V2V Global Partnership

The vulnerability to viability (V2V) project is a collaboration between Nature Today, University of Waterloo, and University of Cape Coast among others. The project is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada under its Partnership Grants Program.

The goals of the V2V Global Partnership are to: (1) critically examine diverse factors and conditions contributing to the ‘vulnerability’ of Small-scale fisheries (SSF); and (2) engage collaboratively with SSF communities and other key partners (e.g., NGOs, governments, universities) to enhance SSF viability. We use the term viability not just in an economic sense but also to include social, political, and ecological aspects of SSF. Four specific objectives guide the research and activities of the partnership: (1) To co-produce a comprehensive understanding of both the sources of vulnerabilities experienced by SSF, and their inherent and potential capability to enhance viability; (2) To develop a database and resource portal of V2V case studies and those from elsewhere to integrate and mobilize the knowledge produced; (3) To engage in transdisciplinary (TD) capacity development of SSF communities, governments, NGOs, civil society actors, and the academic community to enable them to co-create and implement innovative solutions to move from vulnerability to viability; and (4) To compare and synthesize experience between and across study sites, scaling up the insights for broader impact through the development of national and regional policy recommendations, program interventions, and governance arrangements that support viable, community-led SSF initiatives. Five global working groups and twelve country teams (six each in Asia and Africa) provide a foundation for V2V research and knowledge mobilization. V2V case study sites represent approximately 40 percent of the world’s population. We draw on integrative theory and apply an established framework for comparative analysis – I-ADApT (Assessment based on Description and responses and Appraisal for a Typology) – to contribute to theory building, methodological innovation, and to strengthen national and international policy for SSF.