This chapter presents the results of studies carried out in Argentina that
assessed people’s willingness to pay (WTP) and willingness to accept (WTA) for
useful plants conservation using the Contingent Valuation Methodology (CVM) and
Avoided Costs Method (ACM). The WTP of residents in rural areas in Santiago del
Estero, Argentina was researched. In this study residents expressed that medicinal,
aromatic and dye plants are very important to them. In different parts of the province of
Santiago del Estero, 125 families in six small towns were surveyed obtaining values of
Consumer Surplus (CS) of $19.67 and Variation Compensatory (VC) of $22.156 (at an
exchange rate US $1 equivalent to $3.20). Regarding dye plants, 35 artisans in these
communities were also surveyed using the same method, and they expressed a
willingness to pay (WTP) equivalent to $555.29 per month to preserve such plants.
This tradition has been passed down over many generations, which ensures the
availability of a continuous flow of environmental services. The results expressed in
monetary terms that show the importance that environmental services provided by
native forests for rural communities.
Keywords: Avoided Costs Method, Contingent Valuation Method, Dye and
aromatic plants, Economic valuation, Medicinal, Native forests, NTFP, Rural
area, Santiago del Estero, WTA, WTP.
