Building social resilience to biological invasions. A case study of Panama Tropical Race 4 in the Australian Banana Industry

Abstract

Biosecurity is often conceptualised and managed as an issue of biological risk. However, biosecurity policy and programs need to also manage for the social risks and impacts of biological invasions. This paper applies theory on the social aspects of social-ecological system resilience to understand how growers from the Queensland Banana industry in north east Australia coped with the social impacts of the Panama Tropical Race 4 incursion. We present a conceptual framework that highlights how emergency responses can also support programs to build and enhance the social resilience of affected actors. Management programs and activities can be designed to support affected actors to cope with the impacts of the invasion, at the same time as working to eradicate or contain the invasive species. Short term immediate management actions coupled with developing institutions and process to support and build social resilience of actors in the longer-term, may enable them to learn to live with a new species in the landscape, and, or be able to better cope with the social impacts of future invasions.