Methods in pricing amenities provided By farmlands in British Columbia

British Columbia has been facing high conversion rate of rural land to urban use over the last 30 years as a result of population growth. This has caused the province’s natural areas to be degraded and destroyed. The British Columbia government introduced a protected Agricultural Zone in 1973 in hopes of containing urban development. The result has seen a net loss of agricultural land in vulnerable areas despite a net gain in protected agricultural land in other parts of the province. One factor that contributes to the loss of agricultural land is the lack of valuation of ecological goods and services such as wetlands, forests, and riparian areas. This study considers policy alternatives that British Columbia can consider to value non-marketed ecological goods and services on agricultural land. Through analysis based on case studies, I identify policy options that provide means to price ecological goods and services on farmland.