Application of a Choice Experiment to Estimate Farmers Preferences for Different Land Use Options in Northern Tajikistan

Abstract

Based on farmers’ preferences this study estimates the non-market values of agri-environmental attributes and their changes within the study area. The analysis is carried out using a choice experiment technique of stated-preference to conduct investigations regarding different land use options within the agricultural sector of the Konibodom region of Tajikistan. The dataset was constructed using a detailed household level survey amongst 117 representative farmers throughout the district, including all agriculturally important settlements. Detailed focus group discussions and a combination of personal interview and ‘pick and drop’ approaches were selected as the appropriate surveying techniques. In order to compliment the survey data, secondary data was collected from official statistics, key informants and experts from the field. Several types of models were specified and estimated such as Conditional Logit and Random Parameter Logit (RPL) Models. Significant improvements were achieved through the inclusion of interaction terms into the RPL model. The results of both the RPL models reveal that preference heterogeneity exists amongst farmers in the study area, implicating that a decision for land allocation under different crops is jointly associated with other socio-economic and environmental factors, influencing one another.