More than a trade-off: livelihood sources and support for environmental protection in Africa

Major theories of environmental behavior argue that higher levels of income drive environmental policy support. However, recent evidence shows strong environmental support among individuals in low-income countries, suggesting that factors beyond affluence influence environmental preferences. To explain this puzzle, I examine how economic vulnerability and livelihood sources shape environmental preferences across 39 African countries using data from the Afrobarometer Round 9 survey (N = 46,020). The results show that individuals whose livelihoods depend on the natural environment are more likely to prioritize environmental protection over job creation (Model 2: OR = 1.075, p < .01). The interaction effect between environmental dependence and perceived economic condition is also statistically significant, indicating that the positive effect of environmental dependence weakens as perceived economic well-being improves. In conditions of economic hardship, environmentally dependent individuals display stronger support for environmental protection, reflecting their heightened sensitivity to environmental risk. These findings highlight economic vulnerability as a distinct mechanism linking livelihoods and environmental preferences. The result challenges the postmaterialist and prosperity theses by showing that support for environmental protection is not merely a product of affluence but a response to economic insecurity.