@article{Broch:199440,
      recid = {199440},
      author = {Broch, S. and Boon, T. and Bjerre, C.},
      title = {Exploring how landowners perceive societal requirements  regarding voluntary participation in environmental  regarding voluntary participation in environmental  regarding voluntary participation in environmentaregarding  voluntary participation in environmental management - using  a case of wetland restoration},
      journal = {Scandinavian Forest Economics: Proceedings of the Biennial  Meeting of the Scandinavian Society of Forest Economics},
      address = {2012-05},
      number = {1333-2016-103816},
      pages = {2},
      year = {2012},
      note = {Subject Title: Abstract},
      abstract = {Politically and in the public debate there is an increased  focus on how private landowners
should contribute to nature  and the environment by changing their management practices.  As
this may conflict with landowners’ management plans,  voluntary agreements have been used to
create incentives to  participate. Studies have investigated how the design of  voluntary
agreements influences landowners’ willingness to  accept voluntary agreements. Less attention
has been given  to how landowners perceive requirements when society  suggests participation in
voluntary agri-environmental  practices. The aim of this study is to investigate how  landowners
perceive the rationales behind  agri-environmental schemes as a measure of how they  perceive
requirements from society. Rationales behind  agri-environmental schemes explored are; they 1)
recognise  private property rights 2) benefit the environment 3)  modify behaviour 4) are
voluntary and 5) offer financial  incentives.
To allow for an in-depth study we chose one  among many possible cases of environmental
management, that  is, wetland restoration. Potential wetlands are designated  all over Denmark
but we selected two specific areas to get  a common ground for the interviews. Twenty-three  indepth,
semi-structured interviews were conducted with 34  farmers in the case areas.
Preliminary results show that  landowners’ perceptions of private property rights were  that if
landowners are given societal responsibilities then  they should have financial or other forms of
compensation.  The landowners questioned the suggested project’s ability  to reduce nitrogen
leakage and wanted to make sure that  they are acknowledged for eventual contribution  to
reduction. Most landowners thought they would have to  modify behaviour both within and
outside the wetlands.  Furthermore, the landowners questioned the voluntariness of  the schemes,
as compulsory purchase might take place  because authorities need to designate wetlands
somewhere in  order to achieve policy goals. Landowners emphasised the  importance of
financial compensation while simultaneously  criticising the actually offered compensation for
being far  below market price of the land they lose.},
      url = {http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/199440},
      doi = {https://doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.199440},
}