The impact of integrated aquaculture agriculture on small-scale farm sustainability and farmers’ livelihoods: experience from Bangladesh

Abstract

Intensification of agriculture often requires external inputs, has negative environmental effects and increases risk, especially for small-scale producers. Integrated aquaculture-agriculture (IAA) instead uses on-farm synergy effects of crop and fish production. The impact of long-term IAA training provided to small-scale farmers in Bangladesh is assessed using panel data from 260 project and 126 control farmers who were monitored from 2002/2003 to 2005/2006. We find that the training had a significant positive impact on farmers’ technical efficiency, total factor productivity and net incomes. These result in higher food consumption and better nutrition for trained households compared to control farmers.