Payments for Pioneers? Revisiting the Role of External Rewards for Sustainable Innovation under Heterogeneous Motivations

• Published in: Ecological economics Vol. 135; pp. 234 - 245
• Main Authors: Zabala, Aiora, Pascual, Unai, García-Barrios, Luis
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.05.2017
• Subjects: Agroforestry adoption; behavior change; carbon; conservation programs; forests; Innovation diffusion; livelihood; Mexico; motivation; natural resources conservation; Payments for ecosystem services; Perspectives; Q methodology; Silvopastoral systems; soil conservation; Tropical forest frontier; Mexico; Tropical forest frontier; Q methodology; Payments for ecosystem services; Innovation diffusion; Perspectives; Agroforestry adoption; Silvopastoral systems
• ISSN: 0921-8009
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2017.01.011

Acknowledging the diversity of preferences, goals and motivations of individuals is key to promote the effectiveness of incentive-based conservation interventions. This paper analyses the heterogeneity of motivations to adopt silvopastoral practices, a social-ecological innovation for soil conservation and carbon emission reduction. We use Q methodology to identify smallholders' views with regard to these practices in a community in the forest frontier in Chiapas (Mexico). The analysis uncovers three main perspectives: self-sufficient pioneers, environmentally-conscious followers and payment-dependent conservatives. We discuss these perspectives around three topics: smallholders' predisposition to adopt silvopastoral practices, their views about needing external payments to sustain their livelihood and the diffusion of innovative sustainable practices. We relate these perspectives with livelihood characteristics and with observed adoption levels under a pilot programme to promote silvopasture. Our findings suggest that incentives other than payments may be more appropriate for those more likely to adopt, and that payments could encourage rent-seeking strategies and not necessarily promote permanent behavioural change. We suggest ways for designing more effective and adaptive environmental conservation programmes to foster adoption and continuation of social-ecological innovations. [Display omitted] •Individuals have diverse, complex motivations to adopt pro-environmental behaviour.•Acknowledging this heterogeneity is key for cost-effective conservation policies.•We uncover 3 motivational perspectives for silvopasture adoption in a tropical forest context.•Payments may not be the most appropriate incentives for pioneers regarding adoption.