| Abstract: |
There are limitations associated with the application of non-market valuation
techniques, including choice experiments, in subsistence economies. In part,
this is due to the concern that using money as a mode of contribution may not
capture the potential contribution of low-income households. To address this
limitation, respondents in this study were provided with the option of
contributing towards the management of invasive plants in labour terms if they
were unwilling to contribute in monetary terms. The results show that the
existing practice of using dollar values to estimate willingness to contribute
may disproportionately exclude the concerns of some groups within the
community. The analysis also indicates that allowing respondents to express
their willingness to contribution in labour increases their participation in
environmental decision-making processes and hence, increases the estimated
value of forest ecosystem services. This study contributes to the limited
empirical literature on the development of non-market valuation surveys,
including CEs, in low-income countries in general and rural areas in
particular. |