In Canada, the Alternative Land Use Services (ALUS) program aims to support conservation projects by financially compensating farmers for ecosystem services. The program advocates a bottom-up approach that allows farmers to decide which projects to implement. In this respect, ALUS distinguishes itself from more traditional agri-environment schemes, which are often managed in a top-down fashion. Other unique features of the program include a governance structure based on stakeholder confidence; the provision of annual compensation to members for supplying ecosystem services; and a private, community-based approach to conservation. Using the proximity analysis framework, our research explores whether this model can reshape the values of farmers and encourage them to adopt and maintain environmentally friendly practices. Our results reveal a close proximity among ALUS members in terms of their values, both environmental and economic. However, the ALUS program fails to take full advantage of the geographic and organized proximity of its participants. Specifically, individual projects are not integrated into a spatially coordinated, collective strategy that could have a greater environmental impact. While ALUS has been successful in encouraging farmers to adopt new practices, it mostly attracts participants who already agree with the values it promotes. In this regard, the program is not very different from standard agri-environment schemes.

中文翻译：

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“社区发达，农民交付。” 安大略省替代土地使用服务计划的空间和关系邻近性分析

在加拿大，替代土地使用服务 (ALUS) 计划旨在通过向农民提供生态系统服务的经济补偿来支持保护项目。该计划提倡自下而上的方法，让农民决定实施哪些项目。在这方面，ALUS 与更传统的农业环境计划不同，后者通常以自上而下的方式进行管理。该计划的其他独特功能包括基于利益相关者信心的治理结构；向成员提供生态系统服务的年度补偿；以及一种基于社区的私人保护方法。使用邻近分析框架，我们的研究探索了这种模式是否可以重塑农民的价值观并鼓励他们采用和保持环境友好的做法。我们的结果表明 ALUS 成员在环境和经济价值方面非常接近。然而，ALUS 计划未能充分利用其参与者的地理和有组织的邻近性。具体而言，单个项目并未整合到可能对环境产生更大影响的空间协调的集体战略中。虽然 ALUS 在鼓励农民采用新做法方面取得了成功，但它主要吸引了已经同意其提倡的价值观的参与者。在这方面，该计划与标准的农业环境计划没有太大区别。单个项目没有被整合到一个空间协调的、可能对环境产生更大影响的集体战略中。虽然 ALUS 在鼓励农民采用新做法方面取得了成功，但它主要吸引了已经同意其提倡的价值观的参与者。在这方面，该计划与标准的农业环境计划没有太大区别。单个项目没有被整合到一个空间协调的、可能对环境产生更大影响的集体战略中。虽然 ALUS 在鼓励农民采用新做法方面取得了成功，但它主要吸引了已经同意其提倡的价值观的参与者。在这方面，该计划与标准的农业环境计划没有太大区别。