Characterizing pathways of seafood access in small island developing states

Area of Science:

• Food systems science
• Fisheries management
• Sustainable development

Background:

• Sustainable food systems are crucial for human and environmental health, with seafood being a vital nutrient source, particularly for coastal populations.
• Understanding the link between harvested seafood production and actual consumption is essential due to rapid aquatic food system transformations.
• Existing food system analyses often propose innovations but overlook pathways through which people currently access nutritious food.

Purpose of the Study:

• To operationalize access theory and trace consumptive benefits within Kiribati's fisheries-based food system.
• To identify and analyze household strategies for accessing seafood and their impact on consumption patterns.
• To provide policy and management insights for reinforcing existing successful seafood access pathways.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a nationally representative dataset from Kiribati.
• Employed a random forest model and cluster analysis to operationalize access theory.
• Traced the flows of consumptive benefit in the fisheries-based food system.

Main Results:

• Market access is a primary mechanism for seafood acquisition in Kiribati.
• Households with the highest seafood consumption exhibited lower market access, highlighting the importance of non-market acquisition (home production, gifting).
• Identified six distinct household strategies utilizing varied access mechanisms, impacting seafood consumption composition.

Conclusions:

• Existing household strategies for seafood access are successful and should be supported.
• Policy interventions should focus on reinforcing current pathways, considering factors like infrastructure and species management.
• Non-market acquisition plays a critical role in ensuring high seafood consumption, complementing market access.