Livelihood Analysis Research Articles

The importance of women's roles in adaptive capacity and resilience to flooding in rural Bangladesh

In rural Bangladesh, patriarchal gendered norms aggravate the vulnerability of women to disasters such as floods because of male dominance in access to resources and decision-making. Furthermore, these processes can render invisible women's vital roles in flood preparedness, response, rehabilitation, and recovery. A first step in addressing such gender-based inequalities in disaster contexts is to recognise and acknowledge the varied contributions made by women when a flood strikes. This paper sets out a framework to document women's roles in building adaptive capacity and resilience to floods in rural Bangladesh, using testimony evidence from 20 Focus Group Discussions in the highly flood-prone area of Sirajganj District in north-western Bangladesh. These FGDs consisted of both men and women, providing an inclusive arena for participants to express their perspectives on the roles of women during flood conditions. Responses were coded within the categories of human, social and financial capital, informed by Sustainable Livelihoods Analysis. In human capital terms, women's formal and informal education and skills were identified as critical community assets. With regards to social capital, bonding, bridging and, to a lesser extent, linking forms of social capital were recognised and valued by FGD participants. In terms of financial capital, women were identified as contributing to household capacity in flood times through livelihood diversification and the protection of household financial assets. These results highlight the need for a more formal and prominent acknowledgement of women's role in disaster policy.

Sustainable Livelihood of Fishers in Palangpang Beach, Sukabumi, Indonesia

Ciletuh is an areas in Sukabumi which was inaugurated as Global Geopark by UNESCO in 2017, and has many potential natural resources. The high number of visits at Palangpang Beach, Ciwaru Village, is an opportunity for fishermen in Ciwaru Village to participate in activities involving fishermen in the marine tourism sector but this is inversely proportional to the infrastructure development at the Ciletuh Geopark. So, it is important to analyze sustainable livelihood of fishermen before and after the development of the Ciletuh Geopark. The research methods used are descriptive analysis, and sustainable livelihood analysis. The results show that sustainable livelihood assets of fishermen who increasing were human capital, social capital, physical capital, and economic and financial capital, while natural capital experienced a decline in assets due to the accumulation of garbage on the shore and in the sea that interferes with fishing activities. Finally, The local government and the management of Auction Place of Fish of Ciwaru have made improvements to fishery support facilities, in the form of parking lots for fishing boats and more adequate fish landings for fishermen, but the government needs to manage the garbage on the beach area.

‘I shouldn’t have to do this alone’: intersectional livelihoods and single Hmong women in Thailand

Feminist livelihood literature has demonstrated the centrality of gender and other forms of social difference in defining the experiences of making a living. However, to date critical livelihood analysis that goes beyond male-female gendered disaggregation remains quite rare. To address this, I advance a decolonial intersectional approach to demonstrate how livelihoods are produced by the compounding experiences of gender, ethnicity, marital status, and generation. Drawing on fieldwork in an ethnic minority Hmong village in northern Thailand, I present ethnographic case studies to analyze the experiences of four Hmong women who, for different reasons, undertake their livelihoods independently from a male counterpart. These women’s experiences demonstrate important intergenerational shifts occurring in Hmong society in Thailand and changing expectations of women’s roles, with one woman widowed, one divorced, one unmarried, and one’s husband in jail. Moreover, a decolonial intersectional livelihood approach demonstrates how these women’s self-identity as Hmong cannot be separated from their gendered positionalities, and how their livelihoods without a male counterpart often render them marginalized from a unitary category of ‘Hmong women’. By examining a group of Hmong women’s differentiated lived experiences, this paper contributes to feminist livelihood literature beyond traditional male-female analyses, addressing a lack of empirical intersectional studies, while simultaneously reporting gendered intergenerational change in this Hmong village. A decolonial intersectional approach to livelihoods requires close attention to productive and reproductive activities, relationality, plural knowledges, as well as embodied experiences of identity-formation.

Integrating Socioeconomic Biophysical and Institutional Factors for Evaluating Small-Scale Irrigation Schemes in Northern Ethiopia

This paper characterizes and compares three types of small-scale irrigation scheme practices in Northern Ethiopia. A multidisciplinary survey approach, collecting information on socioeconomic, biophysical, and institutional aspects of irrigation by the smallholder farmers, was used to investigate and compare aspects of land, water use, and crop productivity, including farmer income and livelihood sustainability. The study was conducted in the Zamra catchment, a sub-basin of the large Tekeze river basin and Nile basin tributary. Three common small-scale irrigation scheme types, i.e., traditional diversion, modern diversion, and dam (reservoir) based irrigation, were compared using four pilot survey areas. From the total of 618 farmer households in the study areas, 242 farmers were selected using stratified random sampling and participated in the survey and research. More than 100 input data were collected from the farmers related to the biophysical, socioeconomic, and institutional factors affecting their work practice and livelihood. Focus group discussions were conducted with elders, the water users association committee, and women-headed households. Descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis were used for quantitative analysis. The result indicates a significant difference between the three irrigation schemes. One important conclusion of this study was that the explanatory value of a single factor (e.g., biophysical), as commonly done in irrigation research and assessment, was seldom sufficient to explain water use, crop yield, and farmer income. Institutional and/or socioeconomic drivers also played an important role in the entire farming practice, income generation, and livelihood of the farmers. This study highlighted the value-added of the multidisciplinary approach (socioeconomic, biophysical, and institutional) for the evaluation of small-scale irrigation practices and livelihood analysis of agricultural smallholders in climate-affected regions, such as the Northern Ethiopian highlands.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY TO UNDERSTAND, PREVENT AND ACT ON THE MULTIDIMENSIONAL CRISIS IN MALI

The documentary review reveals that the multidimensional crisis that Mali has been facing since 2012 is also the greatest crisis in its history. This covers institutional, socio-political, security and also multifaceted aspects due to the diversity of actors. The objective sought by our approach is to contribute to understanding in order to propose possible solutions despite the complexity of the crisis and the multiplicity of actors. In a specific way it is a question of defining the various capitals which constitute the framework of the means of existence, of Demonstrating how each capital is affected by the effects of the crisis, of Defining the nature of the shock which put the capitals in a state vulnerability and Propose resilience measures for different levels. We used a reading grid that allowed us to use the livelihoods analysis framework. The results obtained after analysis show us that the 5 capitals which constitute the means of existence are affected by the effects of the crisis in their nature. To achieve peace some alternatives are proposed just as in other similar cases elsewhere, similar initiatives were developed.

Sustainable livelihoods analysis in the Tonle Sap Lake and its floodplain, Cambodia

Tonle Sap Lake is the largest body of freshwater in Southeast Asia, benefiting millions of Cambodians. Yet, the lake is under increasing pressure, causing great concern for hundreds of communities depending on the bounty of its natural resources. This research analyzed types of employment, sustainable livelihood, and provision mechanisms in the fishing communities in Tonle Sap Lake. Household surveys were deployed to collect quantitative data from 505 households, and participatory approaches were applied to collect qualitative data through key informants and group discussions. The research findings supported four main conclusions. First, agricultural jobs remained the dominant mode of employment for the villagers in the communities surrounding the Tonle Sap, followed by fishing. For example, fishing was the mode of work for (33.7%), rice farming for (24.2%), and horticulture for (11.7%). Fishery and rice farming played an essential role in daily livelihoods. Second, however, the villagers' livelihoods were not yet fully sustainable. Their daily income per capita (9,199.7 Khmer Riels) was not significantly lower or higher than the rural poverty line (8,908 Khmer Riels), at t (504) = 0.499, P = 0.618. Moreover, their daily income was significantly lower than the national poverty line (10,951 Khmer Riels) set by the Ministry of Planning in 2021, at t (504) = -2.997, P = 0.003. Third, the villagers’ livelihoods were constrained by limited access to the five livelihood assets, specifically, professional skills and social assets, support mechanisms to create alternative livelihoods, and local livelihood strategies. Fourth, the existing support mechanisms do not function to improve access to the five assets and engender local strategies for reducing vulnerabilities. Some suggestions are given to enhance sustainable livelihoods related to increased access to the five assets. Access to the five assets for sustainable livelihoods is required to establish robust support mechanisms for all the key stakeholders, which include government agencies, NGOs, and communities. Alternative livelihoods were found to be a viable option to decrease the burden on natural resources and improve sustainable livelihoods.

ENVIRONMENTAL FRIENDLY FIELD TOURISM MANAGEMENT FROM THE PERCEPTION AND EMPOWERMENT OF FARMERS AND LAND OWNERS IN PUNGGUR KECIL VILLAGE, KUBU RAYA REGENCY

Prospects in tourism especially rice field tourism are being encouraged so that rural communities become independent both financial and sectoral. The concept of a tourism village is a form of community based tourism (CBT). The concept used in CBT is closely related to empowerment. Based on the identification and analysis of the problem, the solution that can be given is to develop community-based and sustainable tourism, to avoid uncontrolled land conversion, to raise public awareness by implementing environmental-based economic management and to harmonize the understanding of land owners to farming communities in ecotourism land management sustainable fields. The problems identified from the results of the FGD are the level of knowledge, attitudes, motivation, and experience of farmers towards the establishment of ecotourism in rice fields. This research was conducted using the PRA (Participatory Rural Appraisal) approach. Several techniques for implementing PRA include: (a) historical path tracing, (b) development needs tracing, (c) livelihood analysis, (d) preparation of activity plans, (e) focus group discussion, (f) mapping. The outputs from this research are (1) roadmap for developing Punggur Kecil agro-tourism village. (2) capacity building of knowledge, attitude, motivation, and experience of farmers in the development of ecotourism in paddy fields. The stages of implementing this research are planning, coordination with village government and land owners, group discussion forums, making a rice field ecotourism road map, mentoring, and monitoring and evaluation.

ENVIRONMENTAL FRIENDLY FIELD TOURISM MANAGEMENT FROM THE PERCEPTION AND EMPOWERMENT OF FARMERS AND LAND OWNERS IN PUNGGUR KECIL VILLAGE, KUBU RAYA REGENCY

Prospects in tourism especially rice field tourism are being encouraged so that rural communities become independent both financial and sectoral. The concept of a tourism village is a form of community based tourism (CBT). The concept used in CBT is closely related to empowerment. Based on the identification and analysis of the problem, the solution that can be given is to develop community-based and sustainable tourism, to avoid uncontrolled land conversion, to raise public awareness by implementing environmental-based economic management and to harmonize the understanding of land owners to farming communities in ecotourism land management sustainable fields. The problems identified from the results of the FGD are the level of knowledge, attitudes, motivation, and experience of farmers towards the establishment of ecotourism in rice fields. This research was conducted using the PRA (Participatory Rural Appraisal) approach. Several techniques for implementing PRA include: (a) historical path tracing, (b) development needs tracing, (c) livelihood analysis, (d) preparation of activity plans, (e) focus group discussion, (f) mapping. The outputs from this research are (1) roadmap for developing Punggur Kecil agro-tourism village. (2) capacity building of knowledge, attitude, motivation, and experience of farmers in the development of ecotourism in paddy fields. The stages of implementing this research are planning, coordination with village government and land owners, group discussion forums, making a rice field ecotourism road map, mentoring, and monitoring and evaluation.

How do climate change perception and value cognition affect farmers' sustainable livelihood capacity? An analysis based on an improved DFID sustainable livelihood framework

Research on the influencing factors of sustainable livelihoods in the context of climate change tend to focus on macro-regional and objective factors. However, there is room to expand on studies concerning the micro perspective and cognitive differences between farmers. This paper uses a survey on farmers' climate change perception and cognitive value in arid areas of Northwest China. Based on an improved Department for International Development (DFID) sustainable livelihood analysis, the authors explore the impact of climate change perception and value cognition on farmers' sustainable livelihood capacity, and analyze the differences according to farmers' socio-demographic characteristics. The results show that climate change perception can not only directly affect farmers' livelihoods, but also indirectly affect their sustainable livelihood capacity through economic and ecological value cognition. In the role of climate change perception and value cognition on sustainable livelihood capability, the farmers' socio-demographic characteristics have different effects on their action paths. Policymakers should focus on improving human capital in agricultural sector, especially for young and female laborers. Diversification of livelihoods should be encouraged to increase farmers' livelihood capital accumulation, especially for low- and middle-income earners. Popular science might also be actively marketed to enhance the awareness of livelihood value and climate change.

A study on the impact of extreme weather on the poverty vulnerability of farming households—evidence from six counties in the hubei and yunnan provinces of china

By using micro-farm household survey data from six counties in the Hubei and Yunnan provinces, warm days, heavy precipitation, and consecutive dry days were selected as extreme weather measures, and the RClimDex software was used to empirically examine the impacts of extreme weather on farm household poverty vulnerability by setting percentile thresholds to measure extreme weather indicators in each district and county in 2017. Based on the improved Department for International Development sustainable livelihoods analysis framework, the entropy value method was used to synthesize the variables in the farm household sustainable livelihood capacity to examine their mediating effects. The results were as follows: 1) Extreme weather significantly affected farm household poverty vulnerability. Warm days were significantly and negatively related to farmers’ poverty vulnerability, while total heavy precipitation and consecutive dry days were significantly and positively related to farmers’ poverty vulnerability. 2) The impacts of extreme weather on farmers with different vulnerability characteristics varied. 3) The sustainable livelihood capacity of farm households played a partially mediating role in the process of extreme weather indicators of persistent drought index affecting the poverty vulnerability of farm households. 4) As compared to rural households engaged in non-agricultural industries, agricultural production and operation-based farming households were more vulnerable to shocks from extreme weather. Accordingly, we recommended that to improve farmers’ climate resilience, differentiated policies should be adopted according to local conditions; climate-sensitive vulnerable groups should be identified; agricultural insurance coverage should be expanded; farmers should be guided into entrepreneurship; and equalization of public services should be equalized so as to avoid farmers becoming impoverished due to extreme weather.

Empirical Analysis of Rural Livelihoods’ Choices among Farming Households in Southwestern Nigeria

This study analyzed rural livelihoods with a view to investigating factors determining the choice of rural livelihoods in Southwestern Nigeria. A five-stage sampling procedure was used to select 400 farming households from Osun and Ekiti state. The collected primary data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square statistics, income portfolio analysis, and a multinomial logit model. The results show that the age of household heads was 51.9±11.4 years, while the household size was 8±2.9 persons. On_farm (3.6%), On_farm-Off_farm (17.8%), On_farm-Non_farm (19.7%) and On_farm-Off_farm-Non_farm (58.9%) were the choices of livelihoods pursued. Improved socio-economic factors, including farm size (17.79 * ), education (12.11 * ), and access to credit (7.97 * ), were found to be associated with the choice of on-farm livelihoods. Farm size increased the probability of specializing in on-farm livelihoods. Therefore, the land use act should be reviewed in such a way as to provide inclusive access to land for would-be farmers.

Analysis of Livelihood of Rural Irrigated Crop Farmers in Kano State, Nigeria

This study provided an analysis of the livelihoods of rural irrigated crop farmers in Kano State, Nigeria. The study’s specific objectives were to; describe the socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents, assess their livelihood assets, household wellbeing, and constraints. The study adopted a multistage sampling technique to collect primary data from 251 respondents drawn from 18 communities in six Local Government Areas of the State. In the analysis of the data, descriptive statistics and the Foster-Greer-Thorbecke poverty measurement were used. The study revealed that irrigated crop farming in the area is male-dominated (78.1%), and the practitioners were mostly small-scale farmers (average farm size of 1.8 ha). In terms of assets, this study revealed that most of the respondents were limited in natural, human, and financial capital. Poverty incidence was about 51%, with the lack of access to formal loans, decline in soil productivity, poor access to market, and lack of access to farm mechanization being prominent challenges of the people. Therefore, there is a need for the government and other key actors in the agriculture and financial sectors to ease farmers’ access to credit facilities and agricultural extension services.

Agroforestry, Livelihood and Biodiversity Nexus: The Case of Madhupur Tract, Bangladesh

Agroforestry has long been considered one of the most important land-use practices for conserving species while also meeting the fundamental requirements of millions of poor people in developing countries. Thus, the objective of the study was to determine the impacts of agroforestry practices on the livelihood development of rural farmers and biodiversity conservation potency in the Madhupur tract, Bangladesh. The study was conducted in the Madhupur tract, a famous agroforestry region in Bangladesh, using a mix-method approach to data collection, such as face-to-face interviews of 100 agroforestry farmers for livelihood analysis and using sampling techniques across 50 quadrats (20 m × 20 m) for measuring biodiversity. The results showed that the agroforestry practices significantly increased farm income and provided more benefits to rural farmers. Agroforestry farmers were able to build a social platform while simultaneously increasing their capability through training programs. As a result, the development of agroforestry farmers’ livelihood capital was significant. At the same time, the agroforestry practices introduced 34 plant species into the bare forestland and, therefore, provided higher-quality habitats for biodiversity conservation. The fast-growing tree species, mainly Acacia (diversity index of 0.366), in association with partial shade-loving crops such as pineapple, turmeric, and ginger, were the most dominant species in the agroforestry practices of the Madhupur tract. The study also revealed that agroforestry serves as a wildlife corridor and attracts birds for feeding and breeding. Finally, the agroforestry of the Madhupur tract is a viable land-use practice for biodiversity conservation and livelihood development of rural farmers in Bangladesh, and it is highly suggested that it be strengthened and disseminated.

Enhancing Livelihood and Biodiversity Through Caritas Intervened Project in the Northeastern Region of Bangladesh: A Case Study

In the last two decades, many development projects have been undertaken by different GOs and NGOs in diverse areas of the world with the expectation that they will simultaneously address the challenges of declining rural livelihoods and biodiversity. Caritas Bangladesh, a leading national and non-profit organization, has implemented several social welfare and community development projects since the 1970s. Accordingly, Caritas implemented a noble project in 2019, namely: Improving the livelihoods of extremely poor people by promoting green energy and biodiversity in the aspect of climate change in disaster-affected areas of Bangladesh (ILPGB). Therefore, the objective of the study was to evaluate the impacts of the ILPGB project on the livelihood and biodiversity improvements of the rural farmers in the Netrokona and Sunamgonj districts of Bangladesh. The assessment was done through random samplings of 60 stakeholders using a semi-structured questionnaire for livelihood analysis and quadrat (10 x 10 m2) plotting techniques in the farmer's homestead for biodiversity analysis. The results showed that the ILPGB project had brought changes, most of which have had positive impacts on the human, social, physical, economic, and natural capital of the participants, and the process of livelihood development was slow but showed improving trends. Nevertheless, a platform for social relations and networks has been created among the participants in the project implementation areas. On the contrary, a total of 34 plant species were identified in the participants' homestead, of which 18 were trees, 6 shrubs, and 10 herb species. The species dominance showed that farmers tend to grow fruit tree species for their family's needs, and the general plant diversity in the northeastern region of Bangladesh was moderate to low. So, the study strongly recommends that the ILPGB project should continue for another two to three years. During this time, farmers could easily build their livelihood capital and improve their homestead biodiversity with the help of the project's planting materials and agricultural inputs.

Eliminating deprivation and breaking through dependence: A mechanism to help poor households achieve sustainable livelihoods by targeted poverty alleviation strategy

AbstractDeprivation and dependence are the main signs of poverty, and elimination of both constitutes a major means of poverty alleviation. The foremost goal of China's targeted poverty alleviation strategy (TPAS) and the sustainable livelihood analysis framework (SLAF) was thus the elimination of deprivation and dependence. Together, TPAS and SLAF form a poverty alleviation mechanism that provides an opportunity to conduct a systematic analysis of TPAS implementation that achieved world‐renowned results in poverty alleviation. In this study, we comprehensively compare the changes in households and villages in a poor county before and after the implementation of TPAS; furthermore, we use a multilevel model to analyze the mechanism behind the functioning of the “Household‐Village” multilevel structure in the poverty alleviation process. The TPAS implemented a comprehensive livelihood system for poor households, whereby multidimensional deprivation was eliminated by supplementing livelihood capitals. Acquisition‐oriented assistance policies were offered to different groups to build customized paths of poverty alleviation, which ultimately helped poor households break through poverty and achieve sustainable livelihoods. This study highlights the close connection between the various components of the livelihood system, provides new research ideas for the study of China's TPAS and presents a reference template for the promotion of China's poverty alleviation programs.

The Contribution of Carrot Farming on Livelihood Improvement at Household Levels in Arumeru District, Arusha Tanzania

Carrots are emerging as a crop of choice among many smallholder farmers due to thier affordable management schedules, quick maturing and high returns per acre; thus improving directly their livelihood. Despite its potentiality, it is not clearly known how the crop farming contributes to the household livelihoods among farmers in the study area. This cross-sectional study explored the contribution of carrot farming on the households’ livelihood in Arumeru district, Arusha Tanzania. The study employed a multistage sampling technique to select 150 smallholder farmers. Semi-structured questionnaires were used in data collection and then analysed by descriptive statistics, profit gross margin and sustainable livelihood analysis. The study results determine that profit generated in carrot farming was approximately 23.1% gross profit margin per acre. This implies that it is a profitable activity in the study area. More, the results show that carrot farming enhances farmers’ livelihoods through improving access and control to human asset. The study recommends that promotion of carrot farming should be sustainably to accommodate poverty eradication strategies among households. The other stakeholders should invest efforts in promoting carrot farming which is evidenced to improve people’s livelihood. More, financial services should be accessible and reliable to facilitate the farming processes. Moreover, extension officers should invest their efforts in providing necessary trainings to farmers. Much more, the study recommends more research on the welfare and postharvest losses of carrot farming in the study area.

Difference of Farmers' Livelihood Capital before and after Rural Tourism Development.

Purpose. To compare the differences in rural household livelihood capital before and after the development of rural tourism to derive factors that affect rural household livelihood capital. Methodology. This study establishes a household livelihood capital index system to determine the total livelihood capital owned by rural households. Findings. After the development of rural tourism, regardless of farmers participating in rural tourism or not participating in rural tourism, their livelihood capital has increased, but the growth rate of livelihood capital of farmers participating in rural tourism is significantly higher than that of non-participating farmers, especially social capital and financial capital. Originality. This study is based on the sustainable livelihood analysis framework developed by DFID, analyzes the characteristics of farmers' livelihood capital and livelihood activities, and discusses the differences of farmers' livelihood capital before and after rural tourism development.

Heterogeneity of Resilience of Livelihood Strategies in Pastoral and Agropastoral Farming Systems of Rural Semi-arid to Arid Areas in Morocco

A large proportion of rural households, particularly in the dry land areas, representative for more than 10% of the world's land surface and up to 80% in Morocco, depend for their livelihoods on livestock. They exploit livestock's capacity to live in very harsh environments using herd-mobility at multiple scale level. Understanding the multiple contributions of livestock to the household and national economy raises complex research issues and challenges linked with the multitude of goods and services derived from livestock, their interactions with other family activities, and the local and national context. The objective of our research was therefore to analyse the diversity and assess the resilience of livelihood strategies of farming households oriented to livestock using a set of data collected in the dry land areas (oases and mountainous zones) of Morocco and discuss the livelihood outcome indicators. To achieve this, we have realized a cross-sectional analysis of livelihoods and adaptive capacity, to select a set of pertinent indicators. These indicators have been developed using an adapted version of the Rural Household Multi-Indicator Survey (RHoMIS) toolkit for pastoral and agropastoral household systems. Our results highlight the critical importance of livelihood diversification (off-farm diversification, livestock diversification, and crop diversification) in building household resilience and the livelihood outcomes. While livelihood strategies undoubtedly contribute to livelihood outcomes, there is also a critical iterative process, i.e., livelihood outcomes also influence the livelihood strategies at the farming households. The present work proposes an aggregated indicator of livelihood outcomes allowing us to capture the heterogeneity of living conditions of agropastoral systems by considering the main drivers of this system, i.e., mobility, livestock species, and physiological stage composition of the herd. This approach could constitute a valuable contribution to help fill the knowledge gaps that do not allow policy makers in developing contextualized rural development policies and instruments in these very harsh environments.

Operationalizing agency in livelihoods research: smallholder farming livelihoods in southwest Ethiopia

Livelihoods are activities and practices in which social and environmental factors interlink, and they play a key role in achieving human well-being and environmental conservation. Livelihood analyses are therefore important to social-ecological systems research. With a few exceptions, however, the concept of agency has been largely missing in research applying the social-ecological systems approach. This is an important gap to address, because humans are not passive victims of broader sociopolitical trends and environmental changes, but rather play causative roles that shape history. This paper presents a conceptual framework that enables the explicit integration of agency into livelihood analyses, and is useful for examining the extent to which livelihoods enable people to be agents of their own well-being, and stewards of their environment. The framework has four pillars of agency: preconditions (referring to capital assets and resources, or CARs); processes (feedbacks and dynamics); power (the social and political fabrics, and relations in which livelihoods are embedded); and possibilities (the extent to which a present livelihood expands into future options, and builds the ability to act on options). The framework is then applied to a case study analyzing smallholder farming livelihoods and food security in southwest Ethiopia. The case study is based on empirical work involving quantitative survey, in-depth interviews, and focus-group discussions. This paper demonstrates the applicability of the framework to identifying agency constraints in smallholder farming, and helps determine areas where agency can be further strengthened. Beyond the case study, the framework may also be applied in other contexts and to other livelihood types. Its application can strengthen the contribution of livelihood analysis to social-ecological systems research by providing a way to operationalize and foreground agency.

Contrasting Farm Livelihoods in Climate Sensitive Agro-Ecosystems in Odisha

The spree of tackling climate change issues stems from every global corner, which remains unique to specific agro-ecosystems. Rural India with a fair majority of livelihoods dependent on agriculture, are facing the severity of challenges to cope up with climate change. Therefore, livelihood analysis is an important aspect to address the climate change issues. Present study was conducted in the year 2020-21, in a climatically vulnerable state of India, Odisha, which suffers from climate induced natural disasters both in coastal and non-coastal ecosystems. Sustainable livelihood framework was followed in analyzing differential level of human, social, physical, financial and social assets holding of three dominant livelihood groups, viz., crop, livestock and crop + livestock farmers in one each coastal and non-coastal districts covering a total of 200 farm households. The analyses showed contrasting livelihood status with varied level of assets, crop + livestock farmers having above average overall livelihood level and social assets being at above average level contributing highest to overall livelihood status. Overall level of coastal livelihoods was at lower level as compared to non-coastal livelihoods. Better livelihood assets along with both technological and institutional interventions result in better insulation to rural households against ill effects of climate change events.