The non-market value of reclaiming natural landscape and biodiversity: a Dutch case study

Biodiversity and natural landscapes have been lost over time due to global agricultural expansion and urbanization. Our study assesses the non-market economic value of reclaiming natural landscapes in the Zuid-Limburg region of the Netherlands, a country in which large-scale intensive agriculture dominates rural landscapes. Through a discrete choice experiment conducted among non-residents of Zuid-Limburg, we find that individuals planning to visit the area are willing to contribute a similar (insignificantly different) monetary amount toward conservation efforts in the area as those who do not plan to visit. This implies that the area is largely valued for its indirect use values and non-use values rather than its option values. We further find that societal concerns explain some preferences in the choice experiment. In particular, increased levels of concern about the Dutch nitrogen crisis relate to a higher preference for agricultural businesses to be contributing to nature-inclusive farming. More concern about built-up area leads to a higher preference for natural landscapes. Furthermore, individuals with more concern about extinction risk prefer fewer animal species in Zuid-Limburg with threatened status. Moreover, our study reveals that individuals with greater patience and higher household incomes are more willing to invest in conservation efforts.