Partners in Forest Conservation

Recently the number of contingent valuation studies conducted in developing countries has increased. Many have been done to value access to clean water, but there are still very few applications to tropical forest resources. In light of the fact that tropical forests cover a mere 7% of the earth’s land surface, yet provide estimates of up to half the world’s biota, there is a distinct need for more information pertaining to the value of tropical forests. An important consideration in protecting tropical forests is local participation. This paper uses an application of the discrete-choice contingent valuation method to estimate the willingness of farmers in southeastern Mexico to participate in forest conservation efforts. Results suggest farmers are willing to work slightly less than three days per month in order to conserve an area of community forest.