Livelihood Diversification Research Articles

Anthropological Study of a Typical Drought-Prone Village in India: Strategies for Sustainable Rural Habitat

Drought-prone villages are constantly facing the challenges of agricultural productivity, lack of alternative livelihood opportunities due to ecological vulnerability, predominance of wasteland, inadequate water supply, and absence of physical and socio-cultural infrastructure. The study aims to develop a comprehensive policy framework to mitigate the socio-economic and environmental issues against the threat. The methodology comprises an anthropological study from micro to macro level to synthesize the dynamics of drought in the economic, ecological, and socio-cultural indices of a typical agrarian village of Purulia District in West Bengal, India. The results illustrate ecological susceptibility such as extreme climatic condition, futile wasteland cover, rocky undulating landform, top soil erosion, and human-made contingencies including deforestation, absence of water conservation practices, over utilization of existing water bodies resulting in water scarcity, loss of biodiversity, and absence of major agrarian livelihood. Lack of alternative livelihood practices such as agro-forestry and non-farm activities, appropriate knowledge regarding drought mitigation, sustainable living practices, inadequate physical infrastructure. and pressing issues in housing with population growth results in degradation of socio-economic profile of the residents, loss of natural resource. and poor socio-spatial livability quotient. It also increases the risk of habitat loss with regular drought occurrence. The study can be further adapted and strengthened according to varied rural settlements according to their geographical context, climatic vulnerability, predominant livelihood contingencies, and socio-cultural resonance. Most research in this domain focuses on the geophysical and meteorological parameters while the anthropo-geographical aspects such as local ecology, indigenous livelihood patterns, and native strategies of drought management are largely overlooked. The policy framework has been suggested to facilitate an integrated measure for the ecological and economic sustainability against drought with diversified livelihood opportunities, environmental upgradation, and augmentation of physical infrastructure. This policy can be further strengthened with retrofitting strategies of housing for future expansion and optimization of socio-cultural spaces to foster a sustainable economy, cohesive socio-cultural well-being, and resource optimization.

Determinants of livelihood diversification and gender‐inclusive strategies in forestry analysis

AbstractRestrictions on the collection of forest products to preserve the natural environment often affect the livelihood of forest‐fringe dwellers. This paper is an attempt to evaluate the existing and potential livelihood opportunities of the forest dwellers who use various forest products for daily consumption in the regions surrounded by Simlipal National Park in India. The study uses Herfindahl–Hirschman Index to score livelihood diversification at the household level. A regression analysis was used to determine the key factors responsible for livelihood diversification. Women of Simlipal have a high potential to manage forest resources along with their daily household chores. But their efforts are undermined and their work often remains unpaid. The present study explores how empowerment of women in terms of both access and control over resources might add to livelihood diversification. With the help of a strength‐weakness‐opportunity‐threat analysis, the study establishes if the strength and opportunities of women are focused in a positive direction through gender‐inclusive development policies, then women's involvement would support livelihood, and also in maintaining ecological integrity.

Responding to harvest failure: Understanding farmers coping strategies in the semi-arid Northern Ghana.

Farmers coping strategies against harvest failures have implication for future adaptation to such shocks. Previous studies on farmers' vulnerability and response to shocks have emphasized on adaptation, at the expense of their coping to such shocks. Using a survey data from 299 farm households in northern Ghana, this study has analyzed farmers' coping strategies against harvest failure, and the drivers of the choice and intensity of the coping strategies. The empirical results show that most of the households used liquidation of productive assets, reduction in consumption, borrowing from family and friends, diversification of livelihoods, and migration to cities for off-farm jobs as coping measures in response to harvest failure. The empirical results from a multivariate probit model indicate that the choice of coping strategies is influenced by farmers' access to radio, net value of livestock produced per man-equivalent (ME), experience of yield loss in the previous year, farmers' perception about the fertility status of their crop fields, access to credit, distance to market, farm-to-farmer extension, location of the respondent, cropland per ME, and access to off-farm income. Empirical results from a zero-truncated negative binomial regression model also indicate that the number of coping strategies adopted increases with the value of farm implements, access to radio, farmer-to-farmer extension and being located in the regional capital. It however decreases with the age of the household head, number of family members abroad, a positive perception about the fertility status of crop fields, access to government extension services, distance to market, and access to off-farm income. Limited access to credit, radio, and markets renders farmers more vulnerable and pushes them to adopt more costly coping strategies. In addition, an increase in income earned from secondary livestock products decreases incentive for farmers to adopt liquidation of productive assets as coping strategy after a harvest failure. Policy makers and stakeholders could make smallholder farmers less vulnerable to harvest failure by enhancing their access to radio, credit, off-farm income and market, promotion of farmer-to-farmer extension, implementing measure to improve the fertility of crop fields in the study area, and enhancing farmers' engagement in the production and selling of secondary livestock products.

The interaction between cultural heritage and community resilience in disaster-affected volcanic regions

Research on cultural heritage and disasters often focuses on the vulnerability of heritage and ways to disaster-proof it against geophysical, societal, and environmental hazards. However, heritage might in turn also increase the resilience of the communities in which it is present, for example by providing livelihood diversification, helping build social connections, and embedding local knowledge of past disasters. This study analysed how cultural heritage might contribute to multiple aspects of community disaster resilience. It builds on an analysis of resilience and disaster-related cultural heritage of four communities living around Besakih Temple located on Mount Agung volcano in Bali, Indonesia, using a mixed-methods MDSO (Most Different Same Outcome) multi-criteria analysis based on questionnaire-guided interviews with 114 respondents. While the variation of cultural heritage across sites is as predicted by theoretical literature, resilience varies considerably across the sites, depending on the type of resilience. Heritage had most positive effect on disaster preparedness and institutional aspects of community resilience. The results highlighted that connecting ‘regular’ disaster management and planning to local cultural heritage can provide valuable synergies for community resilience. Effects on other aspects of resilience were less clear and were likely mediated by existing socio-economic vulnerabilities and the geographical isolation of some of the communities. Further research could benefit from viewing cultural heritage through a ‘community capital’ lens, including matters of equitable access, capacity-building, community-based action, and interactions between cultural capital and other capitals, such as social, economic, political, human, physical, and natural.

Circulation of a digital community currency

Circulation is the characteristic feature of successful currency systems, from community currencies to cryptocurrencies to national currencies. In this paper, we propose a network analysis approach especially suited for studying circulation given a system’s digital transaction records. Sarafu is a digital community currency that was active in Kenya over a period that saw considerable economic disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We represent its circulation as a network of monetary flow among the 40,000 Sarafu users. Network flow analysis reveals that circulation was highly modular, geographically localized, and occurring among users with diverse livelihoods. Across localized sub-populations, network cycle analysis supports the intuitive notion that circulation requires cycles. Moreover, the sub-networks underlying circulation are consistently degree disassortative and we find evidence of preferential attachment. Community-based institutions often take on the role of local hubs, and network centrality measures confirm the importance of early adopters and of women’s participation. This work demonstrates that networks of monetary flow enable the study of circulation within currency systems at a striking level of detail, and our findings can be used to inform the development of community currencies in marginalized areas.

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.

Women’s employment in rural Senegal: what can we learn from non-farm diversification strategies?

PurposeAs rural nonfarm activities grow in developing countries, less attention is being paid to the opportunities they may provide for women. The purpose of this study is to examine the gender-differentiated impact of nonfarm diversification strategies in rural Senegal.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses data collected from the Senegalese poverty monitoring survey and employs an instrumental variable (IV) approach and a multinomial endogenous treatment model to investigate the extent to which diversification strategies lead to improved outcomes for rural women and their households.FindingsWhile nonfarm diversification is a male-dominated livelihood strategy, rural women make the most of it, regardless of whether they diversify into low- or high-return nonfarm activities. At the individual level, diversification improves rural women’s well-being through large income-increasing effects and higher empowerment but has no effect on rural men’s well-being. At the household level, the authors find that, when only women diversify, households have lower per capita income but are less likely to be food insecure than when only men or both genders diversify.Research limitations/implicationsThis study is based on cross-sectional data, making it impossible to examine the dynamic effects of nonfarm diversification strategies on well-being outcomes.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the current literature on rural livelihood diversification. While much attention has been paid to the feminization of agriculture, remarkably little is known about the expanding role of rural women in the nonfarm sector.

‘From Plot to People’: A Photovoice Exploration of South Asian Farmer Livelihood Diversification Strategies When Extra Time and Money are Found Through Zero Tillage Adoption

Impact evaluations are dominated by the application of development economics to assess the direct impacts of change at the plot level, while studies that focus on the impact of such plot-level changes on livelihoods remain rare. This raises questions about the ‘so-what’ of the adoption of labour and money-saving practices such as Zero Tillage to the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. Piloting a qualitative photovoice methodology with 25 South Asian households, the priorities and strategies of resource-poor South Asian smallholder farmers are explored when they have freed time and financial resources available. Various activities related to agricultural and livelihood diversification are linked by informants to broader impacts on their resilience, life satisfaction and broader livelihood outcomes. Despite being a pilot qualitative study, results indicate that cereal system intensification may be synergistic and not antagonistic to crop and livelihood diversification, especially if framed in whole-of-livelihood-focused initiatives that look for opportunities to utilize saved resources. Likewise, the value of humanizing research through qualitative participatory methods that centre ‘people rather than plots’ is highlighted through the broad linkages that informants identified from their diverse livelihood strategies.

Integrated vs. Specialized Farming Systems for Sustainable Food Production: Comparative Analysis of Systems’ Technical Efficiency in Nebraska

Complementarities between crops and livestock production have the potential to increase input use efficiency and maintain a diversified livelihood. This paper uses non-parametric data envelopment analysis (DEA) to assess the technical efficiency (TE) of integrated crop–livestock systems (ICLS) compared to specialized cropping and specialized livestock systems in the state of Nebraska, in the central United States. We classify each county of Nebraska into one of three systems according to their dominant agricultural production revenues. We use DEA to measure the TE of each county compared, first, to a group production frontier (in-system comparison) and second, to a metafrontier (cross-system comparison). Thirty percent of the cropping systems counties were evaluated as fully efficient in the in-system comparison with other cropping systems counties. Thirty-six percent of the livestock systems counties and 18% of the ICLS counties were evaluated as fully efficient in their in-system comparisons. The ICLS counties are less likely to appear on the metafrontier, with a total of only 7% compared to 39% and 32% for the specialized cropping and specialized livestock systems, respectively. These results highlight the need for further research on optimal crop–livestock integration that allows for the realization of synergies and complementarities needed for higher efficiency and sustainable intensification of food production.

Livelihood access and challenges of coastal communities: insights from Ghana

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to contribute to the discourse on livelihood access and challenges of fisherfolks and farmers within coastal communities in Ghana. Insights from such studies can help to create win-win outcomes between communities and oil companies and give the latter social license to operate. Also, it will help to identify the existing knowledge gaps that still need to be filled and contribute to the overall management of Ghana’s oil resources. It will further contribute to the government’s livelihood diversification programs in oil-producing communities.Design/methodology/approachThe study employed the use of qualitative research paradigm to collect primary data in oil- and gas-producing communities in the Western Region of Ghana. Specifically, focus group discussions and in-depth interviews were conducted among diverse stakeholders.FindingsFindings from the study show that several people and households along the coast of Ghana’s Western Region depend on the fishing industry as their livelihoods. However, fisherfolks are facing several challenges due to oil production. For instance, the quantity of fish harvest has reduced drastically since oil production started in 2010. Farming activities have also been adversely affected. The study has unearthed that the existing social and economic infrastructure are very limited to support the development of the coastal communities in Ghana’s Western Region. The study suggests that to deal with some of the challenges faced by coastal communities, livelihood diversification programs should be introduced.Research limitations/implicationsNot every community within the oil and gas areas in the Western Region was covered. Future work will address this limitation.Practical implicationsThe study has revealed that the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies need to expedite the process of conducting a comprehensive needs assessment of communities and capture them in their medium-term development plans.Social implicationsThe corporate social responsibility programs will create win-win outcomes between oil companies and communities.Originality/valueThe study is an original piece of work with data collected from the field. The study will contribute to the efficient management of natural resources in Ghana and other developing countries.

Determinants of rural households’ livelihood diversification strategies: In the case of north Wollo zone, Amhara National Regional State, Ethiopia

Diversifying rural livelihoods plays a significant role for rain feed-dependent economy of the rural households like in Ethiopia. Hence the objective of the study was to investigate the determinants of rural households’ livelihood diversification strategies choice in north wollo zone of Ethiopia. A multi-stage stratified random sampling technique was used to select 384 rural household heads as a sample in study areas. Primary data was collected from sample rural household heads using an interview schedule. Multivariate Probit Model was employed to identify the factors influencing the rural household heads’ decision to choose livelihood strategies. The model result showed that agriculture livelihood strategy was positively and significantly associated with male headed household, land holding, cooperative membership, and participation in rural productive safety net program; while it is negatively and significantly affected by distance to market. Non-farm livelihood strategy was positively and significantly affected by dependency ratio, education level, total income, and remittance; while it is negatively and significantly affected by the sex of household head and participation in rural productive safety net program. Off-farm livelihood strategy was positively and significantly influenced by sex of household head; while it is negatively and significantly affected by the land holding, total livestock unit, cooperative membership, credit use, participation in rural productive safety net program. Therefore, the study recommends that local government should attempt to promote the above significant determinants of rural households’ livelihood diversification strategies choice to build more profitable and sustainable livelihood strategies.

Pastoral household natural resource dependence and contributions of grassland to livelihoods: A case study from the Tibetan Plateau in China

Although the utilization of natural resources by traditional pastoral households has a certain impact on ecosystems in arid and semiarid areas, this utilization can meet diversified livelihood needs. Assessing the dependence of communities and households on natural resources helps improve the awareness of ecosystems and develop strategies for sustainable grassland management. Taking Sunan Yugur Autonomous County on the Tibetan Plateau, China, as a case study, this paper chose three communities based on different natural resource utilization methods (a grazing community, mixed-feeding communities, and stall-feeding communities), evaluated their natural resource dependence using a dataset containing 163 questionnaires, and used the Tobit model to explore the main factors affecting the level of natural resource dependence. The preliminary results indicated that pastoral households had a relatively high level of natural resource dependence (0.44) compared with other ecosystems analyzed in a previous study, and the main purpose of depending on natural resources was to meet income needs. Pastoral household natural resource dependence in grazing communities was the highest, along with the increase in their large-scale livestock numbers. Natural resource dependence decreased along with the increase in income diversification, and the implementation of grassland ecological compensation policies in mixed-feeding communities and stall-feeding communities had a positive impact on changing traditional livelihoods at the cost of natural resource losses. Grassland ecological compensation policies have played a certain role in promoting the restoration of vegetation; however, the natural resource utilization efficiency was relatively low, especially in stall-feeding communities. Therefore, improving feeding technology is recommended to promote effective resource utilization. At the same time, in addition to subsidies for pastoral households, the study suggests that sustainable grassland management policies can be improved by promoting nonagricultural employment, strengthening education, and increasing infrastructure construction.

Learning capacity and diversification, enabling and constraining factors, and external assistance: A cross-national comparative analysis of long-term livelihood recovery

Despite a wide recognition of the importance of learning capacity and diversification, enabling and constraining factors, and external assistance in facilitating long-term livelihood recovery (LTLR), there is a paucity of comparison for a nuanced understanding of interconnections among the three themes (learning capacity and diversification, enabling and constraining factors, and external assistance) in different societal and disaster scenarios. Accordingly, this article employs a cross-national comparative approach in examining the interplay of these three factors in LTLR, within rural communities, following the two international post-disaster case studies, the 2007 Cyclone Sidr, Barguna, Bangladesh and the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, Sichuan, China. This cross-national comparison indicates that the affected communities in both cases experienced extreme challenges in LTLR while illustrating the differences. Learning capacity and diversification facilitated asset loss recovery and risk mitigation in the Sidr case, while the Wenchuan case demonstrated a limited learning opportunity for livelihood diversification. Enabling and constraining factors were identified in both case studies. Particularly, people-place connections positively shaped the LTLR in the Wenchuan case while producing negative results in the Sidr case. External assistance facilitated livelihood provisioning, protection, and promotion for the Sidr case; in contrast, giving little, if any, credence to the local traditional livelihood practice, the top-down external interventions in the Wenchuan case jeopardized the rural communities LTLR. This article defends that promoting grassroots participation in community reconstruction and recovery and strengthening grassroots livelihood learning and practice capacities would advance LTLR.

Climate induced transformation of agriculture to artisanal mining economy in dry regions

This paper contributes to the discussion on climate change impacts, livelihood diversification, and deagrarianization in arid and semi-arid regions. Using the semi-arid region of Guinea as a case study, this paper is the first to discuss the primary factors driving smallholder farmers into artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) in arid and semi-arid regions. Drawing on in-depth interviews and root-cause analysis, we find that increasing climate change impacts ‘force’ smallholder farmers to switch into artisanal gold mining. Smallholder farming in semi-arid Guinea is largely rainfed and erratic rainfall and increasing temperatures have affected crop production and farmers' income, driving many smallholder farmers into artisanal gold mining to have a more sustainable income. While artisanal gold mining has improved smallholder farmers' socioeconomic conditions, the agriculture exodus has significantly affected crop production, food prices, and rural agriculture labor dynamics. Agroecological, financial, and technical support could improve the adaptive capacity of climate impacted smallholder farmers in arid and semi-arid regions.

Small-scale irrigation (SSI) farming as a climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practice and its influence on livelihood improvement in Offa District, Southern Ethiopia

Small-scale irrigated farming has been offered as a climate-smart agriculture (CSA) technology to boost production and diversify livelihood scenarios as an option to mitigate climate change. This study was to analyse factors that influence smallholder farmers' decisions to adopt small-scale irrigation (SSI) as CSA and to assess the influence of adoption on livelihood improvement. To obtain relevant data, the study employed a mixed research methodology that combines an explanatory research design with a qualitative approach. A total of 134 respondents were selected for the study's sample size. A mixed research methodology was used in this study to acquire pertinent data, which incorporated an explanatory research design and a qualitative approach. In the study area, 37.3% participated in small-scale irrigation, while 62.7% did not. The descriptive statistics result showed that, household socio-demographic factors; household socio-economic factors, and household institutional factors had significantly and statistically affect the adoption SSI. The Logit regression model results revealed that households; who owned more land holding size, access to credit services, get agricultural extension service, who near to the district market, who have middle age of HH, who Sex of HHH, who nearest farm sight, have TLU, have farming experience, have access to irrigation, and have good health status of the HHH were more likely to benefit from the use of small scale irrigation. The average annual gross income earned by participant and non-participant households from various crops in the three schemes was 370,190 and 83,983 ETB, respectively. As a result, participation in small-scale irrigation has a positive effect on the majority of household livelihood diversification, and expanding irrigation schemes improves rural farm households' livelihoods. As a result, policymakers and other stakeholders should prioritize small-scale irrigation technologies as CSA to improve rural household livelihoods.

Addressing unavoidable climate change loss and damage: A case study from Fiji’s sugar industry

Climate change loss and damage (L&D) presents an existential threat to the Fiji Islands. This case study examines how rural Indo-Fijian sugarcane farming communities face challenges in minimising, averting, and addressing L&D from cyclones. In-depth semi-structured interviews (n = 68) were conducted with 40 sugarcane farmers in two Indo-Fijian sugarcane communities, Barotu and Toko settlements in Western Viti Levu, Fiji, and with 28 key stakeholders from government ministries, academia, and climate change response services. Despite implementing climate change adaptation measures, Fiji’s sugar industry has faced devastating L&D from frequent and severe cyclones. Much of the climate change L&D to crops, property, and income was irreversible and unavoidable. Non-economic loss and damage (NELD) was found insurmountable in both field sites, including the loss of homes and places of worship, cascading and flow-on effects as well as the heightening of uncertainty, fear, and trauma. Evidence suggests that L&D, including NELD, is highly context specific, and UNFCCC’s broad NELD categories do not fully capture L&D at the local level. The systematic documentation of L&D within vulnerable communities would improve understanding of L&D, including NELD, and assist to facilitate the mobilisation of immediate support and action to address L&D in countries that lack the capacities to respond independently. This paper recommends crucial policy interventions such as livelihood diversification, integration of disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation, land tenure policy reforms, and the operationalisation of the Santiago Network for Loss and Damage.

Livelihood Diversification and Residents’ Welfare: Evidence from Maasai Mara National Reserve

The contradiction between environmental protection and livelihood development is becoming increasingly serious for most protected areas in developing countries. Livelihood diversification is an efficient way to increase household income to alleviate poverty related to environmental protection. However, its impacts on household welfare in protected areas have rarely been quantitatively explored. This article investigates the determinants of four livelihood strategies in the Maasai Mara National Reserve and explores the association between livelihood diversification and household income and its heterogeneities. Based on the sustainable livelihoods framework and the information collected from 409 households through face-to-face interviews, this study adopted multivariate regression models to obtain consistent results. Results show that the determinants of the four strategies differed. Natural capital, physical capital, and financial capital had significant associations with the probability of adopting the strategy of livestock breeding. Physical capital, financial capital, human capital, and social capital were associated with the probability of adopting the joint strategy of livestock breeding and crop planting and the joint strategy of livestock breeding and off-farm activities. The probability of adopting the joint strategy of livestock breeding, crop planting, and off-farm activities was associated with all five kinds of livelihood capital except for financial capital. Diversification strategies, especially those involving off-farm activities, played greater roles in raising household income. The findings indicate that the government and management authority of Maasai Mara National Reserve should provide the households around the protected area with more off-farm employment opportunities to increase the welfare of local residents as well as to utilize natural resources appropriately, especially for those located far away from the protected area.

Agrotourism as peripheral and ultraperipheral community livelihoods diversification strategy: Insights from the Okavango Delta, Botswana

The potential of agrotourism for livelihoods diversification in remote (peripheral) and extremely remote (ultraperipheral) traditional, agrarian communities is indeed a testament of its uniqueness to enhance rural entrepreneurship development, employment creation and poverty alleviation. In an arid environment such as Botswana's where traditional agricultural concerns are generally impeded by inclement weather conditions exacerbated by climate variability and change scenarios, identifying opportunities in challenges associated with livelihood activities might provide a better pathway for improving rural socio-economic wellbeing and development. Semi-structured interviews and a literature review were used to document the current status and evolution of agrotourism in rural Botswana; and identify the associated constraints and opportunities, which the subsector might offer emerging entrepreneurs. Major findings reveal that agrotourism activities are relatively new and still fledgling in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. While 4.8 percent of the initiatives investigated accounts for agrotourism initiatives that are fully and currently operational in the area, another 4.8 percent constitutes the business initiatives, which are still not fully operational. Findings also revealed that most agrotourism businesses in the Okavango Delta were challenged by inadequate capital outlays constituting an impediment to running a successful business. While bureaucratic bottlenecks associated with registering agrotourism projects is a challenge for some entrepreneurs, a few others are bedeviled by lack of market for their products. The relatively fledgling status of agrotourism in the area might offer a good business opportunity for potential entrepreneurs and the government to fully exploit the socio-economic benefits of the subsector and push a more sustainable environmental conservation agenda, respectively.

Land-System Changes and Migration Amidst the Opium Poppy Collapse in the Southern Highlands of Oaxaca, Mexico (2016-2020).

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10745-022-00388-4.

EFFECT OF LIVELIHOOD DIVERSIFICATION ON THE POVERTY LEVELS OF RURAL FARMING HOUSEHOLDS IN SOUTHWEST NIGERIA

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of livelihood diversification on the poverty levels of rural farming households in Southwest Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique was employed to select a total of 300 respondents in the study area. Primary data were collected on rural farming household’s socio-economic characteristics, indicators of poverty such as food and non-food expenditure with the aid of a well-structured questionnaire. Data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Foster Greer and Thorbecke model, and Tobit regression. Tobit regression estimates revealed that sex of the household heads, marital status, years of formal education, household size, farm size, farming experience, dependent ratio and household assets and livelihood diversification affects the poverty levels of farming households. Hence, livelihood diversification opportunities should be strengthened by exposing farming households to training on what they can venture into to boost their income.