Off-farm employment in aquaculture: A case study of New England's oyster growers

Abstract

Global aquaculture markets have experienced a great deal of recent success. However, growers are still highly susceptible to risks caused by seasonality, interannual variability in earnings, and environmental factors. As a result, we see growers turning to alternative sources of income, and participating in off-farm labor. We utilize a series of zero-inflated count models to examine the relationship between an aquaculture grower's off-farm labor decision and relevant explanatory variables including demand-side potency, which is often omitted in the literature. We also look to identify and analyze the importance of professional social networks among growers as a stabilizing mechanism and a way to mitigate risk to growers. This study expands upon an economic model that has traditionally been used for analyzing off-farm labor choices within an agricultural context and applies it to an increasingly important industry, aquaculture.