Consumers’ attitudes towards the creation of agri-environmental services: Lithuanian case study

1 elektroninis optinis diskas (CD-ROM)This study aims to identify consumers’ attitudes towards the creation of agri-environmental services (i.e. reduction of underground water pollution, preservation of biodiversity, sustenance and improvement of agricultural landscape) in Lithuania. The survey of 460 Lithuanian citizens aged above 18 was performed in October and November 2015. The sample is representative stratifying the population by gender and the area of residence, i.e. approximately 40% respondents of the survey were males; about 30% of the respondents were from the rural areas. Results show that Lithuanian consumers find reduction of underground water pollution as the most important attribute, while sustenance and improvement of agricultural landscape are viewed as the least important. The provision of agri-environmental services is more important to women than men, while reduction of underground water pollution and preservation of wildlife species diversity are more important to younger generation than older generation. The majority of consumers of all income groups believe that preservation of biodiversity is either important or the most important. Sustenance and improvement of agricultural landscape are more important to respondents with lower income than respondents with higher income. It has been found that sustenance and improvement of agricultural landscape are less important to those who are better aware of the effects of agriculture on the environment than to those who do not have this knowledge. The majority of respondents believes or tends to believe that agri-environmental services significantly contribute to their well-beingVytauto Didžiojo universitetasŽemės ūkio akademij