Small scale aquaculture: diversifying livelihoods and adding value to family farming
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Small-scale aquaculture provides important livelihood and nutritional benefits for many rural families in developing countries. It allows families to diversify their income sources and food supplies through low-cost, low-risk activities integrated with existing farming systems. Common small-scale systems include fish ponds and rice-fish farming, which are suitable for gradual expansion as experience and resources allow. While vulnerable to issues like theft, weather, and market instability, small-scale aquaculture remains an accessible option for improving diets and incomes if production and marketing challenges can be addressed through organization and cooperation among farmers.
Small scale aquaculture: diversifying livelihoods and adding value to family farming
- 1. Small-scale aquaculture: diversifying livelihoods and adding value to family farming Simon Funge-Smith FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
- 2. Small-scale aquaculture often overlooked • Production from small ponds and extensive (rice) systems may not be noticed • May be highly seasonal (monsoon) • Unseen contribution undervalued? – Household income – Family nutrition • Particularly important for – developing countries – supplementing diets – areas where traditional cropping systems do not generate much income Can you spot the fish? Rice-fish, fish ponds, North Vietnamese highlands
- 3. Small-scale aquaculture contributes to livelihoods • Source of food in the household • Supplementary household income – Can sell part of crop for ready cash – Spares other assets like livestock • Diversification of staple crop systems – e.g. rice farming – Adds alternative low risk income/food source • A bit like small livestock Small-scale seaweed locally marketed Philippines
- 4. Low investment, low risk? • Not everyone can get into aquaculture • Start up requires access to: – land and water, fingerlings, feed resources – family labour • Small-scale operations can be very low investment – Family operated, using on farm(feed) resources – Opportunity of family labour – Low risk of losses if fish harvest is poor – Not susceptible to diseases like small livestock Carp broodstock in family hatchery Myanmar
- 5. Small-scale aquaculture production systems are diverse • Integration into existing farming system or family livelihood – Stocking of water storage ponds – Integration with rice – Integration with small livestock • Dedicated small-scale low risk systems – Small fish cages in waters bodies – Seaweed lines – Stake culture of oysters and mussels – Small fish ponds • Systems can be highly adaptive – fitted to families resources and assets – Also time available to contribute to the activity Mixed harvest of stocked and wild fish
- 6. Small-scale aquaculture is highly scalable • Family operations start small as a low risk experiment • As experience builds and ponds demonstrate consistent potential • Farmers may invest and upscale – Invariably requires higher financial investment(in feed and other inputs) – Productivity can increase significantly – Intensification requires professionalization and closer controls on management • In other cases, the risk level is set and a family will not intensify to avoid financial exposure Small oyster farms for restaurant trade Thailand
- 7. Women are often innovators in small-scale aquaculture • If ponds or hatchery close to the home • Fits into existing work – not heavy labour – Some exceptions (e.g. seaweed) • Market fish directly or via other women – Additional income stream • But limited up-scaling – unless hiring labour • Benefit from organization Kelp China Euchema Philippines
- 8. What makes aquaculture a successful family livelihood option? • low-technology type production systems • Good fit with existing farming system/livelihood activities • Gradual introduction (step by step approach) • Simple, robust/resilient systems • Ready access to (local) markets is a pre-requisite • Simple market requirements – i.e. product quality/freshness/characteristics Small fish ponds integrated into vegetable and fruit gardens Viet Nam
- 9. Improving management on small family farms • As family aquaculture system become more intensive farmers need to pay attention – to feeding and water quality – marketing of their crop • The stakes are higher and risk increases • Organization of farmers into groups strengthens their ability to – Access advice (use of Better Aquaculture Practices) – Group purchasing of quality feeds and fingerlings – Sharing of management knowledge and advice – Group marketing or bargaining on sale of products Feeding small scale fish cages Thailand
- 10. Small-scale aquaculture can still be vulnerable • Theft is a major deterrent to families – small operations located close to home – or have to be guarded by a family member • Flooding and drought (climate variability) • Market instability • Disease risks exist, especially as farms intensify Living on the fish cage Lao PDR Fish kills after heavy rain
- 11. Small-scale aquaculture may still need regulation • Small-scale aquaculture typically exists within the local environmental carrying capacity • Relatively few dispersed operations • As more farmers start to become interested, can lead to overcrowding – this can overload an area – disease – water/effluent conflicts – market instability Massive over- crowding of small shrimp coastal shrimp ponds Thailand
- 12. Marketing vulnerabilities • Small farmers targeting supermarkets and international market chains • Increasing stringency on requirements for food safety, product quality, traceability…. – shifting goalposts, small famers cannot adapt in time • Farmers may use banned or unlicensed products – Banned antibiotics/chemicals (chloramphenicol, nitrofuran, malachite green) • Trade barriers – Labelling, anti-dumping, technical barriers – Price fluctuations Family harvesting small pond Lao PDR
- 13. We must recognize small-scale aquaculture may be transient • Parallels to livestock development • As sector develops – especially for a specific commodity – Some farmer specialize • Market requirements means smaller famers unable to meet standards • Still a role for on farm food production – But may become uncompetitive • Emergence of fully commercial aquaculture farms Small backyard hatchery Lao PDR
- 14. Thank you Fish, banana, taro, vegetables, bamboo Viet Nam