Social Dynamics Shaping the Diffusion of Sustainable Aquaculture Innovations in the Solomon Islands

Jessica Blythe, Reuben Sulu, Daykin Harohau, Rebecca Weeks, Anne-Maree Schwarz, David Mills and Michael Phillips
Additional contact information
Jessica Blythe: WorldFish, Honiara P.O. Box 438, Solomon Islands
Reuben Sulu: WorldFish, Honiara P.O. Box 438, Solomon Islands
Daykin Harohau: WorldFish, Honiara P.O. Box 438, Solomon Islands
Rebecca Weeks: Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville QLD 4811, Australia
Anne-Maree Schwarz: WorldFish, Honiara P.O. Box 438, Solomon Islands
David Mills: Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville QLD 4811, Australia
Michael Phillips: WorldFish, 11960 Bayan Lepas, Penang 10670, Malaysia

Sustainability, 2017, vol. 9, issue 1, 1-14

Abstract: Sustainably feeding the world’s growing population represents one of our most significant challenges. Aquaculture is well positioned to make contributions towards this challenge. Yet, the translation of aquaculture production innovations into benefits for rural communities is constrained by a limited understanding of the social dynamics that influence the adoption of new agricultural practices. In this paper, we investigate the factors that shape the spread of small-scale tilapia aquaculture through rural Solomon Islands. Based on diffusion of innovation theory, we focus on three potentially influential factors: (i) socio-economic characteristics of adopters; (ii) the role of opinion leaders; and (iii) characteristics of the innovation. We find that farmers who were wealthier, older, and had more diverse livelihoods were most likely to be adopters. Opinion leaders facilitated the adoption of tilapia aquaculture, but lacked the capacity to provide fundamental knowledge necessary to realize its potential benefits to food security. The paper argues for more explicit attention to the poorest households and makes the case for a deeper engagement with the broader social and institutional contexts that shape the adoption process. Aquaculture interventions that account for these social dynamics are critical for translating production innovations into sustainable benefits to rural communities.

Keywords: sustainable aquaculture; diffusion of innovation; small-scale aquaculture; tilapia; Melanesia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (11)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:9:y:2017:i:1:p:126-:d:87977

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