Values of ecosystem services associated with intense dairy farming in New Zealand

Abstract

The increase in greenhouse gas emissions and degradation of water quality and quantity in waterways due to dairy farming in New Zealand have become of growing concern. Compared to traditional sheep and beef cattle farming, dairy farming is more input intensive and more likely to cause such environmental damage. Our study uses choice modeling to explore New Zealanders ' willingness to pay for sustainable dairy and sheep/beef cattle farming. We investigate respondents' level of awareness of the environmental degradation caused by dairy farming and their willingness to make trade-offs between economic growth and improvements in the level of ecosystem services associated with pastoral farming.