{"title":"Economic value of non-market ecosystem services derived from enset-based agroforestry systems: evidence from the central highlands of Ethiopia","authors":"Gadisa Demie, Tsehay Tufa","doi":"10.1007/s10457-025-01323-4","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Enset-based agroforestry systems in Ethiopia provide essential non-market ecosystem services that are critical for ecological sustainability and rural livelihoods. However, the lack of formal pricing mechanisms often leads to the undervaluation of these services in economic decision-making. This study estimates households' willingness to pay (WTP) for key ecosystem services: provisioning, regulating, supporting, cultural, and bequest, derived from enset-based agroforestry systems in the central highlands of Ethiopia, using the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM). Data were collected from 360 randomly selected smallholder farmers across three randomly chosen kebeles. The findings revealed a total aggregate willingness to pay (WTP) of $278,800 from all sampled households (HHs). This translates to an annual WTP of $4,423,463 for the entire population of 5710 HHs in the studied kebeles. The highest average WTP was for provisioning services at $194.44, followed by supporting services at $171.11, regulating services at $148.06, cultural services at $131.94, and bequest services at $129.44. Regression analysis indicated that WTP was significantly influenced by factors such as income, wealth, education, farm size, access to extension services, and livestock holdings. In contrast, age and bid amount negatively impacted WTP, highlighting generational and price sensitivities. These results highlight that smallholders place significant economic value on ecosystem services, particularly provisioning services, with their willingness to pay (WTP) being influenced by socio-economic factors. Policymakers can use these insights to design targeted incentive programs and Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) schemes that align with local capacities and sensitivities. This approach can promote sustainable agroforestry while enhancing both livelihoods and ecosystem conservation in Ethiopia and similar contexts.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7610,"journal":{"name":"Agroforestry Systems","volume":"99 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2000,"publicationDate":"2025-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Agroforestry Systems","FirstCategoryId":"97","ListUrlMain":"https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10457-025-01323-4","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"AGRONOMY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Enset-based agroforestry systems in Ethiopia provide essential non-market ecosystem services that are critical for ecological sustainability and rural livelihoods. However, the lack of formal pricing mechanisms often leads to the undervaluation of these services in economic decision-making. This study estimates households' willingness to pay (WTP) for key ecosystem services: provisioning, regulating, supporting, cultural, and bequest, derived from enset-based agroforestry systems in the central highlands of Ethiopia, using the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM). Data were collected from 360 randomly selected smallholder farmers across three randomly chosen kebeles. The findings revealed a total aggregate willingness to pay (WTP) of $278,800 from all sampled households (HHs). This translates to an annual WTP of $4,423,463 for the entire population of 5710 HHs in the studied kebeles. The highest average WTP was for provisioning services at $194.44, followed by supporting services at $171.11, regulating services at $148.06, cultural services at $131.94, and bequest services at $129.44. Regression analysis indicated that WTP was significantly influenced by factors such as income, wealth, education, farm size, access to extension services, and livestock holdings. In contrast, age and bid amount negatively impacted WTP, highlighting generational and price sensitivities. These results highlight that smallholders place significant economic value on ecosystem services, particularly provisioning services, with their willingness to pay (WTP) being influenced by socio-economic factors. Policymakers can use these insights to design targeted incentive programs and Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) schemes that align with local capacities and sensitivities. This approach can promote sustainable agroforestry while enhancing both livelihoods and ecosystem conservation in Ethiopia and similar contexts.
期刊介绍：
Agroforestry Systems is an international scientific journal that publishes results of novel, high impact original research, critical reviews and short communications on any aspect of agroforestry. The journal particularly encourages contributions that demonstrate the role of agroforestry in providing commodity as well non-commodity benefits such as ecosystem services. Papers dealing with both biophysical and socioeconomic aspects are welcome. These include results of investigations of a fundamental or applied nature dealing with integrated systems involving trees and crops and/or livestock. Manuscripts that are purely descriptive in nature or confirmatory in nature of well-established findings, and with limited international scope are discouraged. To be acceptable for publication, the information presented must be relevant to a context wider than the specific location where the study was undertaken, and provide new insight or make a significant contribution to the agroforestry knowledge base
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