The impact of participating in the biodiversity economy on household food security : a Gonarezhou National Park Communities’ case study

Abstract

Biodiversity conservation initiatives are often hailed as essential for safeguarding natural resources, yet they frequently come at the expense of communities reliant on these ecosystems for sustenance. Literature extensively documents the displacement of local populations to make way for protected areas, perpetuating poverty and social discord among the affected communities. Responding to these concerns, policymakers have increasingly turned to community-based natural resource management programmes, epitomised by initiatives like transfrontier conservation areas. Among these, the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area (GLTFCA) stands as a prime example, spanning South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique since its establishment in 2002. Despite its inception, scant attention has been given to examining the impact of the TFCA on household-level food security. This study delved into the impact of the biodiversity economy within the Gonarezhou National Park (GNP) on local household food security. The study used descriptive statistics to characterise the households in the study communities, calculated five food security indicators to gain an understanding of the food security situation and employed the propensity score matching technique to conduct an impact analysis. The key findings of the study indicate that the communities are a patriarchal society with an average household head age of 50 years old. Their main livelihoods include agriculture, cross-border trade and casual labour including work in the biodiversity economy. The food security situation is poor, most households face food shortages during the agricultural lean season, lack productive assets, consume less than five of twelve food groups and engage in at least three harmful coping strategies to cope with insufficient food supply. Moreover, it is not surprising that the study found no direct impact of the park's existence on local communities' food security, as evidenced by statistically insignificant Average Treatment Effects on the Treated (ATT). This suggests that the park has fallen short of its intended goal of promoting local development. Possible explanations for this shortfall range from the park's limited success in attracting tourists and generating local economic opportunities to external shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic. To bolster the park's performance and enhance its socioeconomic impact, policymakers must adopt a multifaceted approach. This could entail bolstering social protection policies, supporting agricultural livelihoods, and fostering tourism-based economic opportunities within the park's vicinity. By addressing these underlying challenges, policymakers can strive towards achieving the dual objectives of biodiversity conservation and sustainable local development within protected areas like the GNP.