Graduate Studies

 

First Advisor

Karina Shoengold

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Committee Members

Simanti Banerjee, Taro Mieno, Tala Awada

Department

Agricultural Economics

Date of this Version

7-2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Citation

A dissertation presented to the faculty of the Graduate College of the University of Nebraska in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy

Major: Agricultural Economics

Under the supervision of Professor Karina Schoengold

Lincoln, Nebraska, July 2024

Comments

Copyright 2024, Kaouter Essakkat. Used by permission

Abstract

This dissertation comprises three essays: one assessing Midwest producers' willingness-to-pay (WTP) for soil health-enhancing ecosystem services (ES), another examining the impact of policy implementation locations on WTP, and a third identifying factors influencing producers' adoption of cover crops (CC).

The first essay pioneers the understanding of agricultural producers’ valuation of soil health-associated ES amid growing concerns of soil degradation due to agricultural intensification. Using a discrete choice experiment, this study assesses producers’ WTP for a policy that incentivizes ES provision, specifically improved water quality, carbon sequestration, and enhanced crop yield. Surveying producers across Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska, our results show that they are willing to pay for enhanced crop yield. However, they have a negative WTP for carbon sequestration and improved water quality, indicating their aversion to support initiatives that promote these ES financially. The study reveals significant preference heterogeneity. Directing PES initiatives toward crop yield can enhance producers’ support.

Focusing on how location preferences influence producers' WTP for ES, the second essay compares support for conservation programs within the producers' state (Iowa or Kansas) versus neighboring states (Nebraska). Results show a strong preference for crop yield improvement across both states, with geographical location having minimal impact on the WTP. There is a reluctance to financially endorse the provision of carbon sequestration and water quality across geographical locations. Our findings can inform the design of geographically efficient PES and promote interstate collaboration.

The third essay combines socio-demographic and behavioral factors with climatic data to determine the factors influencing the adoption of CC and investigate the role of water availability. Using a spatial error model, this study demonstrates that several aspects such as socio-demographic characteristics, educational attainment, environmental attitudes, participation in environmental and conservation initiatives, and a reduced emphasis on the need for technical support are all positively linked to the adoption of CC. Surprisingly, the long-term patterns of precipitation do not have the ability to explain the adoption of CC, indicating that the relationship between precipitation, irrigation, and CC adoption may be more complex than previously thought.

Advisor: Karina Schoengold

Download

Share

COinS