measuring socialpreferences forrural development in southern europe

it is a well-known result in both environmental economics and natural resources managementthat you will not be able to manage what you are not able to measure. this paper presents a dichotomous-choicecontingent valuation survey that analyses individuals’ preferences for the implementation of a rural developmentprogram (rdp) that fosters the provision of non-commodity outputs in rural areas in southern europe. in orderto account for the fact that some of the respondents show unwillingness to pay for the program, out-of-themarketindividuals have been identified. according to the results of our behavioral models, prospective positivewelfare changes due to policy implementation constitute a sound argument in favor of regional rdps. finally,higher levels of social legitimacy and social support towards rdps will be inextricably related to the issue ofbeing able to communicate to the wider public what the potential outcomes and expected potential benefits ofrdps will be.