Community preferences in support of a conservation programme for olive landraces in the Mediterranean area

This study focused on the willingness of the Apulian community in Italy to pay for olive landraces in a conservation programme. A choice experiment approach through a latent class model was carried out in order to investigate different characteristics of people that could increase the effectiveness and efficiency of conservation policies by decision-makers. The analysis allowed us to identify three groups of families, each with very different socioeconomic characteristics. Policy implications suggest the need to develop a better knowledge system on the benefits of olive landraces and to implement suitable strategies for better placement of local products in the market.