Journal for Nature Conservation 25 (2015) 62–71 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal for Nature Conservation jo ur nal ho mepage: www.elsevier.de/jnc Consumer preferences for agricultural products considering the value of biodiversity conservation in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam Huynh Viet Khai a,b , Mitsuyasu Yabe b,∗ a Department of Agricultural, Resource, and Environmental Economics, School of Economics and Business Administration, Can Tho University, Can Tho City, Vietnam b Laboratory of Environmental Economics, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Hakozaki 6-10-1, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka City 812-8581, Japan a r t i c l e i n f o Article history: Received 12 August 2014 Received in revised form 13 January 2015 Accepted 17 February 2015 Keywords: Biodiversity conservation Choice modeling Eco-label Environmentally friendly farming Mekong Delta a b s t r a c t Because biodiversity conservation is a crucial aspect of multifunctionality in agriculture, consumers may be willing to pay a higher premium for products with environmentally friendly farming techniques to preserve biodiversity. To analyze the effects of biodiversity on the market price of agricultural products, this study applied the choice experiment method to assess consumers’ preferences for environmentally certified rice (termed “crane-friendly farming”) proposed for growth in Tram Chim National Park, one of Vietnam’s eight important bird areas. Our results indicate that the majority of Vietnamese Mekong Delta consumers agreed to buy the proposed environmentally certified rice. They were willing to pay a premium of VND 11 for one kilogram of environmentally certified rice to increase crane numbers and VND 1500 for a 100% increase in the biodiversity level. In addition, their implicit price for rice cultivation without chemical pesticides (organic rice) was VND 6200, a 62% premium over the price of normal rice. © 2015 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved. Introduction Increasing demand for agricultural lands to produce food; bio- fuel; or fiber puts pressure on the balance between biodiversity conservation and agricultural production (Fischer et al., 2008). Land conversion for agriculture could result in the degradation of bio- diversity; which plays an important role in creating ecosystem conditions; functions; and services necessary for agriculture (e.g.; nutrient recycling; pest control; pollution; and the regulation of water flows). The Mekong Delta has great biodiversity, and it is considered a high-priority area for freshwater animal conservation. The loca- tion has historically been a center of tremendous fish and waterfowl abundance, and it is still a vital wintering ground for several migra- tory species (Baltzer et al., 2001). In total, 10 key wetland areas and 13 important bird areas were identified in the region (Buckton et al., 1999; Tordoff, 2002). Moreover, the region contains 386 species and subspecies of birds, including 92 species of water birds, but a species list has not been provided. ∗ Corresponding author. E-mail addresses: hvkhai@ctu.edu.vn (H.V. Khai), yabe@agr.kyushu-u.ac.jp (M. Yabe). The Mekong Delta has historically been densely populated because it contains very fertile agricultural land, and conversion of wetlands to agriculture-producing land has continued in recent years. For instance, annual and perennial crop production increased from 2.40 million ha in 1985 to 2.55 million ha in 2008, while aqua- culture production increased from 32,100 ha to 530,650 ha in the same period. By 2007, almost 88% of the total Mekong Delta area in Vietnam comprised agricultural farming areas (Garschagen et al., 2012). Increases in agricultural production and changes in land use have resulted in increased pressure on terrestrial biodiversity and ecosystems in the region. A variety of governmental projects on biodiversity conservation have been implemented to find methods to avoid biodiversity degradation. However, identifying whether the change in current management practices would generate net social benefits is complex for policymakers. It is relatively easy to calculate the costs but hard to estimate the benefits of biodiversity conservation programs. Although these benefits may be estimated by studying public preferences on conservation programs, such studies are difficult to conduct because of the generally low level of resident awareness and understanding of the meaning of biodiver- sity (Christie et al., 2006). Moreover, although there are substantial conservation activities (especially in biosphere reserves of the Mekong Delta recognized by UNESCO), these are not sufficiently strong or powerful to enlarge or improve the quantity and quality of biosphere reserves because of government budget constraints http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jnc.2015.02.004 1617-1381/© 2015 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.