| This paper attempts a social cost-benefit analysis of scientific versus traditional shrimp farming in West Bengal, India. Using primary data, the paper shows that although intensive or scientific shrimp farming yields high returns as compared to traditional shrimp farming, when the opportunity costs and environmental costs of shrimp farming including disease risk are accounted for, scientific shrimp farming loses its advantage. In fact sensitivity analysis shows that if expected benefits were to fall short by 15% and costs rise by a similar proportion, scientific shrimp farmers report higher losses than traditional shrimp farmers. But large traditional shrimp farmers continue to report positive net returns. These results are also most pronounced for small... |
