Livelihood Assets Research Articles

Research on Welfare Changes of Farmers with Different Livelihood Assets after Rural Residential Land Exit in the Context of “Tripartite Entitlement System”: A Case Study of Fuhong Town in Qingbaijiang District, Chengdu, China

By referring to the sustainable livelihood analysis and capability approach and taking Fuhong town in Qingbaijiang district, China, as an example, this paper classifies the livelihood assets of farm households before their residential land exit using the livelihood asset quantification method, and then analyzes the changes in their welfare after exit from residential land by adopting fuzzy comprehensive evaluation. The research results indicate that (1) the sample farm households are classified into three types, i.e., richness type, balance type, and shortage type, according to the configuration of livelihood assets, including human capital, natural capital, physical capital, financial capital, and social capital, before the exit from residential land; (2) after the exit from the residential land, the welfare of farm households has generally been improved, but the extent of such improvements varies from type to type; (3) there is a certain relationship between the configuration of livelihood assets before the exit from residential land and the welfare level after such an exit. It is suggested that importance should be attached to the heterogeneity or level of differentiation of farm households, and furthermore, measures should be taken so as to ensure that the welfare level will not be downgraded after farm households exit from their residential land.

The Role of Amhara Credit and Saving Institution in Improving Rural Households Livelihood

In Ethiopia only 7% rural community have ever received loan from microfinance. Some researchers argue that microfinance is not a silver bullet or panacea of poverty alleviation. The main objective of this study is to investigate the role of Amhara Credit and Saving Institution in improving livelihood of rural households. Cross sectional design and mixed research approach were used. The target population of the study was rural household clients and samples were selected by systematic random sampling. Data were gathered from primary sources via structured questionnaire and by in-depth interview. Data were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. Percent from descriptive and related paired t-test and Pearson correlation from inferential were mainly used. Amhara Credit and Saving Institution is not effective in improving saving habit of rural client’s ad their saving amount is not enough to minimize livelihood vulnerability. The institution is not effective in helping rural clients to convert their loan for livelihood asset building and creation. The improvement of rural household’s livelihood assets after they became a client is limited mainly to human, social and financial assets. There is no significant improvement in natural and physical livelihood assets. Therefore, the institution must work with different offices agriculture office specially to bring improvement on natural and physical livelihood assets.

Migration, Embeddedness, and Vulnerability During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic and concomitant policy measures have disproportionally affected the lives of migrants worldwide. Focusing on inequalities between social groups, studies have tended to neglect the role of local embeddedness as a factor influencing the extent to which individuals are affected by COVID-19. In this paper, we study the vulnerabilities of people with different migration experiences in an urban setting in the early stages of the pandemic, focusing on three key livelihood assets: economic, social, and human capital (health). Our analyses are based on online survey data (n = 1381) collected among international migrants, second-generation residents (those with at least one parent born abroad), and non-migrants residing in Amsterdam in July 2020. We find that international migrants, and particularly those who arrived in the city more recently, reported larger shocks to their economic and social capital than other city residents. This finding illustrates the vulnerabilities of “newcomers” to the city and their limited resilience to shocks. Second-generation residents were particularly vulnerable in terms of health, but this relationship was strongly mediated by education and neighborhood effects. In all three groups, those with poor relative wealth and those who were self-employed were more vulnerable to economic shocks. Our findings illustrate how the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated inequalities in vulnerabilities across migrant and non-migrant groups, and how those who were locally embedded, including migrants and non-migrants, were less likely to be negatively affected by the pandemic.

Poverty and livelihood analysis of Former Enclave (Chitmahal) people in a selected area of Bangladesh

With the aim of creating development programs for the residents of the former enclave (Chitmahal), a survey of their poverty and livelihoods is essential. In this study, socioeconomic factors, poverty levels, changes in livelihood assets, and respondent satisfaction levels with social institutions in the study area were all assessed. A total of 100 respondents were randomly selected from Debiganj Upazila in the Panchagarh district of Bangladesh. A survey approach was employed to obtain the data. Respondents were able to respond quickly to questions and indicate their level of agreement with five points using a five-point Likert scale. The data were analyzed using the Direct Caloric Intake (DCI) approach and DFID's Sustainable Livelihoods Framework. The main finding of the study was that the average age of the head of family was within the working age range. The average size of a household was medium. The head of family has only completed nearly five years of school. Three-fifths of those surveyed had high household incomes. The majority of households had poverty. After becoming a citizen of Bangladesh, the five asset classes- human assets, social assets, natural assets, physical assets and financial assets were positively changed. Satisfaction with social institutions has been moderate. In order to reduce poverty and improve the standard of living of households in the research area, social institutions need to be more efficient.

Effective factors to increase rural households' resilience under drought conditions in Iran

In recent years, rural-farmer families have encountered a higher level of vulnerability to drought than all other communities in the world including Iran. As well, their vulnerability has been intensified due to the gap in the previous research on resilience and the lack of a comprehensive program for their sustainability in drought conditions. To fill this gap, this research pursued two goals: (i) studying the resilience level of rural-farmer families in drought conditions and (ii) studying the factors underpinning resilience improvement. Given the drought severity in the region, the statistical population consisted of all rural farmers in Kerman province, southeastern Iran. Data were analyzed in the SPSS software package. The main research instrument was a questionnaire whose validity was confirmed by a panel of experts and its reliability was estimated by Cronbach's alpha. Rural households in the study had weak resilience and livelihood assets, and their situation worsened with increasing drought. The results also revealed a negative significant relationship between drought severity and the resilience of rural-farmer families. Furthermore, hierarchical regression analysis revealed that 24 indicators of livelihood assets (financial, social, human, natural, physical) accounted for 84% of the variance in improving rural households' resilience under drought conditions.

Mino Bimaadiziwin Homebuilder Program’s Impact on Sustainable Livelihoods Among Youth in Garden Hill and Wasagamack First Nations: An Evaluative Study

The Mino Bimaadiziwin Homebuilders postsecondary education pilot project built Indigenous youth capacity and houses in two remote Anishinini reserves—Garden Hill and Wasagamack. To evaluate this community-led project, a sustainable livelihood assessment holistically measured the impact on 45 of the 70 (64%) Homebuilder students and the community. The community benefited by gaining three culturally appropriate houses built from local lumber and employment opportunities for Anishinini instructors. A longitudinal survey found five of the six livelihood assets improved statistically and significantly, including satisfaction with social relationships, cultural awareness, income and ability to pay bills, housing safety, and human development. Students reported better relations with their families and neighbourhood. Most (85%) of the 70 Homebuilder students earned postsecondary certificates either in forestry, homebuilding or both while obtaining a training stipend, which elevated their incomes. These positive outcomes occurred despite project underfunding, the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, climate change events, and inequitable housing policies under the Indian Act. Based on this project’s success, we recommend investing in Indigenous-led postsecondary education in community homebuilding projects. However, to attain equitable housing and human rights, a plan is needed to overturn the Indian Act, which keeps Indigenous people as “wards of the state” and their land in trust.

Accounting for Heterogeneity among Youth: A Missing Link in Enhancing Youth Participation in Agriculture—A South African Case Study

Youth participation in the agricultural sector remains key to addressing youth unemployment. Young people represent a heterogeneous social group with markedly diverse social and economic needs that require tailor-made support interventions to enhance their participation in agricultural activities. The main objective of this article was to develop distinct youth typologies informed by diverse endowment of livelihood assets, including the psychological assets and entrepreneurial characteristics that shape young people’s career and livelihood choices, including participation in agriculture. A two-stage multivariate analytical approach was applied using principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) to formulate youth typologies. Seven clusters were identified. The seven distinct clusters representing youth typologies were named “Training beneficiaries with access to extension”, “Job secure”, “Females endowed with negative psychological capital”, “Opportunist and determined livestock farmers”, “Social grant reliant”, “Resource poor traditional livestock farmers” and “Non-farming income with access to credit”. The results confirm that young people are indeed a heterogeneous group with diverse support needs. Unpacking the interrelated and multidimensional complexities among the youth is a vital take-off point to inform effective policy and tailor-made support interventions and effectively foster active youth participation in agriculture and related activities. We argue that support initiatives should not only address access to physical resources, but should also foster the development of soft skills such as entrepreneurial skills and boosting the psychological capital of young people while addressing gender inequalities.

Green grass production for improving farmers’ socioeconomic status in major milk pocket areas of Bangladesh

The study was conducted to assess the impact of cultivating green grass on farmers’ livelihood in major milk pocket areas of Bangladesh. A total of 180 farmers were interviewed following stratified random sampling technique from Sirajganj, Pabna and Rangpur districts. A combination of descriptive, mathematical and statistical techniques was used to analyze the data. Green grass is one of the major ruminant foods and its nutritive value is very high. Profitability analysis showed that benefit cost ratio of green grass production was 1.84 and it was comparatively profitable than the competing crop Boro rice. Age of household head, annual income from grass production, households’ training and experience in green grass production were the significant factors influencing farmers’ decision to adopt green grass production. The study found that more than 50% of the farmers’ socioeconomic status and livelihood assets increased after adopting green grass production. SWOT analysis indicated nutritive value of green grass as major strength and its high demand for as major opportunity. The study recommended that input support, training programmes and extension services by government and non-government organizations should be organized, and contract-based cooperative groups should be established to raise farmers’ awareness on producing green grass.

Factors influencing farmers' forestland-use changes over 15 years (2005–2020) in Thua Thien Hue province, Vietnam

Over the last decades, Vietnam has seen substantial shifts in forest landscape uses and associated livelihoods. We document the livelihood transformations in Nam Dong, a mountainous district of Central Vietnam, where land uses have changed from the utilisation of products from natural forests and shifting cultivation (swidden agriculture) to acacia tree-dominated plantation forestry. Forestry policies (forestland allocation, plantation development agendas), the increase in the economic value of acacia, and household livelihood assets are the primary factors driving these changes. We also found that there are differences in the access to and ownership of forestland with regard to households of different communities and between poor vs wealthy households. Therefore, careful attention needs to be paid to guide future land use policies in the area to foster social and ecological sustainability.

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.

Rural Households’ Livelihood Diversification Activities: A Case Study from Borena District, North Central Ethiopia

In Ethiopia, farm households are not adequately engage and pursue diverse livelihood activities to cope with various challenges due to livelihood asset crisis and persistent cultural bottle neck. Thus, the main purpose of this study was to identify the rural households’ livelihood diversification activities in Borena district, north central Ethiopia. The study follows a pragmatism paradigm with a cross sectional study design. The required data were drawn both from primary and secondary sources. The study used multistage sampling procedure, involving a combination of purposive and random sampling techniques to select 358 sample household heads. Household sample surveys, key informant interviews and focus group discussions were the principal means used to acquire primary data. In analyzing and interpreting the primary data, quantitative research techniques was employed. Percentages, mean and standard deviation were employed to analyze the quantitative data while thematic narration techniques were used to analyses the qualitative data. The result indicate that slightly more than one-third (33.8%), one-fourth (26.5%) and nearly half (49.7%) of the respondents were engaged exclusively in on-farm, off-farm and non-farm activities, respectively. Thus, policy makers need to intervene in the highest possible means of livelihood diversification while designing and reforming strategies related to diversification of livelihoods.

Fishermen's Livelihood Adaptation in Response to Climate Change: An Empirical Study on South-Western Coastal Zone of Bangladesh

This study aimed to understand the livelihood status of the fishery-dependent communities in the South- Western coast of Bangladesh and their livelihood adaptation in response to climate change. The study was carried out in two villages of Dacope upazila in Khulna District. Data were collected from a purposively drawn sample of 60 fisher’s households through household interviews, key informants’ interviews, and transect walk as well as from secondary sources. The adverse climatic variability influences all the livelihood capitals and strategies of fishing communities. Most households have lower access to sanitation, market transportation, health facilities, GO, and NGO services during the adverse climatic situation. Increased levels of cyclones and floods result in greater damage to fishing equipment, livelihood assets, and lower level of fish catch. Income generation from fisheries-related activities is reducing gradually which affects the livelihoods of the fishers. The study has identified four different practices of adaptation to climate change by those fishing communities where about 71.67% adopted livelihood diversification. To cope with the changing climate and variability most of the fishing households (95%) have taken multiple adaptation strategies while the rest (5%) did not. The fishermen are exploited financially by the local credit facility provider. Diversification of livelihoods included agriculture (23.26%), fish trading (2.33%), fish farming (18.60%), and other different types of diversification found in the study area due to climate impacts but not always sufficiently fruitful. This situation may worsen over the next few decades and an improved level of responsiveness would be required.
 Vol. 9, No. 3, December 2022: 337-351

Determinants of Smallholder Farmers’ Income-Generating Activities in Rubber Monoculture Dominated Region Based on Sustainable Livelihood Framework

The rapid expansion of rubber plantations in Xishuangbanna, China, has severely decreased rubber prices in the last several years. The income loss and other adverse environmental impacts have brought livelihood challenges and opportunities to develop and adopt more diversified and environmental-friendly income-generating activities (IGAs). To better understand the constraints and opportunities for smallholder rubber farmers to sustain or improve their livelihoods, this study investigates which IGAs are applied by local farmers and the factors that determine their adoption, using the sustainable livelihood framework as the theoretical guideline. The qualitative approach is applied using semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis. Five directions of changes in IGAs (i.e., intercropping, other cash crops, livestock raising for marketing, part-time job, and land renting) are identified, and local farmers are categorized into three groups (i.e., rejective, affirmative, and hesitate groups) based on their attitudes towards these IGAs. The results reveal that the main adoption motivations of certain IGAs are closely related to price shock, economic return, information, and extension service. Based on the results, suggestions are provided to enhance farmers’ motivation to make changes and improve the adoption of emerging IGAs with attention given to vulnerability contexts, livelihood assets and institutional assistance.

Mining-induced displacement and livelihood resilience: The case of Marange, Zimbabwe

Mining activities are increasingly causing mass displacement of people around the world. These displacements largely affect poor rural families, which, are forced to bear the brunt of displacement and the loss of livelihood assets. The loss of land and other productive livelihood assets exacerbates the vulnerability of displaced people to livelihood shocks and poverty. In Zimbabwe, neoliberal extractive investment enclaves have led to the displacement of thousands of families. Much of what we know about mining-induced displacement is the vulnerability and suffering of displacement victims. This dominant scholarship reduces displaced people to passive and helpless victims of displacement. However, little is known about the resilience and ingenuity of internally displaced people. In the absence of adequate compensation and social support from the state, how do displaced people sustain their livelihoods? This article, through an ethnographic study, attempts to address this and related questions by examining the individual and collective resilience of the displaced Chiadzwa people in Marange, eastern Zimbabwe. We show how displaced people use their agency to rebuild local self-support systems that sustain(ed) livelihoods.

Minor Forest Produce Gathering & Sustainability of Tribal Livelihood Assets –Challenges and Issues in Kerala

This paper presentation is an attempt to understand the challenges and issues in protecting livelihood assets in relation to forest gathering of tribal communities in Kerala. The concept of protection of livelihood assets is one of the core concept of livelihood recovery processes necessitated basically in the event of calamities and other adverse events. The guidance note published by the UNDP on recovery processes is a detailed document on this topic. Forest gathering in Kerala is slowly dying out and is in a stage warranting immediate intervention for revival as if it is affected by adverse events. This study is therefore concentrated on identifying the livelihood assets based on Sustainable Livelihood Framework (SLF), which is a tool developed based on Sustainable Livelihood Approach (SLA) formulated by Chambers & Conway, in 1991. The assets thus identified, in the broad classes of Human, Social, Natural Physical and Financial assets, are Skilled Human resources, Aboriginal Knowledge and Gathering Skills, Tribal Cooperatives and other self-help groups, Forest resources, Forest Dwelling Rights, other related Infrastructure Facilities and Cash Assistances. Each of this assets are discussed primarily based on hands-on experience and exposure of the paper presenter as an official associated with the operations of tribal cooperative sector in Kerala for a period of 5 years and wherever necessary historical data, related literatures and governmental reports are relied. Based on the discussions, reviews, and analysis of data, this paper put forth its findings and conclusions to the intended audience for necessary remedial steps and future studies.

Does rural livelihood change? Household capital, climate shocks and farm entry-exit decisions in rural Pakistan

Agriculture is a primary source of livelihoods in developing countries. The process of entry and exit of farming activities continues to play an important role in maintaining competition in agriculture and allocating resources between agriculture and other sectors. However, climate changes and other economic and social shocks have been severely affecting farmers’ livelihoods. This article examines rural household livelihood transition in the context of farm entry and exit decisions in rural Pakistan. Using 1867 rural household survey data, we brought insights into how livelihood assets, climate shocks, climate investment and locational characteristics affect their farm entry and exit decisions. The results indicate that the proportion of farm entry (24%) was higher than that of farm exit (15%). The major factors were crop inputs using as credit with a huge markup, crop inputs sold by farmers on net cash in financial crisis, climate shocks and poor climate investment that contributed to farm exit. They were household head characteristics, land ownership (family farm), and livestock ownership that increased the likelihood of farm entry decisions. Farm exit decisions were significantly and positively associated with household migration status, irrigation water shortage, off-farm income, crop input used as credit, crop diseases, climate shocks and lack of local government role in sharing climate knowledge. Furthermore, Propensity Score Matching (PSM) results found that the entry decision significantly decreases household income, while the exit decision significantly increases household income and food security status. These findings provide insights into farm entry and exit for those who are planning livelihood transition, and offer recommendations on how to overcome the constraints faced by farming businesses, agricultural sustainability, self-sufficiency and food security during the transition nationally and internationally.

EFFECTS OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON LIVELIHOOD OF RURAL COMMUNITY DWELLERS IN NIGERIA

The study assessed the effects of covid-19 pandemic on the livelihood of the rural community dwellers in Edo State, Nigeria. A multistage sampling procedure was used to select 156 respondents. Structured interview schedule was used to collect data from the respondents which were subjected to descriptive and inferential analyses. The results revealed that the mean age of the respondents was 47.5 ± 16 years, about 61 percent of the respondents were males and majority (86.5%) had formal education with a mean annual income of N1233846.15. Majority engaged in multiple livelihood activities with arable farming (58.3%), agromarketing (34%) and petty trading (37.4%) taking the lead. Cash at hand (87.1%), access to land (76.9%), skill acquisition centre (86.7%), possession of mobile phones (90.1%), and access to markets (98.1%) were major livelihood assets of the respondents. Many (53.7%) of the respondents had indifferent perception towards Covid-19 pandemic while majority (64 %) indicated that the effects of Covid-19 pandemic on their livelihoods was low. Income, years of education and perception about covid-19 pandemic were significantly correlated with the effects of covid-19 pandemic on respondents’ livelihoods. The study concluded that Covid-19 pandemic did not seriously affect livelihoods of rural dwellers in the study area.

Farm risks, livelihood asset allocation, and adaptation practices in response to climate change: A cross-country analysis

This study aims to understand the impact of farmers’ risk attitude on livelihood assets and their livelihood adaptation strategies to cope with climatic changes. An interview-based survey with farmers is conducted in China and Pakistan, using probit regression models to analyze the data. The results confirm that Pakistani growers’ natural and policy risks, whereas technology and information risks in China, are the main livelihood risks to farm production. Farmers’ natural, physical, social, and human assets in China and Pakistan’s financial, physical, and social assets can protect their livelihoods from farm risks. Pakistan’s physical, social, and economic assets and China’s physical, human, and social assets show contradictory effects. Although farmers in China adopted agrotechnical support, off-farm production, crop variety adjustment, and agricultural engineering, Pakistan’s growers adopted agricultural finance, fertilizer/water management, and adjustment of crop varieties to deal with risks. In addition, social, natural, human, and physical assets revealed significant and positive impacts on Pakistani growers; physical and financial assets positively affect Chinese farmers’ attitudes. Despite Chinese growers’ human, social, and natural assets, Pakistani farmers’ financial and natural assets show comparatively weak effects to adapt and deal with climatic risks. Furthermore, this study recommends agricultural policy measures to cope with climate awareness and adaptive attitudes, and potential practices can be introduced in both studied areas.

The Low level of Sustainability of Fishing Households Livelihood Assets Around Marine Conservation Areas

The sustainability of coastal community livelihood assets is very relevant to efforts to develop the blue economy. This research aims to determine the sustainability of fishing household livelihood assets on the coast of marine conservation areas. The research locations are in three coastal villages in the marine conservation area of the eastern region of Bintan Island, Riau Island Province of Indonesia. This research uses a survey method with a quantitative descriptive approach. The research results show that, in general, the development of marine conservation areas in the eastern region has not had a significant impact on increasing the sustainability of the livelihood assets of the surrounding community. Of the five assets measured, only physical assets showed the best level of sustainability, namely 83%. Meanwhile, the other four assets indicate a low level of sustainability, namely human resource assets (42%), social assets (42%), financial assets (23%) and natural assets (29%). The low level of sustainability of the four livelihood assets has implications for increasing pressure on natural resources and conflicts of interest in conservation areas, as well as increasing community vulnerability to climate change. It is necessary to study management models that can increase the sustainability of community livelihood assets.

A formative assessment of vulnerability and implications for enhancing livelihood sustainability in Indigenous communities in the Andes of Ecuador

Through the creation of a livelihood asset index, this study investigates the degree of livelihood vulnerability among indigenous farming households in the rural parish of Guangaje, Ecuador. The use of an asset index enables the estimation and description of the different areas of vulnerability in three communities across livelihood asset types. A unique feature of this article is that it provides a case study of how asset indexes can be used as part of a formative assessment, prior to intervention design, to understand local context. We find low levels of livelihood assets in Guangaje, especially in the categories of human, physical, and financial capital. There is significant variability among the communities linked to differences in access to clean reliable sources of water, the presence of governmental and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), access to credit, and amount of productive capital. The community with the highest composite asset score also had the highest level of social capital, suggesting an important role for social capital in asset creation. Improving social and financial capital, especially access to credit, and increasing human capital through improved educational attainment could be effective approaches for decreasing vulnerability and improving livelihood outcomes in the three study communities and similar indigenous subsistence farming communities across the world.