In agricultural systems, diversity of crops and varieties is essential to combat the risks farmers face from pests, diseases and variations in climate. Crop biodiversity also underpins the range of dietary needs and services that consumers demand. There is growing concern, however, about declining diversity of crop genetic resources on farms, associated with social and economic change. This book contributes to a better understanding of the challenges involved in maintaining local crop biodiversity within a rapidly changing global food system. It provides empirical studies, applying economic tools and methods for valuing and managing crop biodiversity on farms. The book is divided into five sections: (1) introduction (1 chapter); (2) private value: stated preference of farmers (3 chapters); (3) private value: revealed preferences of farmers (5 chapters); (4) public values, villages and institutions (7 chapters); and (5) conclusions (2 chapters). This book will interest agricultural and resource economists, applied researchers working in international and national organizations and projects, as well as scientists involved in local plant breeding and genetics. A subject index is supplied.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Concepts, Metrics and Plan of the Book / M. Smale -- Crop Valuation and Farmer Response to Change : Implications for In Situ Conservation of Maize in Mexico / G.A. Dyer -- Farmer Demand for Agricultural Biodiversity in Hungary's Transition Economy : A Choice Experiment Approach / E. Birol, A. Kontoleon and M. Smale -- An Attribute-based Index of Coffee Diversity and Implications for On-farm Conservation in Ethiopia / E. Wale and J. Mburu -- Missing Markets, Migration and Crop Biodiversity in the Milpa System of Mexico : A Household-farm Model / M.E. Van Dusen -- Explaining the Diversity of Cereal Crops and Varieties Grown on Household Farms in the Highlands of Northern Ethiopia / S. Benin, M. Smale and J. Pender -- Demand for Cultivar Attributes and the Biodiversity of Bananas on Farms in Uganda / S. Edmeades, M. Smale and D. Karamura -- Explaining Farmer Demand for Agricultural Biodiversity in Hungary's Transition Economy / E. Birol, M. Smale and Á. Gyovai -- Rural Development and the Diversity of Potatoes on Farms in Cajamarca, Peru / P. Winters, L.H. Hintze and O. Ortiz -- Managing Rice Biodiversity on Farms : The Choices of Farmers and Breeders in Nepal / D. Gauchan, M. Smale, N. Maxted and M. Cole -- Determinants of Cereal Diversity in Villages of Northern Ethiopia / B. Gebremedhin, M. Smale and J. Pender -- Social Institutions and Seed Systems : The Diversity of Fruits and Nuts in Uzbekistan / M.E. Van Dusen, E. Dennis, J. Ilyasov, M. Lee, S. Treshkin and M. Smale -- Community Seed Systems and the Biodiversity of Millet Crops in Southern India / L. Nagarajan and M. Smale -- Seed Supply and the On-farm Demand for Diversity : A Case Study from Eastern Ethiopia / L. Lipper, R. Cavatassi and P. Winters -- Institutions, Stakeholders and the Management of Crop Biodiversity on Hungarian Family Farms / G. Bela, B. Balázs and G. Pataki -- Cooperatives, Wheat Diversity and the Crop Productivity in Southern Italy / S. Di Falco and C. Perrings -- Scope, Limitations and Future Directions / M. Smale, L. Lipper and P. Koundouri -- An Annotated Bibliography of Applied Economics Studies about Crop Biodiversity In Situ (On Farms) / P. Zambrano and M. Smale.

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Title from PDF title page (viewed August 16, 2013).