Socioeconomic pragmatism and the adoption of conservation-compatible livelihoods: evidence from park -adjacent communities in northern Tanzania

Protected areas (PAs) play a pivotal role in global biodiversity conservation, yet their effectiveness often hinges on the livelihood decisions of surrounding communities. This study examines the drivers of alternative occupation preferences among residents living adjacent to Tarangire National Park (TNP) in northern Tanzania, a landscape where pastoralist traditions, conservation priorities, and livelihood vulnerabilities intersect. Using a cross-sectional survey of 184 households and multinomial logistic regression, we assessed the influence of demographic, socioeconomic, and attitudinal factors on willingness to adopt conservation-compatible livelihoods (CCLs). Results reveal widespread dissatisfaction with current livelihoods (70%) and a strong preference for agribusiness (36%), followed by livestock keeping (26%) and artisanal work (19%). Livelihood satisfaction, gender, education, occupation, years of residence, and perceptions of park impacts significantly shaped occupational aspirations, while ecocentric values and land ownership were not predictive. Women and respondents with lower levels of formal education demonstrated markedly higher odds of preferring agribusiness, livestock, and artisanal enterprises. These findings suggest that livelihood decisions are primarily driven by socioeconomic pragmatism rather than environmental attitudes alone. We argue that conservation interventions should prioritize agribusiness value chains, artisanal skill development, and gender-responsive strategies to align biodiversity protection with community aspirations. By situating livelihood diversification within the realities of rural pragmatism, this study advances actionable insights for integrating poverty alleviation and conservation planning in East African protected area landscapes.