Vol. 13 No. 1 (2024): New pathways for improved delivery of public goods from agriculture and forestry
Full Research Articles

The use of innovative contracts to provide agri-environmental public goods: Comparing attitudes between Ireland and other European countries

Tracy Bradfield
Cork University Business School, University College Cork
Thia Hennessy
Cork University Business School, University College Cork
Riccardo D'Alberto
Department of Economics, University of Verona
Emmi Haltia
Natural Resources Institute Finland (LUKE)

Published 2023-11-21

Keywords

  • agri-environmental climate public goods,
  • AECPG,
  • results-based contracts,
  • contract design,
  • 2014 U.S. Farm Act

How to Cite

Bradfield, T., Hennessy, T., D’Alberto, R., & Haltia, E. (2023). The use of innovative contracts to provide agri-environmental public goods: Comparing attitudes between Ireland and other European countries. Bio-Based and Applied Economics, 13(1), 103–120. https://doi.org/10.36253/bae-14444

Funding data

Abstract

Results-based, collective action, value chain, and land tenure contracts are means to improve the management of agri-environmental public goods. The objective of this paper is to assess the understandability, applicability, and perceived economic benefit of each of these contract types by land managers and stakeholders in twelve European countries, with a special emphasis on Ireland. Using survey data, we find that most land managers agree that results-based contracts are understandable, applicable to their farm, and economically beneficial. A lower portion of land managers in Ireland than other European countries agree that value chain and land tenure contracts are understandable or applicable to their farms. The results suggest that greater efforts are required to promote collective action contracts across Europe as they are paramount to the management of public goods. To increase the adoption of innovative contracts, providing financial certainty and autonomy should be prioritized by policymakers, particularly in Ireland.

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