Explaining participation of private forest owners in economic incentives. Case studies in Europe

TY - JOUR

T1 - Explaining participation of private forest owners in economic incentives. Case studies in Europe

AU - Górriz, E.

AU - Mäntymaa, E.

AU - Petucco, C.

AU - Schubert, F.

AU - Vedel, Suzanne Elizabeth

AU - Mantau, U.

AU - Prokofieva, I.

PY - 2014

Y1 - 2014

N2 - Taking part in the implementation of a voluntary policy instrument for land use management implies motivational requirements of the targeted landowner. Increasing knowledge on the potential economic, managerial and attitudinal factors helps design incentives in accordance and facilitates an effective performance. We analyzed surveys and interviews addressed to private forest owners, at country or regional level in five European countries. Participation rates for different schemes aimed at enhancing the provision of ecosystem services were contrasted with a range of landowners’ socio-economic, forest management variables, as well as with the instrument design characteristics. Results show larger participation trends in mechanisms that promote a forest ecosystem servicewhile simultaneously augments benefits enjoyed by the landowner. Being involved in some type of forestry association increases the likelihood of engaging in the policy mechanism, especially for small and medium size landowners. Correlation patterns were found for variables representing active forest management and activity-enhancing instruments. We argue that these factors explain an alignment of the landowner either with the instrument objectives or the land management measures they promote. It demonstrates that the design of mechanisms bolstering synergies between current landowners’ practices and expectations tothose demanded by externals have more likelihood of success than those implying drastic management changes. On the other hand, this pre-existing alignment may challenge the efficiency of the policy intervention if most of the expected added value would require targeting not aligned landowners.

AB - Taking part in the implementation of a voluntary policy instrument for land use management implies motivational requirements of the targeted landowner. Increasing knowledge on the potential economic, managerial and attitudinal factors helps design incentives in accordance and facilitates an effective performance. We analyzed surveys and interviews addressed to private forest owners, at country or regional level in five European countries. Participation rates for different schemes aimed at enhancing the provision of ecosystem services were contrasted with a range of landowners’ socio-economic, forest management variables, as well as with the instrument design characteristics. Results show larger participation trends in mechanisms that promote a forest ecosystem servicewhile simultaneously augments benefits enjoyed by the landowner. Being involved in some type of forestry association increases the likelihood of engaging in the policy mechanism, especially for small and medium size landowners. Correlation patterns were found for variables representing active forest management and activity-enhancing instruments. We argue that these factors explain an alignment of the landowner either with the instrument objectives or the land management measures they promote. It demonstrates that the design of mechanisms bolstering synergies between current landowners’ practices and expectations tothose demanded by externals have more likelihood of success than those implying drastic management changes. On the other hand, this pre-existing alignment may challenge the efficiency of the policy intervention if most of the expected added value would require targeting not aligned landowners.

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0355-032X

VL - 45

SP - 80

EP - 89

JO - Scandinavian Forest Economics

JF - Scandinavian Forest Economics

T2 - Biennial Meeting of the Scandinavian Society of Forest Economics

Y2 - 21 May 2014 through 24 May 2014

ER -