Tropentag, September 10 - 12, 2025, Bonn "Reconciling land system changes with planetary health"

North Colombian farmers’ trade-off assessment and willingness to pay for agrivoltaics in the context of the just energy transition policy

University of Hohenheim, Ecological-Economic Policy Modelling, Germany

Abstract

The depletion of renewable energies is a crucial issue in the fight against climate change and environmental challenges. However, their land requirements often compete with food production. Agrivoltaic systems offer a practical solution by enabling dual land use for photovoltaic solar energy generation and agricultural production. In tropical and sub-tropical regions, where sun radiation potential is high, the adoption of this agricultural innovation remains limited, and research about its acceptance and impacts is still in its early stages. The master thesis used a discrete choice experiment (DCE) in Bolívar, northern Colombia's department, to evaluate smallholder farmers' willingness to pay (WTP) for agrivoltaic systems and their assessment of the trade-offs involved in adopting this innovation. This location is of particular interest for adopting agrivoltaic systems due to its great radiation potential, persisting challenges related to energy access and quality, and vulnerability to extreme heat weather events. Findings reveal that agrivoltaic expected changes in crop yields and soil protection from drought significantly influence farmers’ WTP for this innovation. Additional factors correlated with geographical location, like land scarcity or access to energy services, also affect farmers' preferences on agrivoltaics. Given Colombia’s current ambitious energy transition policies, these insights are particularly relevant for guiding sustainable development and policy decisions, demonstrating agrivoltaic systems' practicality in addressing energy and food production needs. The results are also pertinent in informing policies aiming to deploy agrivoltaic systems and further land use or renewable energy innovations among smallholder farmers in arid and semi-arid areas of tropical and sub-tropical countries.

Keywords: Agrivoltaic, choice analysis, discrete choice experiment, dual land use, willingness to pay

Contact Address: Nicolas Valbuena Rincon, University of Hohenheim, Ecological-Economic Policy Modelling, 70593 Stuttgart, Germany, e-mail: nvalbuenarincongmail.com