Research:2009-12-01/Journal article/using-a-political-ecology-framework-to-examine-extra-legal-livelihood-strategies-a-lesotho-based-case-study

Research record1 December 2009Journal article

Using a political ecology framework to examine extra-legal livelihood strategies: a Lesotho-based case study of cultivation of and trade in cannabis

Julian Bloomer

Journal of Political Ecology · 2009

Abstract

Rural livelihood strategies that engage in criminalised activities and hidden economies are an important, yet understudied, aspect of achieving economic diversification. This paper discusses findings from a project that examined the role and importance of cannabis cultivation, as a criminalised cash crop, in Lesotho. The research employed a multi-strategy approach that combined qualitative and quantitative methodologies. Cannabis income was found to play a very important role in economic and livelihood diversification in the study area. The paper concludes that cannabis production, as an extra-legal livelihood strategy, should be viewed by policy makers using a livelihoods focus, rather than a criminal one, if rural smallholders are not to be further marginalised by drug control policies. Key words: cannabis; Lesotho; political ecology; extra-legal livelihood

The paper's abstract, reproduced as published.

DOI

More research from Lesotho

• 1 Jan 2019Turning Cannabis Into Cash: Agrarian Change and Lesotho's Evolving Experience
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Record created 3 July 2026 · maintained by landrace.wiki editors · page history

Published1 Dec 2009

TypeJournal article

VenueJournal of Political Ecology

Year2009

DOI10.2458/v16i1.21691

CountryLesotho

DOI

2009-12-01 2026-07-03 Using a political ecology framework to examine extra-legal livelihood strategies: a Lesotho-based case study of cultivation of and trade in cannabis Journal article Geography Julian Bloomer Journal of Political Ecology 2009 10.2458/v16i1.21691 https://doi.org/10.2458/v16i1.21691 Uses a political-ecology framework to examine cannabis cultivation and trade as an extra-legal livelihood strategy in Lesotho. Place-anchored to Lesotho within the cross-border production complex. Rural livelihood strategies that engage in criminalised activities and hidden economies are an important, yet understudied, aspect of achieving economic diversification. This paper discusses findings from a project that examined the role and importance of cannabis cultivation, as a criminalised cash crop, in Lesotho. The research employed a multi-strategy approach that combined qualitative and quantitative methodologies. Cannabis income was found to play a very important role in economic and livelihood diversification in the study area. The paper concludes that cannabis production, as an extra-legal livelihood strategy, should be viewed by policy makers using a livelihoods focus, rather than a criminal one, if rural smallholders are not to be further marginalised by drug control policies. Key words: cannabis; Lesotho; political ecology; extra-legal livelihood Lesotho