Assessment of Comparative Advantage in Aquaculture

Book excerpt: Within the framework of its continued efforts to alleviate poverty and enhance food security, the Fisheries and Aquaculture Department of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has initiated a number of studies to improve decision-making in both private and public sectors. This study provides two methodologies to estimate comparative advantage that can assist entrepreneurs and government policy-makers in developing countries in deciding which species and which export markets offer the most potential for commercial aquaculture. While the methodologies can be applied anywhere, the focus of this report is on two case studies: the shrimp export market and farmed production of freshwater finfish. The studies were conducted within the Fisheries and Aquaculture Economics and Policy Division at FAO.