A Framework of Payment for Ecosystem Services to Protect Cropland: A Case Study of the Yangtze River Delta in China

Jie Guo, Tianqi Zhu, Minghao Ou, Fengsong Pei, Xiaoyu Gan, Weixin Ou and Yu Tao
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Jie Guo: College of Land Management, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
Tianqi Zhu: College of Land Management, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
Minghao Ou: College of Land Management, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
Fengsong Pei: School of Geography, Geomatics, and Planning, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 221116, China
Xiaoyu Gan: College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
Weixin Ou: College of Land Management, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
Yu Tao: College of Land Management, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China

Sustainability, 2018, vol. 10, issue 1, 1-18

Abstract: Due to large land demand and insufficient economic incentives, stakeholders have little motivation to protect cropland during rapid urbanization. The considerable loss of cropland poses a serious threat to food security and ecological sustainability. This research proposes a framework of payment for ecosystem services (PES) to reconcile the large land demand and the need for cropland protection during economic development by identifying whom to compensate, what to pay, how much to pay, the mechanisms for payment, and verification of service delivery. Using the Yangtze River Delta as an example, the features of the PES based on supply-demand analysis, compensation quality and value standards, and payment regulation are demonstrated. The results show the effectiveness of this PES framework for handling the externality of environmental protection compared to traditional regulatory approaches. The framework will also aid in the protection of cropland by coordinating the benefits of stakeholders.

Keywords: cropland; PES; cropland quality assessment; cropland valuation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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