CSTFA Our Research Livelihoods, Equity and Governance Livelihoods Lab

Livelihoods Lab

Collaborative, interdisciplinary, locally relevant

We support rural communities in the tropics in meeting their livelihood goals through collaborative research and capacity sharing.

People in the tropics are facing increasing pressures from accelerating environmental and social change, and remote, rural communities are among the most vulnerable to these changes. We aim to support people living in these communities in maintaining, adapting, and developing their livelihood aspirations in a rapidly changing world. Find out how you can be involved.

Our Mission

Our overarching goal is to work with industry, decision-makers, donors, communities and other stakeholders to support remote and rural communities in the tropics to achieve sustainable livelihoods.  We aim to design and implement collaborative, applied projects that will help to achieve this goal. Moreover, we strive to complement and follow through on our projects by fostering long term initiatives and self-sustaining outcomes, and facilitating access to capacity sharing required to support people in achieving their goals.

Our Approach

Interdisciplinary. We have the diverse disciplinary expertise across the social and natural sciences required to support initiatives that benefit people and the environment.

Participatory. We work with local stakeholders and end-users from the early stages of project design through to completion.

Applied. Our projects are intended to result in practical, sustainable outcomes for end-users in the places where we work.

Our Goals

Engage industry, decision-makers, donors, communities, and other stakeholders in partnerships to achieve sustainable livelihood outcomes.

Implement applied research that fosters long-term benefits from emerging livelihood opportunities (e.g. ecotourism, sustainable aquaculture and agriculture).

Support natural resource management initiatives to achieve social and ecological objectives.

Facilitate access to technical training and capacity building that supports project partners in achieving livelihood goals and promotes sustained benefits from our work.

Who we are - Lab Members

Recent projects