Dataset for: Dairy farmers’ willingness to adopt cleaner production practices for water conservation: A discrete choice experiment in Mejia, Ecuador

Our main objetive is to estimate farmers' preferences over water conservation practices described in terms of water-efficient technologies, management of manure and solid waste, and training courses to resolve conflicts over water use, in Mejia, Ecuador. Mejia is our study case because it is an important milk-producing zone, and its adoption rate of conservation practices is low despite price incentives.
A Face-to-face survey was implemented to collect information from 98 dairy farmers (i.e., 3.08% of Mejia’s dairy units) in November 2020. Given COVID-19 restrictions, we were constrained to increase our sample size, but it is similar to sizes used in previous studies. We used two filter questions to make sure that respondents were milk producers and made decisions about their farms. A specialized research company collected the data by visiting farmers in their farms. Experienced enumerators gathered carefully each section of our questionnaire.
We employed a discrete choice experiment (DCE) based on a fractional factorial design with a D-efficiency of 1. Our design contained 12 choice sets divided into three blocks; each respondent answered one block of four choice sets. Each set included two plans and the status quo. Our dataset is in a long format, where rows show alternatives, profiles, or plans within a choice set faced by a sampled respondent.
Our results indicate a farmers' willingness to pay (WTP) of US$147 per ha for a solid rain irrigation system; and US$212 per ha for training to resolve conflicts. Heterogeneity in WTP estimates are also present. In general, our data point out that wealthier dairy farmers are more willing to adopt water conservation practices.
We conclude that first, cost-sharing scheme (given that the WTP for our preferred practices does not cover their implementation cost), and second, the participation of academic institutions, can assist in the adoption of the preferred practices.

本研究旨在评估厄瓜多尔梅吉亚地区农民对于节水措施偏好的估计，这些节水措施涉及节水技术的应用、粪便和固体废弃物的管理，以及解决用水冲突的培训课程。梅吉亚作为我们的研究对象，因其是重要的乳品生产区，尽管存在价格激励措施，但其节水措施的采用率仍然偏低。2020年11月，我们通过面对面调查收集了98位乳农（即梅吉亚乳品单位的3.08%）的信息。鉴于COVID-19的限制，我们无法增加样本量，但样本量与先前研究使用的量相似。我们采用了两个筛选问题以确保受访者是乳品生产者并对其农场决策负责。一家专业的研究公司通过访问农民的农场收集数据，经验丰富的调查员仔细收集了问卷的每一部分。我们采用基于分数因子设计的离散选择实验（DCE），其D效率为1。我们的设计包含12个选择集，分为三个区块；每位受访者回答一个包含四个选择集的区块。每个选择集包括两个计划和现状。我们的数据集采用长格式，其中行显示样本受访者面临的选择集中的替代方案、配置文件或计划。我们的结果表明，农民对于固体雨水灌溉系统的支付意愿（WTP）为每公顷147美元；对于解决冲突的培训，支付意愿为每公顷212美元。WTP估计值存在异质性。总体而言，我们的数据显示，较富裕的乳农更有意愿采用节水措施。我们得出结论，首先，成本分摊方案（鉴于对首选措施的WTP不足以覆盖其实施成本），其次，学术机构的参与，可以帮助推广首选措施的采用。