The demand for organic products has increased in the past decade due to concerns about the environmental and health issues of food products. This study provides marketing data on consumer preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for organic rice in Babol County, Northern Iran. The main objective of this study was to estimate urban consumers' WTP for organic rice and to determine the main factors that consumers look for when purchasing rice. The contingent valuation method (CVM) and double bounded dichotomous (DBD) questionnaire were used to achieve the study goals. The results of the logit model showed that level of education, cancer history, and insurance history had statistically significant effects on WTP. The expected WTP for 1 kg of organic rice was 152467.33 IRR. Based on the average exchange rate of six months of 2018 (33500 IRR) per family in the study tends to the monthly equivalent of US$ 4.55 of their income to buy organic rice allocated. As a result, the total economic value of organic rice was US$ 2254893.072. These results provide important information about market opportunities and policy implementation regarding the production of organic crops. پرونده مقاله

Rangeland ecosystems provide a wide range of services such as gas regulation function whose economic value has not been understood. The present study aimed to estimate the economic value of CO2 absorption and oxygen generation services using unit price in Sheikh Musa Rangeland, Mazandaran Province, Iran. In the study area, clipping and weight and photosynthesis methods were applied to estimate dry matter production, CO2 absorption, and oxygen production. Also, Shadow price, Replacement cost, and Social cost methods priced the economic value of gas regulation function differently. Finally, their means were compared and their geometric mean was used as the unit price; then, the economic value of the function was estimated in 2016. Results showed that Sheikh Musa Rangeland ecosystem annually produces 2081.4 t dry matters and 2454 t oxygen and absorbs 7294.15 t CO2. Given the estimated price, the value of CO2 absorption function was found to be 7264.6 million IRR and the economic value of oxygen production was calculated as 3,852 million IRR per year. In overall, the economic value of Sheikh Musa ecosystem was estimated as 11117.4 million IRR (318364 US $) per year and 1.06 million IRR per ha. Given the valuation that shows the minimum value of Sheikh Musa ecosystem and high importance of its gas regulation function, it is recommended to conduct further studies on pricing models for Rangeland ecosystems and to apply environmental management practices for the sake of Rangeland and local health. پرونده مقاله

Pollinators that feed on insect-pollinated plants have an important role in the food chain. Because pollinator insects have the potential to raise the value of agricultural crops and are very helpful in the nitrogen stabilization and the prevention of pest invasions. The present study mainly investigated the contribution of three services of insect pollination in rangeland along with the valuation of the services. In the study, to calculate the share of each service, cutting and weighing methods (for forage production) and engineering economics methods (replacement cost and Transfer of Benefits) were used to calculate the economic value in 2017. These services include increased yield of agricultural supply, upgraded nitrogen fixation by nitrogen fixing plants in rangelands, and reduction of plant pests and diseases by pollinator insects. Each service value was anticipated to be 15.31%, 48.9% and 35.78% of the overall of insect pollination, respectively. Besides, the extent of pollinator insects services value per hectare and the whole rangeland ecosystem was 62.37$ and 649096.5$, respectively. Consequently, following the outcome of the present study, preservation of insect pollination services is considerable to sustain and keep food security, sustainable agricultural development, sustainable employment, and protection of natural, environmental ecosystems and the environment, especially rangelands. Thus, insect pollinator services were regarded significant by policy makers and managers. پرونده مقاله