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Tackling environmental problems is one of the main policy challenges facing governments. The process of forming attitudes starts at a young age, and is mostly shaped by education. Participation in pro-environmental initiatives at schools is mainly voluntary. Local governments can play an important role as the institution that links communities with the environment. In this paper, we examine the role of local governments/municipalities on school participation in an environmental educational program, with a special focus on primary and secondary education. We use data from the Sustainable School Program in Chile. We model schools' participation and level of participation by an ordered probit model with sample selection. Results show that public schools are more likely to participate in the program compared with private schools, and schools with more teachers reveal a higher probability of being part of the program. In addition, while school performance and teachers' perceptions correlate with achieving higher levels of certification, a more intense commitment to the program is more likely in communes whose local authorities have the capacity to promote voluntary financial and environmental initiatives. Thus, in order to promote successful co-management of environmental policy, local governments should take into account the heterogeneity of the school system.

Risk is an inherent characteristic of aquaculture production. For a holistic understanding of risk, the risk assessment process must account for both subjective and objective dimensions of risk. This paper empirically studies the role of risk perception and the risk properties of inputs used in aquaculture to explain the low adoption rates of seaweed farming in Chile. We propose a risk production estimation framework with selectivity to explore the role of risk, given that many aquaculture concessions remain totally or partially unexploited. We found that farmers are more likely to produce seaweed when they perceive greater access to financing, but also that this activity is more exposed to theft than other activities. Moreover, results suggest that labor and energy are risk-increasing inputs, while we found that capital and the number of hectares available are risk-decreasing inputs. The latter is important as it suggests that larger seaweed producers and more investment would reduce production variability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women's participation in small‐scale aquaculture is growing, but women producers remain in a disadvantaged position compared to men. Reducing gender gaps is at the core of many development programs, but little is known regarding the source of these differences. This paper investigates the main drivers of gender gaps in seaweed small‐scale aquaculture by focusing on the analysis of differences between male and women, and across a series of psychological traits. We use data from a sample of 152 seaweed producers from central‐southern Chile and perform a matching procedure to generate a balanced sample of male and female producers in the dimensions determining their performance in the sector. Our results show that female producers may exhibit more positive psychological traits such as patience and interpersonal trust. However, women's choices in seaweed farming may be incongruent with these characteristics, as expecting more immediate returns than males, and may not be able to exploit the advantages of collaboration in selling in the sector. This supports the notion that opportunity costs (e.g., other activities in the marine area) and outside options (e.g., fishing versus trade) may be one of the major drivers of gender gaps and suggests that there are barriers keeping women from exploiting their potentially advantageous individual characteristics. Results provide important insights for the design of support instruments aimed at reducing these barriers faced by women in the sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental education provides people with the information they need to understand the causes and consequences of environmental issues, helping to promote positive attitudes toward nature. This paper uses a multivalued treatment effects model to evaluate the effects of a green school certification program on children's pro-environmental behavior in Chile. Pro-environmental behavior is measured by knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to the consumption and disposal of plastics. Results evidence a positive effect of schools' higher certification level on children's plastic waste behavior. This effect seems stronger in practices where children have more decision-making power (e.g., packing a lunch box). The observed reverse effect when switching from basic to intermediate level of certification is in line with the potential non-linear effects of environmental education on pro-environmental behavior regarding the consumption and disposal of plastic. To improve the design of the program, it is important to redefine incentives in the certification system to differentiate better the benefits of reaching each level of environmental certification • There is need to better understand the consequences of plastic pollution. • Green school certification programs play a role in promoting waste beneficiation behavior • We perform a multivalued treatment framework to evaluate the effect of the program. • We found a non-linear effect of different levels of environmental school certification. • It is important to redefine incentives so that a higher certification level is valued by school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seaweed harvest has denuded many areas of the sea floor, threatening marine ecosystems and the livelihood of coastal communities. Recently, small operators have begun to cultivate seaweed. This paper studies the role of fishing and agriculture, and their interactions with risk and time preferences, in the uptake of seaweed aquaculture. We use a Heckman selection model to study the decision to participate and expansion of production in seaweed aquaculture in Chile. We find that experience with seaweed farming, ecological benefits, and perception of well-suited areas increase participation in seaweed aquaculture. In addition, more contacts within the industry, a surveillance system against theft, and a shorter authorization period to farm increase seaweed production. Among land farmers, while more risk-tolerant producers participate more in seaweed aquaculture, more patient producers cultivate higher levels. We argue that policy design should consider the particularity of other sectors that are synergetic with aquaculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines relationships between crop insurance and input technology decisions among Chilean wheat farmers. Using nationwide farm‐level data, a bivariate probit model is estimated. We investigate the extent to which the adoption of production input technologies is associated with farmers' participation in the insurance program. We find that relationships between insurance and technology decisions are significant only for family farmers. In particular, there is a negative relationship between participation in the insurance program and the adoption of modern irrigation. Interpretations based on the role of input technologies on insurance adoption and adverse selection behaviours are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In light of the current depletion of extractive marine resources and the sustainability issues that have arisen in the aquaculture industry, the small-scale aquaculture sector has emerged as a viable and sustainable alternative for generating income. To integrate the small-scale aquaculture sector into the food value chain, understanding the decision-making process to innovate becomes essential. This paper explores the factors underlying both innovation choices and intensity among small-scale aquaculture producers by utilizing exclusive census data from the small-scale aquaculture sector in Chile. The results indicate that education, secure property rights, internet access, participation in organizations, commercialization methods, government instruments, understanding of credit, and social learning promote innovation decisions. We also find that largest producers innovate in more areas, suggesting a role of size for both technological and non-technological innovations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of welfare has evolved to incorporate subjective elements. One key factor for development is social capital. Participation in organizations promotes a more active social life, with potential positive results on welfare. This work investigates this last association through the estimation of a bivariate ordered probit model by using the World Value Survey for Chile. Results show a positive association between participation in organizations and satisfaction with the economic situation, however, in the case of life satisfaction and happiness, this effect is unclear for economic and recreational organizations. This result suggests that subjective well-being do not necessarily respond to the economic situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]