Valuing genetic resources in peasant economies: the case of ‘hairless’ creole pigs in Yucatan

We report the results of a choice-experiment study to model preferences over a selection of breed traits of 'creole' pigs. The study was conducted amongst households of backyard producers and small farmers rearing this local breed in Yucatan, Mexico. Hypothetical choice data were collected to estimate the preference of households over alternative pigs profiles whose attributes distinguish creole pigs from the potentially more productive, yet less adapted exotic breeds currently threatening to severely displace this locally adapted animal genetic resource (AnGR). The observed choices are employed to estimate a series of random utility models whose results are first tested for preference equality between households and small farmers, then endogenous segmentation is allowed within households by means of latent class models. Stated-preference based estimates are found to be of the same magnitude as revealed-preference producers costs. As a consequence the method is deemed to be appropriate for the valuation of non-market functions in production. Estimates conditional on household characteristics are then presented and discussed. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.