Co-producing Better Management Practice standards for shrimp aquaculture in Indonesia

Better Management Practices (BMPs) are designed to standardize on-farm practices and improve the (environmental) performance of shrimp aquaculture. The design and implementation of aquaculture BMPs in Indonesia has been facilitated through NGO-led multi-stakeholder initiatives, which translate global norms, knowledge and policy goals into local knowledge and practices. This paper analyses this process of translation in East Kalimantan, and questions the extent to which technically focused BMPs are co-produced; representing the combined knowledge and interests of the actors involved. The paper concludes that when led by non-state actors such as NGOs, BMPs are not only a tool for negotiating technical changes in production, but also contribute to the ongoing politicization of social and environmental issues around shrimp aquaculture.