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The present study adapts the choice experiment (CE) method for an analysis of how Swedish farmers assess the relative value of the characteristics associated with growing energy crops. An additional goal was to find out the willingness of farmers to grow energy crops relative to different levels of income and subsidies based on predictions of acreage of energy crop cultivation. In the first CE, farmers were presented with two energy crops and six of their characteristics and asked to choose the alternative he or she preferred most. In the second CE the respondent was asked how many hectares for each crop he/she would be willing to grow on arable land with an energy crop subsidy and how many hectares he/she would be willing to grow on set-aside land without an energy crop subsidy. The results suggest that among the included characteristics in the first experiment, the visual impact on the landscape and the rotation period of the energy crop appear to have a significant impact on the utility derived from growing an energy crop. An increased utility of a crop increases the arable land used for that crop and the income associated with it. Farm characteristics such as leased land, rented land, share of set-aside land, and type of farming had an insignificant effect on the willingness to grow energy crops. Significant characteristics were age of the farmer, size of the farm, and the geographical area. |
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