This paper examines climate change adaptation and gender issues through an application of a feminist intersectional approach. This approach permits the identification of diverse adaptation responses arising from the existence of multiple and fragmented dimensions of identity (including gender) that intersect with power relations to shape situation-specific interactions between farmers and ecosystems. Based on results from contrasting research cases in Bihar and Uttarakhand, India, this paper demonstrates, inter alia, that there are geographically determined gendered preferences and adoption strategies regarding adaptation options and that these are influenced by the socio-ecological context and institutional dynamics. Intersecting identities, such as caste, wealth, age and gender, influence decisions and reveal power dynamics and negotiation within the household and the community, as well as barriers to adaptation among groups. Overall, the findings suggest that a feminist intersectional approach does appear to be useful and worth further exploration in the context of climate change adaptation. In particular, future research could benefit from more emphasis on a nuanced analysis of the intra-gender differences that shape adaptive capacity to climate change.

A cost-effectiveness analysis based on a bioeconomic model was carried out with regard to specific feral camel control strategies in central Australia. Two different aerial control strategies were modelled for the period 2009–20. Strategy 1 involved annual removals, whereas strategy 2 involved periodic removals only when a specific feral camel density was reached. The direct benefits to the pastoral industry of feral camel control were also modelled in terms of reduced grazing competition together with infrastructure damage. A single environmental service related to reducing greenhouse gas emissions was further considered. Although the present costs of control under the two strategies are considerable ($4.10–4.95 million over 12 years at a 5% discount rate), they are far outweighed by the present benefits to the livestock industry from reduced competition ($46.3 million), as well as to society as a whole through reduced greenhouse gas emissions ($32.1 million). Including reduced infrastructure damage, the net present value of control is $75.2 million under strategy 1 and $73.3 million under strategy 2 (over 12 years at a 5% discount rate), suggesting that a control strategy based on annual removals should be preferred over a strategy of periodic removals. Given the large positive net present value of control and the robustness of the overall findings, there would appear to be a strong argument for considering the implementation of a full-scale, long-term feral camel control programme in the near future.

This paper adapts the safe minimum standard (SMS) approach so as to explore its use as a potential policy decision support tool that can be applied to issues related to the conservation and sustainable use of farm animal genetic resource (AnGR) diversity. Empirical SMS cost estimates are obtained using data from three AnGR economics case studies in Mexico and Italy. The findings support our hypothesis that the costs of implementing an SMS are low, both when compared with the size of subsidies currently being provided to the livestock sector (2.9).Nevertheless, despite providing a potentially useful AnGR conservation decision support tool, a critical assessment of the application reveals that a much more extensive quantification of the components required to determine SMS costs needs to be undertaken before this tool can be applied in practice.

Local livestock breeds in Slovenia have been eligible for financial incentives in the form of a fixed payment per livestock unit (LU) since 2002. The scheme has however not been successful in reversing the erosion of animal genetic resources (AnGR). This paper investigates an alternative, whereby incentive payments would better reflect breeders’ actual opportunity costs. The paper contributes to the limited existing body of knowledge related to the use of tender mechanisms in the design of the payments for agrobiodiversity conservation schemes (PACS), particularly for AnGR. Empirical findings draw on the results of a stated preference survey involving 301 farmers in Slovenia, engaging, or being potentially able to engage, in the rearing of local pig, sheep and goat breeds. Interval and logistic regression model results suggest that willingness to accept (WTA) conservation support significantly differs from actual payment levels. The estimated WTA was found to be 27% lower for the local sheep and goat breeds and 5% higher for the local pig breed, suggesting that differentiated incentive payments would provide a more cost-effective alternative. Additional analysis of breeders’ preferences and motives for engaging in local livestock breed production further informs understanding regarding AnGR conservation policy and the importance of accompanying actions to reverse negative population trends. These include reducing administrative barriers and enhancing the market valorisation of local breeds.

The field of economics of agrobiodiversity (ABD) conservation and sustainable use has developed rapidly during recent years. A state-of-the-art review found that advances have indeed eased methodological/analytical constraints. A wide range of decision-support tools and analytical approaches have been successfully tested. These have been shown to provide good estimates of value and be useful for answering policy-relevant questions.Yet despite this, this field would appear to have had relatively little influence on “real-life” ABD conservation policy design and implementation. An analysis of the national reports in the FAO's (2007) State of the World's AnGR (SoW) supports this view and reveals, at best, a patchy recognition of the importance of valuation and the potential future role of economics in the design of cost-effective conservation programmes. Potential reasons for this include a lack of awareness regarding the existence of appropriate methods and decision-support tools, data availability issues and a lack of capacity to both collect the necessary data through participatory mechanisms as well as to carry out the subsequent analysis. Translating the existing recognition of the importance of economics within the Global Plan of Action on AnGR into a mainstream activity will require significant awareness raising and capacity building. Le domaine de l'économie de la conservation et de l'utilisation durable de la biodiversité agricole s'est rapidement développé au cours des dernières années. Un examen de l'état actuel des réalisations a indiqué que les progrès ont effectivement diminué les contraintes méthodologiques et analytiques. Un large éventail d'outils d'aide à la prise de décisions et d'approches analytiques ont été testés avec succès et ont montré qu'ils peuvent fournir des estimations adéquates de la valeur et être utiles pour répondre aux questions relatives aux politiques.Pourtant, malgré cela, il semblerait que ce domaine ait eu une influence relativement faible sur la conception et sur la mise en œuvre de politiques concrètes de conservation de la biodiversité agricole. L'analyse des rapports nationaux soumis pour la préparation de L'état des ressources zoogénétiques dans le monde (2007) de la FAO soutient ce point de vue et révèle, au mieux, une reconnaissance irrégulière de l'importance de l'évaluation et du rôle potentiel, à l'avenir, de l'économie dans la conception de programmes de conservation rentables. Les raisons potentielles de cette situation sont, entre autres, le manque de sensibilisation concernant l'existence de méthodes appropriées et d'outils d'aide à la prise de décisions, les problèmes relatifs à la disponibilité des données et le manque de capacités tant dans la collecte des données nécessaires par le biais de mécanismes participatifs que dans la réalisation des analyses ultérieures. Pour transformer la reconnaissance actuelle de l'importance de l'économie dans le cadre du Plan d'action mondial pour les ressources zoogénétiques en une activité de premier plan, il faudra entreprendre des actions de sensibilisation et de renforcement des capacités considérables. El campo de la economía de conservación y utilización sostenible de la agrobiodiversidad se ha desarrollado rápidamente a lo largo de los últimos años. Una revisión del estado de las tecnologías de vanguardia ha evidenciado que los avances han dado pie a limitaciones metodológicas y analíticas. Se han probado con éxito una amplia variedad de herramientas para la toma de decisiones y enfoques analíticos. Éstos se han mostrado para proporcionar buenos cálculos de valor y para ser útiles a la hora de responder a las cuestiones políticas pertinentes.Pero a pesar de esto, este campo parecería haber tenido relativamente poca influencia sobre el diseño e implementación de la “vida real” de políticas de conservación de la agrobiodiversidad. Un análisis de los informes nacionales en la Situación de los Recursos Zoogénéticos Mundiales para la Alimentación y la Agricultura de la FAO (2007) apoya esta visión y revela, en el mejor de los casos, un desigual reconocimiento de la importancia de la valoración y el potencial futuro papel de la economía en el diseño de programas rentables de conservación. Las razones potenciales para esto incluyen la falta de conciencia relativa a la existencia de métodos adecuados y herramientas para la toma de decisiones, disponibilidad de datos y falta de capacidad, tanto para recopilar los datos necesarios, por medio de mecanismos de participación, como para llevar a cabo análisis posteriores. Extrapolando el reconocimiento existente acerca de la importancia de la economía dentro del Plan de Acción Mundial sobre los recursos zoogenéticos para una actividad dada, se requerirán grandes dosis de concienciación y creación de capacidad.