Effects of Ending Payments for Ecosystem Services: removal does not crowd prior conservation out

Lina Moros (), Maria Vélez, Alexander Pfaff and Daniela Quintero ()

No 18590, Documentos CEDE from Universidad de los Andes, Facultad de Economía, CEDE

Abstract: We implemented a decision experiment in the field with rural peasants in Colombia to test the effects of introducing then partially or totally removing Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES). We consider individual and collective payments and different rules for removal. We find that there is clearly no behavioral ‘crowding-out’ when a PES is created then ended. Even a simple pre-versus-post-PES comparison finds ‘crowding in’, if anything, with contributions higher after PES was removed than before PES was introduced. Comparing to a control, without PES, strengthens that conclusion. We discuss four possible mechanisms explaining these findings: recognition or gratitude; lack of negative emotions; pre-existing and persistent intrinsic motivations, and evocation of pro-environmental behavior.

Keywords: lab in the field experiment; pro-environmental behavior; payment for ecosystem services; incentives; Colombia. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q57 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 38
Date: 2020-12-21
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-agr, nep-env, nep-exp and nep-hme
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:col:000089:018590

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