This paper explores the willingness of Belgian farmers to participate in two voluntary agri-environmental policies. Farmers' contingent behaviour is analysed on the basis of survey data. Derivations based on a conceptual micro-economic model indicate that decision subject and decision maker characteristics are important for farmers' participation. The model is empirically tested through the specification and estimation of a probit model. Consistency is found between the theoretical framework and the empirical results indicating that both the expected effect on farm production and the farmers' environmental attitude, which is more positive among younger and better educated farmers, are significant determinants of the acceptance rate of agri-environmental policies. Other variables which influence participation decisions are farm size and previous experience of farmers themselves or of neighbouring farmers with agri-environmental measures.
Aims & Scope:The Landscape Series publishes manuscripts approaching landscape from a broad perspective. Landscapes are home and livelihood for people, house historic artefacts, and comprise systems of physical, chemical and biological processes. Landscapes are shaped and governed by human societies, who base their existence on the use of the natural resources. People enjoy the aesthetic qualities of landscapes and their recreational facilities, and design new landscapes. The Landscape Series aims to add new and innovative insights into landscapes. It encourages contributions on theory development as well as applied studies, which may act as best practice. Problem-solving approaches and contributions to planning and management of landscape are most welcome. The Landscape Series wishes to attract outstanding studies from the natural sciences, social sciences, humanities as well as the arts and does especially provide a forum for publications resulting from interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary acting teams. Ideally, the contributions help the application of findings from landscape research to practice, and to feed back again from practice into research. VOLUME 2 ISABEL VANSLEMBROUCK and GUIDO VAN HUYLENBROECK
Support for rural development and agri‐environment measures is often defended on the basis of the contribution of farming to the attractiveness of rural areas and the growing rural tourism sector. Farmers may benefit from the presence of tourism by offering accommodation or selling farm products to tourists. We analyse rural tourism data for Flanders to determine whether agricultural amenities contribute to the price rural tourists are willing to pay for lodging at a farm. We find that farming practices do indeed influence the attractiveness of an area for tourism and have an impact on the prices that can be charged for accommodation. Amenities from agriculture such as permanent grassland have a positive influence on rental prices. However, the presence of intensive agricultural and livestock farming and associated polluting activities decrease the attractiveness of rural regions for tourism. Farm tourism is found to make an important contribution to the farm income and economy of a rural region. Farm tourism constituted more than 30 per cent of the farm income of certain farms. Overall, our findings support the idea of major synergies between farming and rural tourism. Strengthening this relationship may therefore be a good strategy for countryside management and rural development.
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