3.2 Economic Valuation of Environmental Goods at a National Level
55
stabilize at a lower level, because local varieties will still be important as a new
starting point of breeding. Therefore, the technical development will reduce the
intergenerational value of PGRFA. Only the insurance value, defined as actual
diversity on farmers' fields, and probably the existence value will remain over
time.
Although this development is already predictable today, it is not possible to
quantify the time frame for the technical improvement. Hence, the genetically
coded information of PGRF A has to be conserved for one or two generations to
come.
3.3
Analysis of the Beneficiaries of PGRFA Conservation
The following section is limited to identifying the beneficiaries of PGRF A
conservation on the base of the anticipated benefits of PGRFA conservation
derived from the different values. For the time being, the best quantifiable value of
PGRFA (the breeding value) is passed on indirectly to the beneficiaries of
PGRFA, as a positive external effect from mainly marginalized farmers
maintaining agrobiodiversity. As will be seen, some of the beneficiaries of
PGRFA play a vital role on the demand side, others, however, benefit from
PGRFA conservation, but are not directly involved in the demand for genetically
coded information.
The farmers, resource-poor as well as resource-rich, are cultivating farmers'
varieties because of anticipated benefits derived from various values from PGRFA
diversity:
• the intra and inter species diversity as an insurance against yield fluctuations
and unforeseeable events, balancing considerations of yield maximization and
yield stability (insurance value) (Alderman and Paxson, 1992);
• the agronomic adaptation to local conditions and the possibility - and in
marginalized areas without access to seed and other input markets the only
means - to select seed according to individual and site-specific requirements
(breeding value) (Weltzien- Rattunde, 1996);
• the quality, e.g., taste, cooking quality, storability and other qualities, and other
material values derived from the direct use of the produced food (consumptive
value) (Brush and Meng, 1996); and
• the advantage of farmers' varieties regarding ecological functions, e.g., the
prevention of soil erosion (functional value) (Berg et aI., 1991).
Reflecting these points, farmers derive private benefits from the different values at
the local level. However, the value of the intra and inter species diversity as an
insurance usually diminishes with economic and therefore infrastructural and
technological development. With the overall development, farmers need to rely
less on crop diversity as they are able to offset the effects of crop failure by selling
labor (particularly in urban areas) or by drawing upon accumulated assets.
55
stabilize at a lower level, because local varieties will still be important as a new
starting point of breeding. Therefore, the technical development will reduce the
intergenerational value of PGRFA. Only the insurance value, defined as actual
diversity on farmers' fields, and probably the existence value will remain over
time.
Although this development is already predictable today, it is not possible to
quantify the time frame for the technical improvement. Hence, the genetically
coded information of PGRF A has to be conserved for one or two generations to
come.
3.3
Analysis of the Beneficiaries of PGRFA Conservation
The following section is limited to identifying the beneficiaries of PGRF A
conservation on the base of the anticipated benefits of PGRFA conservation
derived from the different values. For the time being, the best quantifiable value of
PGRFA (the breeding value) is passed on indirectly to the beneficiaries of
PGRFA, as a positive external effect from mainly marginalized farmers
maintaining agrobiodiversity. As will be seen, some of the beneficiaries of
PGRFA play a vital role on the demand side, others, however, benefit from
PGRFA conservation, but are not directly involved in the demand for genetically
coded information.
The farmers, resource-poor as well as resource-rich, are cultivating farmers'
varieties because of anticipated benefits derived from various values from PGRFA
diversity:
• the intra and inter species diversity as an insurance against yield fluctuations
and unforeseeable events, balancing considerations of yield maximization and
yield stability (insurance value) (Alderman and Paxson, 1992);
• the agronomic adaptation to local conditions and the possibility - and in
marginalized areas without access to seed and other input markets the only
means - to select seed according to individual and site-specific requirements
(breeding value) (Weltzien- Rattunde, 1996);
• the quality, e.g., taste, cooking quality, storability and other qualities, and other
material values derived from the direct use of the produced food (consumptive
value) (Brush and Meng, 1996); and
• the advantage of farmers' varieties regarding ecological functions, e.g., the
prevention of soil erosion (functional value) (Berg et aI., 1991).
Reflecting these points, farmers derive private benefits from the different values at
the local level. However, the value of the intra and inter species diversity as an
insurance usually diminishes with economic and therefore infrastructural and
technological development. With the overall development, farmers need to rely
less on crop diversity as they are able to offset the effects of crop failure by selling
labor (particularly in urban areas) or by drawing upon accumulated assets.