| dc.description.abstract | Although in-situ conservation is increasingly considered an efficient way of conserving plant genetic resources, little
is known about the incentives and constraints that govern conservation decisions among small farm holders in
developing countries. Using a choice experiment approach, we investigate Ethiopian farmers’ crop variety
preferences, estimate the mean willingness to pay for each crop variety attribute, and identify household specific and
institutional factors that govern the preferences. We find that environmental adaptability and yield stability are
important attributes for farmers’ choice of crop varieties. Farmers are willing to forgo some income or output in
order to obtain a more stable and environmentally adaptable crop variety. Among other things, household resource
endowments (particularly land holdings and livestock assets), years of farming experience, and contact with
extension services are the major factors causing household heterogeneity of crop variety preferences. Based on our
experimental results, we derive important policy implications for on-farm conservation, breeding priority setting, and
improved variety adoption in Ethiopia.<p> | en |
