Aquaculture and Agriculture: Exposing the Nexus between Mangrove Deforestation, Climate Change, and Modern Slavery in Southeast Asia (2024)
Undergraduate: Adithi Reddy
Faculty Advisor: Amy Cooke
Department: Global Studies
The mangrove forests of Southeast Asia play a vital role in providing ecological, economic, and social benefits to the world. They enhance biodiversity, support fishery production, and offer coastal health while serving as the highest-density carbon sink of any ecosystem that offset environmental degradation in many forms. This capability stems from mangroves’ ability to store carbon in both their above-ground biomass and below-ground soils, making them invaluable contributors to carbon sequestration and climate mitigation efforts. Yet, mangrove forests face extensive deforestation driven by global demand for food commodities, particularly in two sectors: agriculture and aquaculture. Today, multinational corporations and local enterprises alike engage in unsustainable extraction practices in palm oil and shrimp aquaculture, exacerbating mangrove clearing in Southeast Asia. This relentless pursuit of profit-driven expansion leads to economic strains from diminishing returns. Additionally, it contributes to a forced labor crisis akin to modern slavery as industries resort to unjust labor practices to cut costs amid depleting natural resources. The central research question guiding this study delves into the adverse positive feedback loops between mangrove deforestation, climate change, modern slavery, and capitalistic practices in the Indonesian palm oil and Thai shrimp aquaculture industries. By tracing the supply chains of these products from grocery stores to their origins, it dissects the pervasive issues present across global supply chains, shedding light on the systemic challenges faced by coastal ecosystems and communities. Furthermore, this research not only identifies these complex challenges but also proposes multistakeholder solutions aimed at addressing them comprehensively. Through a holistic approach, this study seeks to catalyze actionable change by advocating for sustainable practices and collaborative governance mechanisms that prioritize both environmental conservation and human rights protection throughout the supply chain.