Group Preferences for Rural Amenities and Farmland Preservation

I hereby declare that I am the sole author of this thesis. This is a true copy of the thesis, including any required final revisions, as accepted by my examiners. I understand that my thesis may be made electronically available to the public. ii During the production of agricultural commodities, an agricultural landscape is simultaneously being produced. In many regions, agriculture is no longer valued for just the production of food and fibre but also for the social, cultural and environmental amenities associated with the landscape. The paradigm of multifunctional agriculture has become concerned with the joint production of agricultural products and these rural amenities. The loss of agricultural land especially in areas around the urban-rural fringe has greatly affected the demand for these rural amenities. In response, governments and volunteer organizations have developed programs to preserve farmland. The Niagara Region is home to some of the best fruit growing land in Canada but has a long history of fighting to maintain its farmland. Drawing from the multifunctional paradigm, this stud