Is aquaculture development an effective tool for poverty alleviation? A review of theory and evidence

What role does the growth in aquaculture play in poverty reduction? In theory, aquaculture development could affect the poor either positively or negatively, so the article reviews the available empirical literature. There is almost no evidence of aquaculture reducing poverty directly, but the literature presents numerous examples of how the development of aquaculture can influence poverty-related outcomes. The article concludes that the answer to the question stated in its title is highly context-specific, so rigorous social impact assessment of major projects in the sector will continue to be necessary. Further, if the objective of aquaculture development is to reduce poverty, more emphasis should be placed on the labour-intensity of new technologies, and less on their yield increasing properties. Finally, more research is needed to improve our understanding of the main barriers to adoption of aquaculture by the poor, and the effect of that adoption on the welfare of the poor.