Social Science: Mariella Marzano & Mike Dunn Economics: Gregory Valatin& Colin Price Nursery engagement: Tim Pettitt Plant health researchers: Alexandra Schlenzig, Jane Barbrook & Ana Pérez-Sierra

1. WP2: Feasibility analyses and
development of ‘best practice’ criteria
Social Science: Mariella Marzano & Mike Dunn
Economics: Gregory Valatin& Colin Price
Nursery engagement: Tim Pettitt
Plant health researchers: Alexandra Schlenzig, Jane Barbrook
& Ana Pérez-Sierra

2. 11/18/162
Social and Economic research
Three key parts:
i)Social analysis to assess applicability
of best practice criteria
ii)Cost-benefit analysis of introducing
‘best practice’
iii)Developing ‘best practice’ criteria to
underpin guidelines for an
accreditation scheme
Responsibilities:
Mariella: WP2 leader and carrying out social research
Gregory: Leading economic research within WP2
Mike: Social researcher
Tim: Assisting with social research esp. nursery
engagement
Colin: Economist

3. Social Research
Social analysis to assess applicability of best practice
criteria
Objectives
i.Stakeholder mapping of nursery sector – forest nurseries,
horticulture retail, wholesale nurseries etc.
ii.Research into existing values, experiences and practices on
disease effects and management
iii.Assess attitudes towards accreditation scheme
11/18/163

4. 11/18/164
Milestones and outputs
Month 6 – Map stakeholder networks
Month 12 – Interim report on
stakeholder values and practices
Month 24– Interim report on
stakeholder attitudes towards
accreditation
Month 24 – Report on consumer
survey
Month 30 – Contribute finding into
accreditation framework
Month 34 – Final report on nursery
practices and feasibility of future
management options

5. Stakeholder mapping
Stakeholder mapping
i.Identification started – 100+ organisations/individuals but need to
fill in more details
ii.Analysis of networks and connections (through interviews and
participation in other meetings, events)
iii.Will inform communication and engagement
11/18/165

6. Context building
Context building:
i.Nursery visits with WP1 team (sampling) - now
ii.Interviews with EAP members - now
• Biggest threats in plant health
• Mechanisms for trade or exchange in plants (informal and formal) How do
they work?
• Role nurseries play in contributing or mitigating pest and disease threats
• Are there other more serious contributors?
• Key challenges that nurseries face in becoming biosecure (e.g.
funding/staffing/resources/knowledge)
• Effectiveness of policies to deal with disease threats
• What issues do you think social research should be addressing?
iii. Interviews at participating nurseries (from Jan 17)
11/18/166

7. Interviews at nurseries
Interviews and participant observation with
nurseries
•Location within supply chain
•Perspectives on disease threats
•Current pest and disease management and
links to existing beliefs, values and
experiences
•Governance and policy tools and wider
influences on decision-making e.g.
knowledge networks, business model
•Key areas where nurseries are most and
least able to change;
•Perspectives on disease management for
future
•Willingness to join accreditation scheme and
what this should look like.
11/18/167

8. Events
11/18/168
Events – opportunities for focus groups?
•Assess attitudes towards accreditation
scheme
•What events should we attend?
•Who should we be talking to?

9. 11/18/169
• Where they buy/acquire plants and why (e.g. local, reputation,
cost, quality, variety, benefits offered)
• How much they spend a year
• What they buy and influencing factors (e.g. cost, advice,
function)
• Awareness of pests and diseases
• Awareness of biosecurity measures used by sellers
• Where they information from (e.g. networks, from seller, media)
• Experience and attitudes towards accreditation
• WTP and WTT
Consumer Survey

10. 11/18/1610
• Plant-buying ‘public’ (online survey company)
• Networks and memberships (e.g. Dobbie’s members, RHS, NT)
Other plant buyers
• NGOs
• Commercial retailers (e.g. supermarkets,
DIY, large garden centres…)
• Forest nurseries
• More…
Consumer Survey

11. Economic Analysis
Cost-benefit analysis of nursery accreditation options
Objectives
•to undertake an appraisal of the costs and benefits of options for
developing best practice in UK nurseries to mitigate risks of
further Phytophthora introduction and spread:
 from UK nurseries’ perspective
 from the perspective of society as a whole
11/18/1611

12. Defining ‘do nothing’ scenario
If nurseries fail to implement recommended best practices:
1)What are the main expected impacts on
different stakeholders?
i) Nurseries?
ii) Purchasers of nursery plants?
iii) Forest owners?
iv) Wider society?
a) What time-frame(s) would these impacts be expected to occur?
a) are the impacts best described in probabilistic terms for different potential outcomes?
b) What distribution of impacts is expected between different groups?
11/18/1612

13. Baseline information
1) What size is the market for tree seedlings (£m/yr)
i) What proportion of the total stock is currently susceptible to the
phytophthoras that best practice will focus limiting risks of spread?
a) is this proportion expected to change over time
e.g. due to development of more virulent hybrid strains)?
ii) How many buyers of susceptible plants from UK nurseries are there?
a) Which categories of buyers would it be useful to focus on for segmentation?
How many buyers are there in each of these segments?
a) What population sampling strategy would be best to ensure results for different
segments are statistically significant?
iii) How many plant nurseries selling (susceptible) tree seedlings are
there in the UK?
a) Which categories would it be useful to focus on for segmentation?
b) What is the best population sampling strategy to ensure results for different segments
are statistically significant
iv) How is market size expected to change in future (with introduction
of best practice, and without best practice)?
11/18/1613

14. Best practice scenarios
1) How many and which best practice scenarios to focus on?
For each best practice scenario:
2) To what extent is each expected impact
from the ‘do nothing’ (baseline) scenario
mitigated?
i) Which risks of phytophthora spread and associated impacts are
reduced and by how much?
a) are the impacts best described in probabilistic terms for different potential outcomes?
i) What is the relationship between the extent of uptake of measures
by the nurseries and the anticipated risk and impact reduction? How
is this relationship accounted for in the scenario?
ii) What is the best way to frame the anticipated risk reduction impacts
when discussing with plant purchasers/nursery owners?
i)Issues of framing & potential bias?
3) Is there potential for in-depth exploration of willingness-to-pay?
•E.g. deliberative monetary valuation or choice experiment as a Masters project?
11/18/1614

15. 5 groups – facilitator and scribe
1. What does an accreditation scheme means to you?
2. What do you think an accreditation scheme should
include?
3. Who should decide on criteria for accreditation?
4. Do you have any experience/examples of
accreditation other sectors/countries? Lessons
learned?
5. What are the opportunities/challenges that people
forsee?
Accreditation discussion