How Local Intermediaries Improve the Effectiveness of Public Payment for Ecosystem Services Programs: The Role of Networks and Agri-Environmental Assistance

Sarah Schomers, Bettina Matzdorf, Claas Meyer and Claudia Sattler
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Sarah Schomers: Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) e.V., Institute of Socio-Economics, Eberswalder Str. 84, 15374 Muencheberg, Germany
Bettina Matzdorf: Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) e.V., Institute of Socio-Economics, Eberswalder Str. 84, 15374 Muencheberg, Germany
Claas Meyer: Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) e.V., Institute of Socio-Economics, Eberswalder Str. 84, 15374 Muencheberg, Germany
Claudia Sattler: Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) e.V., Institute of Socio-Economics, Eberswalder Str. 84, 15374 Muencheberg, Germany

Sustainability, 2015, vol. 7, issue 10, 1-31

Abstract: Large governmental payments for ecosystem services programs (PES) have frequently been criticized for their limited environmental effectiveness. The use of local intermediaries has been considered as one possibility for improving the environmental effectiveness of such programs. German Landcare Associations (LCAs) have been identified as one intermediary that holds the potential to positively influence the implementation of agri-environmental measures (AEMs). This paper empirically assesses the involvement of LCAs in the context of AEM implementation in Germany. An online questionnaire was distributed to all LCAs in Germany. In a first step, we examine if LCAs (1) provide social networks between stakeholders and (2) provide agri-environmental information and assistance to farmers. In a second step, the LCAs assess (3) their perception of how strongly their work influences farmers’ participation in PES schemes and (4) if they pursue the spatial targeting of AEMs. In a third step, we relate the relative level of social networks and the provision of agri-environmental information and assistance to their stated influence on farmers’ participation in and spatial targeting of AEMs. Finally we derive overall conclusions on how intermediaries can enhance the effectiveness of PES programs in general.

Keywords: agri-environment measures; land use conflict and governance; social capital; local embeddedness; payments for environmental services (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:7:y:2015:i:10:p:13856-13886:d:57157

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