferences for farmers’ varieties for food system diversity.