ABSTRACT
The study uses the contingent valuation method to assess the willingness to pay (WTP) for conservation of consequences and the valued goods (CGRs) particularly rice landraces in three different conservation approaches. The direct use value of landraces is the main influences on farmers' willingness to pay. The majority of the farmers were familiar with the concept of agrobiodiversity. The study area is one of the in situ conservation project sites implemented by Nepal Agriculture Research Council (NARC), Local Initiatives for Biodiversity, Research and Development (LIBIRD) and International Plant Genetic Resource Institute (IPGRI). The people's WTP for conservation of crop genetic diversity is analysed with regards to the importance of the landraces to the farmers, the possible threat of extinction of the landraces/genetic diversity and the different methods of conservation. The mean willingness to contribute for conservation either in situ or ex situ for important crop genetic resources such as rice landraces was higher than the less important ones.
