A qualitative analysis of rural fishermen: Potential for blockchain-enabled framework for livelihood sustainability

Rural fishing communities face numerous challenges related to livelihood security, as they are engaged in a risky and labour-intensive occupation. They often receive only a small portion of the profits, due to the influence of self-serving local intermediaries, lack of transparency in the business processes, trust issues, and power differentials among stakeholders. Although still in its infancy, blockchain technology has been adopted in various urban settings to mitigate similar challenges and to build trust through its security attributes, data ledger transparency, and smart contract automation. Yet, few have explored the efficacy of blockchain technology in addressing the unique challenges faced by rural fishermen in marketing their catch and connecting them to a broader range of customers for improved livelihood resilience. This study aims to examine how the livelihood resilience of fishermen can be increased through the potential of a blockchain, in a fishing community in the coastal village of Alappad in Kerala, India. Thematic analysis of data acquired from 43 semi-structured qualitative interviews and participatory rural appraisal tools revealed five categories of challenges: business cost and profitability, government regulations, low education and digital illiteracy, socio-cultural limitations, and over-dependence on middlemen as inhibitors to fishermen's livelihoods. The study proposes a blockchain-based e-commerce framework to mitigate selected challenges that emerged due to a lack of trust and transparency in the local fish market. It contributes to rural development by exploring an innovative, solution aligned with five UN Sustainable Development Goals, in contrast to the Business-as-usual approach in offering technological solutions.