Conservation policies informed by food system feedbacks can avoid unintended consequences

Abstract

Understanding the feedbacks between food systems and conservation policies can help avoid unintended environmental consequences. Using a survey-based choice experiment and economic modeling, we quantify the potential impact of tourists' responses to a shift in offshore fish supply after the designation of a large-scale marine protected area in Palau. We find that this conservation policy may increase offshore fish prices and tourists' consumption of reef fish, thereby further endangering local reef ecosystems. However, if tourists are offered a sustainable offshore choice, their demand for fish could be kept at current levels, and environmental impacts from increased reef fish consumption would be avoided.

Evaluating the Feasibility of Sustainable Seafood Labelling Programmes in Small Island Developing States: A Pilot Study of Artisanal Fisheries in Seychelles

“…As such, any incentive system must be equitable, inclusive and avoid undermining, penalising or shaming certain fisher groups or gear types, particularly those without the financial capital to make behavioural and technological changes. If not implemented carefully, conservation policies can lead to unintended negative consequences such as supply chain shortages and increased pressure on sustainable fisheries, both of which are detrimental to local food security (Lewis et al, 2020;Murphy et al, 2021). Some fishers surveyed expressed concerns that a SSI programme would raise the prices of local species too high for local Seychellois, or that the programme would only benefit certain fisher types.…”

“…The complex and distinctive interplay between market actors and members of the public sector in SIDS nations suggest that piloting the feasibility of a sustainable seafood labelling programme is a wise step to optimise strategic use of project resources (time, funding and expertise) and to avoid unintended consequences (Lewis et al, 2020). With Seychellois project leaders, we used Seychelles as a case study to examine both incentives and challenges associated with a possible Seychelles Sustainable Seafood Initiative (SSI), aiming to anchor our work on a clear operational understanding of local supply chains.…”

Navigating power in conservation

“…Increasingly common practice calls for the need for researcher's or practitioner's own positionality and goals of conservation actions to be explicitly stated to allow for others to assess legitimacy (Chartier & Rodary, 2016; see Sections 2.6 and 3.1). Furthermore, any decisions and interventions should be well informed by scientific evidence and guidelines, local and historical knowledge, involve fair and just participatory processes (see Section 3.5) and clearly acknowledge key interests, agendas and power dynamics (Fritz & Meinherz, 2020b; Lewis et al, 2020).…”

Sustainable Agri-Food Systems: Environment, Economy, Society, and Policy

“…Meanwhile, different types of policy documents have been analyzed e.g., strategies [261,341,[348][349][350][351][352], action plans [349], agendas [353], guidelines [354][355][356], standards [357], etc. The analyzed policies and policy documents deal, inter alia, with food and nutrition security [235,349,350,358,359], sustainable and healthy diets [354,360,361], non-communicable diseases [354,362], biodiversity [349,363], organic farming [364], etc. Examples include the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) [365,366], The European Food and Nutrition Action Plan 2015-2020 [367], the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact [342], Nepalʹs Multisectoral Nutrition Plan (MSNP) 2013-2017 [349], Healthy food and beverage policy of the City of Hamilton (Ontario, Canada) [360], the Good Food Purchasing Policy (GFPP) in Los Angeles (USA) [368], the Local Food Strategy of Ghent (Belgium) [351].…”