Anna Nordén | Jönköping International Business School (original) (raw)

Papers by Anna Nordén

Because the effectiveness of payment for ecosystem services (PES) programs depends on landowners&... more Because the effectiveness of payment for ecosystem services (PES) programs depends on landowners' engagement, understanding the relationship between the type of payment and participation is a key issue. This paper reports on a choice experiment that quantifies landowners' preferences for cash and educational in-kind payment. The main results indicate a positive correlation between participation in a PES contract and the magnitude of the cash payment, while participation seems uncorrelated with the magnitude of the educational inkind payment. In addition, we investigate the mix of payment types and heterogeneity in preferences, which can help policymakers design strategies to increase participation.

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2013

Financial support from the Tinker Foundation for this project is gratefully acknowledged, as are ... more Financial support from the Tinker Foundation for this project is gratefully acknowledged, as are funds provided by Paul Ferraro and support from Sida to the Environmental Economics Unit at the University of Gothenburg and to CATIE through the Environment for Development initiative. All errors are our own.

Voluntary forest certification is an increasingly popular tool allowing producers who meet string... more Voluntary forest certification is an increasingly popular tool allowing producers who meet stringent environmental standards to label their products in the marketplace and potentially achieve greater market access and receive higher prices for their products. The voluntary nature of certification programs implies, however, that it is difficult to determine the effects of forest certification due to selection bias. This paper contributes to the impact evaluation of forest certification by estimating the effects of certification of non-industrial private forest owners in Swedenone of the countries with the largest total area of certified forests. We rely on official forest inventory data at the plot level, information on certification status, and standard impact evaluation methods to identify the causal effect of certification on three environmental outcomes: environmentally important areas preserved during the felling, number of trees and high stumps left after the felling, and area set aside for conservation purposes. Moreover, we analyze the effect of the two most important certification schemes: the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC). Our results indicate that certification has not improved any of these outcomes. Furthermore, we find no differences between the FSC and PEFC schemes. Our findings suggest that for forest certification to have an effect, the standards should be tightened and the monitoring and enforcement of forest certification schemes strengthened.

Healthy and productive forests benefit us all, but what are the priorities of those directly mana... more Healthy and productive forests benefit us all, but what are the priorities of those directly managingour Swedish forests? This brief presents a comparison of the preferences of key stakeholdersrega ...

Global Change Biology, 2017

With this review, it is intended to inform, current and future generations of Colombian entomolog... more With this review, it is intended to inform, current and future generations of Colombian entomologists, about the researchers of this discipline in past centuries, forgotten by many. Equally, about the origins of the bases for insect pest management, starting with the, almost exclusively, chemical control, up to a, dispersed, integrated pest management. Written sources, where students and professionals can find the results of investigations of the pioneers of the science of the study of insects, in the broad sense are indicated. The article is based, partly, on the personal experience and research activities in entomology, on these actions in conjunction with colleague entomologists, on reviewing publications, even little-known and even forgotten ones, and university teaching activities. Above all,, this text was pursued to make memory and remember that entomology and insect pests in Colombia, were not invented today, show that many entomological problems, which solutions are currently being looked for were already covered, at least partially, and that these studies should be appreciate and kept in mind, to build on them and not as, at present, very often ignore them.

Ecological Economics, 2017

A great deal of biodiversity can be found in private forests, and protecting it requires taking i... more A great deal of biodiversity can be found in private forests, and protecting it requires taking into consideration the preferences of key stakeholders. In this study, we examine and compare the valuation of forest attributes across the general public, private non-industrial forest owners and forest officials in Sweden by conducting a choice experiment. Our results indicate that citizens have a positive valuation of biodiversity protection. Moreover, their valuation is statistically higher than those of forest owners, implying that there is room for compensation. Interestingly, our results suggest that both forest owners and forest officials have a strong orientation towards production, with higher valuation than the general public of the common management practice of similar age and clear felling. Even though the Swedish Forestry Act regards production and environmental goals as equally important, we find that forest officials prefer management practices that promote production rather than biodiversity protection.

Journal of Economic Psychology, 2017

Discussion papers are research materials circulated by their authors for purposes of information ... more Discussion papers are research materials circulated by their authors for purposes of information and discussion. They have not necessarily undergone formal peer review.

Ekonomiska Studier 211, Apr 30, 2013

Paper 1: Incentives, Impacts, and Behavioural Issues in the Context of Payment for Ecosystem Serv... more Paper 1: Incentives, Impacts, and Behavioural Issues in the Context of Payment for Ecosystem Services Programmes: Lessons for REDD+ Payment for environmental services (PES) aims to increase the provision of public goods and internalize environmental externalities by offering direct compensation to landowners for the opportunity costs of more environmentally friendly land management practices (e.g. low impact agriculture or conservation of natural ecosystems). Being promoted as more cost-effective and institutionally simpler than traditional environmental conservation policies, mainly small-scale PES schemes have spread prolifically across developing countries in the last decade. Despite their popularity, there are few rigorous impact evaluations of existing PES programmes, and the ones that have been done have generally shown modest impacts. Here we use a conceptual framework of PES additionality, i.e. a programme's ability to deliver outcomes that would not have occurred in its absence, to overview the main issues raised regarding the impacts of PES programme. We also show that PES impacts can be highly affected by information asymmetries and behavioural responses to the introduction and design of payment schemes. We draw upon these lessons to give policy advice to the design of REDD+ programmes. Paper 2: Incentivizing versus Rewarding Good Behavior: Insights on the Use of Monetary Incentives Payments conditional upon a socially desired behavior, such as blood donations, leaving armed forces, or provision of ecosystem services, are growing in popularity. Due to financial limitations and the need to show results, many of these incentive schemes are selective, resulting in the exclusion of some stakeholders in favor of others. In this paper, we study the possibility of the stakeholders excluded from the monetary incentive reducing their pro-social behavior. We use a laboratory experiment to investigate this and hypothesize that alternative selection rules, i.e., who gets paid and why, affect the overall contributions to a public good differently. Our results show that incentivizing those who acted less pro-socially (i.e., contributed below a certain threshold) before the incentive was introduced resulted in increased contributions to the public good by this group. On the other hand, that very same selection rule excludes those who acted more pro-socially (i.e., contributed over a certain threshold) before the incentive was introduced, and this resulted in decreased average contributions by this group, decreasing the net effect on overall contributions. These results set up an efficiency-fairness tradeoff for designing selective conditional payments to promote pro-social behavior: Targeting those who require incentives to contribute may increase payment response beyond what would have happened in the absence of the incentive program, but it may also give rise to the unexpected consequence of negative spillovers. Paper 3: Unintended Consequences of Targeting Forest Conservation Incentives: Behavioral Insights into Incentive Design Ongoing concerns about species and water quality, plus growing attention to carbon, have generated significant interest in the use of incentives to promote forest conservation, e.g., payment for ecosystem services (PES) or Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD) payments. A key challenge in the design of such compensation mechanisms is the choice of whom to pay. Experts and practitioners debate whether the selection of whom to pay should be based on: i) additionality, by paying those who would not conserve without the incentive; ii) rewards, by paying those who are already conserving forest; or iii) location-based environmental benefit, in which case payments would go to those in prioritized areas. In this paper, we use a field experiment to test the hypothesis that these different selection rules imply different effects on contributions to forest conservation by those selected for the incentive and unintended negative effects on contributions by those excluded from the incentive. Our results suggest that it is only a focus on additionality that leads to decreased average contributions to forest conservation by unpaid individuals, thereby limiting the total gains expected from such focus. These results should be considered in the design of conservation incentive programs in general and PES schemes in particular. Paper 4: Payments in Cash or in Kind for Ecosystem Services: Stated Preferences of Costa Rican Landowners This paper investigates landowners' preferences for type of payment, cash or in kind, for the provision of ecosystem services. A choice experiment analysis focusing on the effect of different levels of cash and in-kind payments on participation in a payment for ecosystem services (PES) contract is provided. We use an educational in-kind payment in the form of days of practical training offered free of charge to the recipients. The results indicate a positive correlation between participation in a PES contract and the magnitude of the cash payment-higher cash payments increase the probability of participation-while participation seems uncorrelated with the magnitude of the in-kind payment. We also find that both in-kind and cash payments increase the likelihood of participation in shorter PES contracts (i.e., 5 years), while in-kind payments have no significant effect on participation in longer contracts (i.e., 15 years). Higher levels of cash payment seem to be what is needed to increase the likelihood of participation in longer contracts. In addition, we investigate heterogeneity in preferences for type of payment, which can help policymakers better target payment types to specific groups of landowners. Paper 5: Do Entrance Fees Crowd Out Donations for Public Goods? Evidence from a Protected Area in Costa Rica In this paper, we investigate how different levels of entrance fees affect donations for a public good, a natural park. To explore this issue, we conducted a stated preference study focusing on visitors' preferences for donating money to raise funds for a protected area in Costa Rica given different entrance fee levels. The results reveal that there is incomplete crowding-out of donations when establishing an entrance fee.

Environmental and Resource Economics, 2015

Abstract in Undetermined The national inventory reports (NIR) submitted to the UNFCCC show Sweden... more Abstract in Undetermined The national inventory reports (NIR) submitted to the UNFCCC show Sweden – which as many other countries has wetlands where parts have been drained for agriculture and forestry purposes, – to annually emit 12 million tonnes carbon dioxide equivalents, which is more GHG’es than industrial energy use release in Sweden. Similar conditions can be found in other northern countries, having cool and wet conditions, naturally promoting peat accumulation, and where land use management over the last centuries have promoted draining activities. These drained peatland, though covering only 2% of the land area, have emissions corresponding to 20% of the total reported NIR emissions. This substantial emission contribution, however, is hidden within the Land Use Land Use Change and Forestry sector (LULUCF) where the forest Carbon uptake is even larger, which causes the peat soil emissions become invisible. The only drained soil emission accounted in the Swedish Kyoto reporting is the N2O emission from agricultural drained organic soils of the size 0.5 million tonnes CO2e yr-1. This lack of visibility has made incentives for land use change and management neither implemented nor suggested, however with large potential. Rewetting has the potential to decrease soil mineralization, why CO2 and N2O emissions are mitigated. However if the soil becomes very wet CH4 emission will increase together with hampered plant growth. By ecological modeling, using the CoupModel the climate change mitigation potential have been estimated for four different land use scenarios; 1, Drained peat soil with Spruce (business as usual scenario), 2, raised ground water level to 20 cm depth and Willow plantation, 3, raised ground water level to 10 cm depth and Reed Canary Grass, and 4, rewetting to an average water level in the soil surface with recolonizing wetland plants and mosses. We calculate the volume of biomass production per year, peat decomposition, N2O emission together with nitrate and DOC/POC leakage. Based on the modelling results a cost benefit analysis is performed (economics), guiding to the design of environmental policies needed for land use change to come true. (Less)

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2013

We use a field experiment to examine the changes in contributions to forest conservation when we ... more We use a field experiment to examine the changes in contributions to forest conservation when we introduce each of those three selection rules. For individuals who are selected, we find that targeting additionality (rule [ii]) is the only scheme to increase contributions. However that selection rule intentionally excludes those who contributed most previously and it is the only one to generate significant 'behavioral leakage', i.e., negative spillovers or falling contributions by those who are excluded (and face no price or income changes). Our results demonstrate a tradeoff in targeting and a challenge for optimal policy design.

Environment and Development Economics, 2014

In this paper, we investigate how different levels of entrance fees affect donations for a public... more In this paper, we investigate how different levels of entrance fees affect donations for a public good, a natural park. To explore this issue, we conducted a stated preference study focusing on visitors' preferences for donating money to raise funds for a protected area in Costa Rica given different entrance fee levels. The results reveal that there is incomplete crowding out of donations when establishing an entrance fee.

Global Environmental Change

Because the effectiveness of payment for ecosystem services (PES) programs depends on landowners&... more Because the effectiveness of payment for ecosystem services (PES) programs depends on landowners' engagement, understanding the relationship between the type of payment and participation is a key issue. This paper reports on a choice experiment that quantifies landowners' preferences for cash and educational in-kind payment. The main results indicate a positive correlation between participation in a PES contract and the magnitude of the cash payment, while participation seems uncorrelated with the magnitude of the educational inkind payment. In addition, we investigate the mix of payment types and heterogeneity in preferences, which can help policymakers design strategies to increase participation.

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2013

Financial support from the Tinker Foundation for this project is gratefully acknowledged, as are ... more Financial support from the Tinker Foundation for this project is gratefully acknowledged, as are funds provided by Paul Ferraro and support from Sida to the Environmental Economics Unit at the University of Gothenburg and to CATIE through the Environment for Development initiative. All errors are our own.

Voluntary forest certification is an increasingly popular tool allowing producers who meet string... more Voluntary forest certification is an increasingly popular tool allowing producers who meet stringent environmental standards to label their products in the marketplace and potentially achieve greater market access and receive higher prices for their products. The voluntary nature of certification programs implies, however, that it is difficult to determine the effects of forest certification due to selection bias. This paper contributes to the impact evaluation of forest certification by estimating the effects of certification of non-industrial private forest owners in Swedenone of the countries with the largest total area of certified forests. We rely on official forest inventory data at the plot level, information on certification status, and standard impact evaluation methods to identify the causal effect of certification on three environmental outcomes: environmentally important areas preserved during the felling, number of trees and high stumps left after the felling, and area set aside for conservation purposes. Moreover, we analyze the effect of the two most important certification schemes: the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC). Our results indicate that certification has not improved any of these outcomes. Furthermore, we find no differences between the FSC and PEFC schemes. Our findings suggest that for forest certification to have an effect, the standards should be tightened and the monitoring and enforcement of forest certification schemes strengthened.

Healthy and productive forests benefit us all, but what are the priorities of those directly mana... more Healthy and productive forests benefit us all, but what are the priorities of those directly managingour Swedish forests? This brief presents a comparison of the preferences of key stakeholdersrega ...

Global Change Biology, 2017

With this review, it is intended to inform, current and future generations of Colombian entomolog... more With this review, it is intended to inform, current and future generations of Colombian entomologists, about the researchers of this discipline in past centuries, forgotten by many. Equally, about the origins of the bases for insect pest management, starting with the, almost exclusively, chemical control, up to a, dispersed, integrated pest management. Written sources, where students and professionals can find the results of investigations of the pioneers of the science of the study of insects, in the broad sense are indicated. The article is based, partly, on the personal experience and research activities in entomology, on these actions in conjunction with colleague entomologists, on reviewing publications, even little-known and even forgotten ones, and university teaching activities. Above all,, this text was pursued to make memory and remember that entomology and insect pests in Colombia, were not invented today, show that many entomological problems, which solutions are currently being looked for were already covered, at least partially, and that these studies should be appreciate and kept in mind, to build on them and not as, at present, very often ignore them.

Ecological Economics, 2017

A great deal of biodiversity can be found in private forests, and protecting it requires taking i... more A great deal of biodiversity can be found in private forests, and protecting it requires taking into consideration the preferences of key stakeholders. In this study, we examine and compare the valuation of forest attributes across the general public, private non-industrial forest owners and forest officials in Sweden by conducting a choice experiment. Our results indicate that citizens have a positive valuation of biodiversity protection. Moreover, their valuation is statistically higher than those of forest owners, implying that there is room for compensation. Interestingly, our results suggest that both forest owners and forest officials have a strong orientation towards production, with higher valuation than the general public of the common management practice of similar age and clear felling. Even though the Swedish Forestry Act regards production and environmental goals as equally important, we find that forest officials prefer management practices that promote production rather than biodiversity protection.

Journal of Economic Psychology, 2017

Discussion papers are research materials circulated by their authors for purposes of information ... more Discussion papers are research materials circulated by their authors for purposes of information and discussion. They have not necessarily undergone formal peer review.

Ekonomiska Studier 211, Apr 30, 2013

Paper 1: Incentives, Impacts, and Behavioural Issues in the Context of Payment for Ecosystem Serv... more Paper 1: Incentives, Impacts, and Behavioural Issues in the Context of Payment for Ecosystem Services Programmes: Lessons for REDD+ Payment for environmental services (PES) aims to increase the provision of public goods and internalize environmental externalities by offering direct compensation to landowners for the opportunity costs of more environmentally friendly land management practices (e.g. low impact agriculture or conservation of natural ecosystems). Being promoted as more cost-effective and institutionally simpler than traditional environmental conservation policies, mainly small-scale PES schemes have spread prolifically across developing countries in the last decade. Despite their popularity, there are few rigorous impact evaluations of existing PES programmes, and the ones that have been done have generally shown modest impacts. Here we use a conceptual framework of PES additionality, i.e. a programme's ability to deliver outcomes that would not have occurred in its absence, to overview the main issues raised regarding the impacts of PES programme. We also show that PES impacts can be highly affected by information asymmetries and behavioural responses to the introduction and design of payment schemes. We draw upon these lessons to give policy advice to the design of REDD+ programmes. Paper 2: Incentivizing versus Rewarding Good Behavior: Insights on the Use of Monetary Incentives Payments conditional upon a socially desired behavior, such as blood donations, leaving armed forces, or provision of ecosystem services, are growing in popularity. Due to financial limitations and the need to show results, many of these incentive schemes are selective, resulting in the exclusion of some stakeholders in favor of others. In this paper, we study the possibility of the stakeholders excluded from the monetary incentive reducing their pro-social behavior. We use a laboratory experiment to investigate this and hypothesize that alternative selection rules, i.e., who gets paid and why, affect the overall contributions to a public good differently. Our results show that incentivizing those who acted less pro-socially (i.e., contributed below a certain threshold) before the incentive was introduced resulted in increased contributions to the public good by this group. On the other hand, that very same selection rule excludes those who acted more pro-socially (i.e., contributed over a certain threshold) before the incentive was introduced, and this resulted in decreased average contributions by this group, decreasing the net effect on overall contributions. These results set up an efficiency-fairness tradeoff for designing selective conditional payments to promote pro-social behavior: Targeting those who require incentives to contribute may increase payment response beyond what would have happened in the absence of the incentive program, but it may also give rise to the unexpected consequence of negative spillovers. Paper 3: Unintended Consequences of Targeting Forest Conservation Incentives: Behavioral Insights into Incentive Design Ongoing concerns about species and water quality, plus growing attention to carbon, have generated significant interest in the use of incentives to promote forest conservation, e.g., payment for ecosystem services (PES) or Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD) payments. A key challenge in the design of such compensation mechanisms is the choice of whom to pay. Experts and practitioners debate whether the selection of whom to pay should be based on: i) additionality, by paying those who would not conserve without the incentive; ii) rewards, by paying those who are already conserving forest; or iii) location-based environmental benefit, in which case payments would go to those in prioritized areas. In this paper, we use a field experiment to test the hypothesis that these different selection rules imply different effects on contributions to forest conservation by those selected for the incentive and unintended negative effects on contributions by those excluded from the incentive. Our results suggest that it is only a focus on additionality that leads to decreased average contributions to forest conservation by unpaid individuals, thereby limiting the total gains expected from such focus. These results should be considered in the design of conservation incentive programs in general and PES schemes in particular. Paper 4: Payments in Cash or in Kind for Ecosystem Services: Stated Preferences of Costa Rican Landowners This paper investigates landowners' preferences for type of payment, cash or in kind, for the provision of ecosystem services. A choice experiment analysis focusing on the effect of different levels of cash and in-kind payments on participation in a payment for ecosystem services (PES) contract is provided. We use an educational in-kind payment in the form of days of practical training offered free of charge to the recipients. The results indicate a positive correlation between participation in a PES contract and the magnitude of the cash payment-higher cash payments increase the probability of participation-while participation seems uncorrelated with the magnitude of the in-kind payment. We also find that both in-kind and cash payments increase the likelihood of participation in shorter PES contracts (i.e., 5 years), while in-kind payments have no significant effect on participation in longer contracts (i.e., 15 years). Higher levels of cash payment seem to be what is needed to increase the likelihood of participation in longer contracts. In addition, we investigate heterogeneity in preferences for type of payment, which can help policymakers better target payment types to specific groups of landowners. Paper 5: Do Entrance Fees Crowd Out Donations for Public Goods? Evidence from a Protected Area in Costa Rica In this paper, we investigate how different levels of entrance fees affect donations for a public good, a natural park. To explore this issue, we conducted a stated preference study focusing on visitors' preferences for donating money to raise funds for a protected area in Costa Rica given different entrance fee levels. The results reveal that there is incomplete crowding-out of donations when establishing an entrance fee.

Environmental and Resource Economics, 2015

Abstract in Undetermined The national inventory reports (NIR) submitted to the UNFCCC show Sweden... more Abstract in Undetermined The national inventory reports (NIR) submitted to the UNFCCC show Sweden – which as many other countries has wetlands where parts have been drained for agriculture and forestry purposes, – to annually emit 12 million tonnes carbon dioxide equivalents, which is more GHG’es than industrial energy use release in Sweden. Similar conditions can be found in other northern countries, having cool and wet conditions, naturally promoting peat accumulation, and where land use management over the last centuries have promoted draining activities. These drained peatland, though covering only 2% of the land area, have emissions corresponding to 20% of the total reported NIR emissions. This substantial emission contribution, however, is hidden within the Land Use Land Use Change and Forestry sector (LULUCF) where the forest Carbon uptake is even larger, which causes the peat soil emissions become invisible. The only drained soil emission accounted in the Swedish Kyoto reporting is the N2O emission from agricultural drained organic soils of the size 0.5 million tonnes CO2e yr-1. This lack of visibility has made incentives for land use change and management neither implemented nor suggested, however with large potential. Rewetting has the potential to decrease soil mineralization, why CO2 and N2O emissions are mitigated. However if the soil becomes very wet CH4 emission will increase together with hampered plant growth. By ecological modeling, using the CoupModel the climate change mitigation potential have been estimated for four different land use scenarios; 1, Drained peat soil with Spruce (business as usual scenario), 2, raised ground water level to 20 cm depth and Willow plantation, 3, raised ground water level to 10 cm depth and Reed Canary Grass, and 4, rewetting to an average water level in the soil surface with recolonizing wetland plants and mosses. We calculate the volume of biomass production per year, peat decomposition, N2O emission together with nitrate and DOC/POC leakage. Based on the modelling results a cost benefit analysis is performed (economics), guiding to the design of environmental policies needed for land use change to come true. (Less)

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2013

We use a field experiment to examine the changes in contributions to forest conservation when we ... more We use a field experiment to examine the changes in contributions to forest conservation when we introduce each of those three selection rules. For individuals who are selected, we find that targeting additionality (rule [ii]) is the only scheme to increase contributions. However that selection rule intentionally excludes those who contributed most previously and it is the only one to generate significant 'behavioral leakage', i.e., negative spillovers or falling contributions by those who are excluded (and face no price or income changes). Our results demonstrate a tradeoff in targeting and a challenge for optimal policy design.

Environment and Development Economics, 2014

In this paper, we investigate how different levels of entrance fees affect donations for a public... more In this paper, we investigate how different levels of entrance fees affect donations for a public good, a natural park. To explore this issue, we conducted a stated preference study focusing on visitors' preferences for donating money to raise funds for a protected area in Costa Rica given different entrance fee levels. The results reveal that there is incomplete crowding out of donations when establishing an entrance fee.

Global Environmental Change