Unpacking pathways to diversified livelihoods from projects in Pacific Island coastal fisheries

Abstract

Livelihood diversification has become an integral focus of policies and investments aiming to reduce poverty, vulnerability, and pressure on fishery resources in coastal communities around the globe. In this regard, coastal fisheries in the Pacific Islands have long been a sector where livelihood diversification has featured prominently. Yet, despite the widespread promotion and international investment in this strategy, the ability of externally funded livelihood diversification projects to facilitate improved resource management and rural development outcomes often remains inconsistent. We argue these inconsistencies can be attributed to a conceptual ambiguity stemming from a lack of attention and awareness to the complexity of livelihood diversification. There is still much to learn about the process of livelihood diversification, both in its theoretical conceptualizations and its practical applications. Herein, we utilize a common diversity framework to clarify some of this ambiguity by distinguishing three diversification pathways. These pathways are illustrated using an ideal–typical Pacific Island coastal household and supported by examples provided in the literature that detail livelihood diversification projects in the Pacific. Through this perspective, we seek a more nuanced understanding of what is meant within the policy and practice goal of livelihood diversification. Thereby enabling more targeted and deliberate planning for development investments that facilitates outcomes in support of sustainable livelihoods.

Sustainable development outcomes of livelihood diversification in small‐scale fisheries

“…Outcomes across the collection of peer‐reviewed studies indicate that livelihood diversification is not a panacea. There are numerous risks and intrinsic limitations associated with the process, and the potential for diversified portfolios to reduce multidimensional poverty varies between contexts (Roscher et al, 2022). To demonstrate, although Sahelian floodplain fishers in Mali diversified the ways in which they catch fish, livelihood outcomes did not improve as these livelihood options are covariant in the sense they are vulnerable to the same climate‐related threats (Morand et al, 2012).…”

“…To help organize the inter‐relationship between pathways and patterns, we used Stirling's (2007) common diversity framework, which distinguishes between balance, variety and disparity as three properties of diversity. Each of these properties depicted in Stirling's framework correspond to a distinct pathway to pursue livelihood diversification through (Roscher et al, 2022; Figure 1).…”

“…Both in theory and in practice, a collection of divergent pathways to achieve diversified portfolios are haphazardly grouped together under the headline of livelihood diversification. For a rural fisher, for example, a diversified livelihood might be achieved by technologically enhancing existing activities, adopting new fish-based activities or transforming out of the fishery into alternative or supplemental livelihood activities (Roscher et al, 2022). Individuals within a household engaged in fishing-related activities could pursue multiple enterprises within and outside fisheries, or different members of a household could specialize in different enterprises or sectors to the exclusion of others (Allison & Ellis, 2001).…”

“…Stirling's (2007) common diversity framework, which distinguishes between balance, variety and disparity as three properties of diversity. Each of these properties depicted in Stirling's framework correspond to a distinct pathway to pursue livelihood diversification through(Roscher et al, 2022; Figure1).The pathway 'balance' refers to the extent to which each livelihood activity is currently practiced. Studies describing diversification through an increased contribution of an existing activity intended to change the balance of activities in livelihood portfolios.…”

Livelihood Diversification among Sugarcane Farmers in Makarfi Local Government Area, Kaduna State

“…Several factors propel households to diversify their means of livelihood, but risk management is the fundamental reason for households' engagement in multiple livelihoods (Jedidah and Kefa, 2018). A livelihood is sustainable when it can cope with and recover from the stresses and shocks and maintain or enhance its capabilities and assets both now and in the future without undermining the natural resource base (Roscher, Eriksson, Harohau, Mauli, Kaltavara, Boonstra & van der Ploeg, 2022).…”