Poverty Reduction Research Articles

Non-destructive Machine Vision System based Rice Classification using Ensemble Machine Learning Algorithms

Aims and Background: Agriculture plays a major role in the global economy, providing food, raw materials, and jobs to billions of people and driving economic growth and poverty reduction. Rice is the most widely consumed crop domestically, making it a particularly important crop for rural populations. The exact number of rice varieties worldwide is difficult to determine as new varieties are constantly being developed and marketed. Objectives: The most common method of rice variety identification is a comparison of its physical and chemical properties to a reference collection of known types. Methodology: This is a relatively quick and cost-effective approach that can be used to accurately differentiate between distinct varieties. In some cases, genetic testing may be used to confirm the identity of a variety, although this technique is more expensive and time-consuming. However, we can also utilize efficient, precise, and cost-effective digital image processing and machine vision techniques. Results: This study describes different types of ensemble methods, such as bagging (Decision Tree, Random Forest, Extra Tree), boosting (AdaBoost, Gradient Boost, and XGBoost), and voting classifiers to classify five different varieties of rice. Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) has achieved the highest average classification accuracy of 99.60% among all the algorithms. Conclusion: The findings of the performance measurement indicated that the proposed model was successful in classifying the various varieties of rice.

Helping Mongolia out of Poverty: Analyzing Social Challenges and Public Policy

Mongolia's challenging geography and historical development obstacles position it on the fringes of economic advancement. This paper presents a thorough analysis of its unique social, cultural, and economic hurdles, proposing visionary strategies for poverty alleviation and sustainable growth. The first section advocates a shift towards value-added industrialization, addressing the sparse population by exploring rural-to-urban migration and urging the dismantling of gender-based divisions while fostering rural entrepreneurship. The second part highlights leveraging indigenous cultural attributes and uplifting rural assembly industries to achieve balanced regional development. However, it cautions against unintended consequences like protectionism and urban-rural disparities. The third segment uncovers fundamental impediments rooted in Mongolia's self-sufficient, myopic nomadic culture, underscoring the need for education to reshape outdated mindsets. Moreover, the abrupt transition from nomadism to socialism and Western ideals has left a fragmented cultural identity, posing an identity challenge. This paper emphasizes the enduring influence of culture on socio-economic progress and underscores the significance of cultural preservation to steer Mongolia towards prosperity and global equity.

What Are the Challenges and Opportunities in to Improve Human Capital and Value Added in Cambodia's Garment Industry for the Purpose of Poverty Reduction?

In pursuit of a comprehensive poverty reduction strategy for Cambodia, this paper begins with an analysis of the value ladder of Cambodia's garment industry. This paper argues for a shift from the bottom of the ladder, a labor-intensive economy, to more advanced sectors involving technology, design, and skilled labor as a potential catalyst for poverty reduction progress. Furthermore, this paper emphasizes that Cambodia's opportunity to lift its position from the value ladder hinges on the augmentation of human capital, primarily through strategic investments in education. Subsequently, the paper delves into the challenges confronting the Cambodian government in its efforts to address poverty. Drawing inspiration from the successful Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programs implemented in Mexico (Oportunidades) and Brazil (Bolsa Famlia) to tackle similar poverty-related challenges, this paper examines their outcomes. It evaluates their practicality within the Cambodian context as a policy recommendation.

The Role of Sharia Economy in Poverty Reduction in Indonesia

This research aims to analyze the role of Sharia economics in alleviating poverty in Indonesia. The method used in this research is a literature study, which is a series of activities relating to methods of collecting library data, reading and taking notes, as well as processing reading material into research data. Some of the literature that researchers use as data sources are books, journal articles, and news related to the role of Sharia economics in reducing poverty rates in Indonesia. One of the goals of religion is to encourage people from being left behind economically. Poverty is a serious problem that must be sought immediately for a solution because it can have very dangerous impacts, including disturbing one’s faith or it could even disappear and that person becomes a disbeliever. The potential for ziswaf in Indonesia is extraordinary. If it can be managed professionally, it will have an impact on the welfare of society. How to overcome poverty can be done with various steps and strategies. The thing that must be done from the start to overcome the poverty that grips our society is to create an economic order that allows for a fair distribution system to be born, encouraging the birth of concern from people who have (aghniya’) toward the needy, poor, dhu’afa’ and mustard ’affine. One form of concern for Aghniya’ is his willingness to pay zakat and issue sadaqah. Keywords: ZISWAF, poverty alleviation, economic Sharia

Youth Employability Training Model from the Perspective of Education Poverty Reduction in Kenya and Its Enlightenment to China

Abstract Since the 21st century, the solution of poverty has become the focus of international assistance. And education is considered as one of the important ways to reduce poverty, more and more attention by international organizations and developing countries. Kenya, as one of the countries with the backwardness but most promising economic and social development in East Africa. It has received the attention of the World Bank. With the assistance of the World Bank, the Government of Kenya launched the KYEP project on the basis of Vision 2030, which is based on the training concept of “Education poverty reduction for youth entrepreneurship and employment”, with the goal of “Empowering young people in employment”, implementing a demand-oriented “four-in-one” skills training course through cooperative training of the World Bank and the Government of Kenya and the private sector, and ensuring the effectiveness of the project through the establishment of a multi-entity cooperative training guarantee mechanism. Practice shows that KYEP highlights Kenya’s demand-oriented approach and has achieved remarkable results in addressing youth unemployment and education for poverty reduction.

Micro and Small Industry (MSI) Based on Halal Products in Lampung: What Has the Government Done?

Micro and small industries (MSI) play a strategically vital role in supporting the dynamics of the economy, both globally and locally, particularly in the context of poverty alleviation and the enhancement of community welfare. The primary objective of this research is to delve into it in a more detailed and comprehensive manner by thoroughly exploring the potential and support capacity of the government for MSI focused on the development of halal products, with the aspiration of generating a substantial positive impact on overall economic growth and community welfare at a significant level. Keywords: micro and small enterprises, halal products

Digital technologies' impacts on alleviation of poverty: a bibliometric review

PurposeDigital technologies have been found to have long-lasting impacts on poverty. This study has been conducted to shed light on the contributions made by digital technologies toward poverty alleviation and also provide future research directions.Design/methodology/approachThe authors thoroughly studied the sample of 258 publications from the Scopus database, covering the period from 1982 to June 2023. Using VOS viewer and Bibliometrix R, various graphs and networks are developed to understand publication trends, research collaborations and intellectual structures.FindingsA significant amount of the existing literature on the impact of digital technologies on poverty alleviation demonstrates the need for more studies in this area. Lack of information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure and access exhibits less opportunity for work, social networking and entrepreneurship, directly affecting people’s livelihoods in developing countries.Practical implicationsThis study will help country planners, regulatory bodies and academicians get a deeper insight into the impact of digital technologies on poverty alleviation and also develop the future research agenda.Originality/valueThis study employs a considerable period of time, from the year 1982 to June 2023. To the best of authors’ knowledge, the current study is a pioneer in using bibliometric analysis to identify the impact of digital technologies on the alleviation of poverty. This attempt will surely be helpful to academicians, researchers and those working on identifying the impact of digital technology on poverty alleviation.

Investigation of hybrid power-to-hydrogen/natural gas and hydrogen-to-X system in Cameroon

In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), the capacity to generate energy faces significant hurdles. Despite efforts to integrate renewable energy sources and natural gas power plants into the energy portfolio, the desired reduction in environmental impact and alleviation of energy poverty remain elusive. Hence, exploring a spectrum of hybrid technologies, encompassing storage and hydrogen-based solutions, is imperative to optimize energy production while mitigating harmful emissions. To exemplify this necessity, the 216 MW Kribi gas power plant in Cameroon is the case study. The primary aim is to investigate cutting-edge emissions and energy schemes within the SSA. This paper assessed the minimum complaint load technique and four power-to-fuel options from technical, financial, and environmental perspectives to assess the viability of a natural gas fuel system powered with hydrogen in a hybrid mode. The system generates hydrogen by using water electrolysis, with photovoltaic electricity and gas power plant. This research also assesses process efficiency, storage capacity, annual costs, carbon avoided costs, and production prices for various fuels. Results showed that the LCOE from a photovoltaic solar plant is 0.19$/kWh, with the Power-to-Hydrogen process (76.2% efficiency) being the most efficient, followed by the ammonia and urea processes. The study gives a detailed examination of the hybrid hydrogen natural gas fuel system. According to the annual cost breakdown, the primary costs are associated with the acquisition of electrical energy and electrolyser CAPEX and OPEX, which account for 95% of total costs. Urea is the cheapest mass fuel. However, it costs more in terms of energy. Hydrogen is the most cost-effective source of energy. In terms of energy storage and energy density by volume, the methane resulted as the most suitable solution, while the ammonia resulted as the best H2 storage medium in terms of kg of H2 per m3 of storage (108 kgH2/m3). By substituting the fuel system with 15% H2, the environmental effects are reduced by 1622 tons per year, while carbon capture technology gathered 16,664 tons of CO2 for methanation and urea operations, yielding a total carbon averted cost of 21 $/ton.

Peru’s National Policy on Financial Inclusion and Its Alignment with Sustainable Development Goal I

This article analyzes the implementation of the National Financial Inclusion Strategy (NFIS) and its alignment with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) I: Eradicate poverty. Despite the progress achieved, structural gaps persist and substantially limit the NFIS’s contribution to poverty reduction, especially among rural, indigenous, extreme poverty, and other vulnerable groups. The article employs a mixed methods approach combining qualitative and quantitative techniques. On the qualitative side, a hermeneutic documentary analysis of the NFIS and related regulations was carried out, with a critical textual interpretation supported by specialized software. Quantitatively, descriptive statistical techniques were applied to analyze official financial inclusion indicators—methodological integration was achieved through analytical triangulation under a concurrent mixed methods approach. The progress of initiatives under the NFIS was evaluated, identifying limitations such as the digital divide in rural areas, limited financing for Micro and Small Enterprises, gaps in financial education, and growing exposure to digital fraud. Although the NFIS promotes greater access to financial services, it does not explicitly focus on the poorest and most excluded populations. Therefore, it is recommended that the objectives and indicators of the NFIS be reformulated to focus on universal access and effective use of financial services by the population in extreme poverty and chronic exclusion. In addition, a strategic articulation with social protection policies is necessary, as well as promoting culturally relevant microfinance and inclusive finance models, strengthening consumer protection, and consolidating public–private alliances in high-poverty areas. Finally, strong monitoring and accountability are also key.

Perception of Locals on Multiple Contributions of NTFPs to the Livelihoods of Forest Fringe Communities in Ghana

Forest-dwelling residents frequently collect non-timber forest products (NTFPs) for various reasons, such as food, medicine, firewood, religious reasons, or handicrafts. This study examines the multiple benefits derived from NTFPs and how they contribute to the livelihoods of Ghanaian communities to alleviate poverty. Resources and services provided by NTFPs have an essential role in providing economic, nutritional, medicinal, cultural, and environmental benefits. This study examines the diverse range of NTFPs locals collect, such as chewing sticks, games, herbs, honey, leaves, mushrooms, pestles, raffia and palms, snails, and straws. In addition to serving different purposes, these NTFPs contribute to income generation, food security, health care, cultural practices, and the protection of the environment. A qualitative research approach was used in this study to collect data through semi-structured interviews and focus groups with members on multiple collections of NTFPs and their multiple benefits. We interviewed 732 residents regarding their multiple NTFPs and their potential to improve the livelihood of the locals. The data for the study were analysed using descriptive statistics. As a result of the survey, the frequency and percentages of responses were analysed for each indicator related to multiple values of NTFPs. Both males and females collected a list of NTFPs during the survey. Regarding NTFPs used for sale, 275 were reported, representing 37.57% of the total. In addition to emphasising the importance of sustainable management practices and equitable distribution of benefits, the study explores the multiple benefits of NTFPs for poverty alleviation in Ghanaian communities. It is essential to ensure the conservation of forest ecosystems and promote inclusive policies to harness the potential of NTFPs and maximise their positive impact on livelihoods. NTFPs provide multiple benefits for Ghanaian communities, including income, nutrition, healthcare, cultural preservation, and environmental sustainability. To promote sustainable development, it is imperative to understand the role of NTFPs and implement appropriate strategies.

Strategies for Achieving SDGs on the Main Points of Poverty Eradication: A Case Study of ASEAN Member States

This research aims to support the main goal of SDG’s, it’s mean poverty eradication. The instruments used in this research to eradicate poverty are through increasing the value of the Corruption Perceptions Index, the Human Development Index, and the Giving Index. This research uses a quantitative panel data method with a Random Effect Model. The results show that the Corruption Perceptions Index, the Human Development Index, and the Giving Index have a significant negative effect on poverty both partially and simultaneously. The results of this study show that poverty alleviation requires contributions from all parties, namely the government, fellow citizens, and even the poor themselves. The government, as the holder of power, is able to make policies to eradicate poverty. These policies will succeed if there is no corruption. Excessively charitable individuals provide assistance to those in need, thus creating a more even distribution and welfare of the needy population. The poor themselves must also strive to improve their quality to escape poverty.

The impact and effectiveness of China’s entrepreneurship policy for back-home migrant workers

This study aims to estimate the net effect of China’s entrepreneurship policy on back-home migrant workers since 2015. Using survey data from the provinces of; Zhejiang, Henan, and Guizhou with propensity score matching to control selection bias, the study indicates that the overall entrepreneurship policy has a significant positive impact on the probability of entrepreneurial entry. The poverty alleviation effect of the overall policy is greater than its industrial development effect, while the employment effect is not significant. The infrastructure policy’s effect on employment, industrial development, and poverty alleviation is greater than the other policies, and the financial policy’s effect on these three aspects is not significant. This study contributes to the existing literature by addressing a well-defined gap regarding the net effect of entrepreneurship policy on entrepreneurship entry and provides well-supported and plausible explanations for the inconsistencies among previous studies on policy effect indicators. As a practical contribution, this study provides China and other developing economies with compelling empirical evidence to support the design and amendment of entrepreneurship policy at the national level.

Second stage land certification and land rental market in northern Ethiopia

AbstractThe establishment of secured and easily transferable land use rights is a key component of rural development and poverty reduction pathways in many underdeveloped countries. In this study, we use balanced panel data collected from 407 farm households between 2009/10 and 2014/15 production seasons and apply difference‐in‐difference approach to examine impact of second‐stage land certification on tenure security, participation and extent of participation in the land rental market. Our finding shows that second‐stage land certification has helped to boost tenure security of smallholder farmers. However, the differences in difference results show that the second stage land certification has not yet started to influence farm households’ participation in the land rental market. This could probably be due to the fact that the program is at its early stage of implementation and may warrant further scrutiny with additional time.

Crop yields fail to rise in smallholder farming systems in sub-Saharan Africa

Drawing on a harmonized longitudinal dataset covering more than 55,000 smallholder farms in six African countries, we analyze changes in crop productivity from 2008 to 2019. Because smallholder farmers represent a significant fraction of the world's poorest people, agricultural productivity in this context matters for poverty reduction and for the broader achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Our analysis measures productivity trends for nationally representative samples of smallholder crop farmers, using detailed data on agricultural inputs and outputs which we integrate with detailed data on local weather and environmental conditions. In spite of government commitments and international efforts to strengthen African agriculture, we find no evidence that smallholder crop productivity improved over this 12-y period. Our preferred statistical specification of total factor productivity (TFP) suggests an overall decline in productivity of -3.5% per year. Various other models we test also find declining productivity in the overall sample, and none of them finds productivity growth. However, the different countries in our sample experienced varying trends, with some instances of growth in some regions. The results suggest that major challenges remain for agricultural development in sub-Saharan Africa. They complement previous analyses that relied primarily on aggregate national statistics to measure agricultural productivity, rather than detailed microdata.

BRIDGING THE DIVIDE: ADDRESSING SOCIOECONOMIC INEQUALITY IN POST-APARTHEID SOUTH AFRICA WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS (2000-2015)

The practice of the apartheid system in South Africa has been widely condemned for perpetuating enduring socio-economic inequality and for its detrimental impacts on the lives of millions of citizens. While many studies have strongly affirmed this assertion, socio-economic inequality continues to arguably engender a long-lasting struggle among the black and colored communities in post-apartheid South Africa. This places a burden on the country’s successive governments to implement long-term policies that can rectify the plight of the people. Consequently, the adoption of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2000 becomes an important reference tool for the African National Congress (ANC)-dominated government, which has initiated and implemented policies to combat inequality in the post-apartheid era. This study examines the roles and measures taken by the ANC government to address racially discriminated economic and social inequality within the framework of the MDGs. Using qualitative research methods, the study explores the background framework of the MDGs and analyzes socio-economic measures implemented by successive ANC governments between 2000 and 2015, focusing on areas such as education, poverty eradication, and healthcare. Primary and secondary sources are utilized to provide insights and support the analysis. The findings reveal that the ANC-dominated government effectively incorporated the frameworks of the MDGs into its formulation and execution of policy measures to eradicatesocial inequality in South Africa. The study concludes that the effective implementation of these measures has yielded considerableprogress, effectively addressing multifaceted issues such as poverty, healthcare, education, and unemployment. This conclusion alignswith the official South African MDG report, which unequivocally highlights the several achievements of MDG targets through policyimplementation from 2000 to 2015.

Assessment of prospects for achieving the national goal of halving the poverty rate compared to the 2017

The paper presents research on the problem of reducing poverty in Russian Federation. The purpose of the research is to assess the prospects for achieving the national goal of twofold poverty level reducing in Russia by 2030 compared to the 2017. However, in terms of dynamics to the approaches to the poverty, it will be possible to achieve the twofold poverty reduction by 2030 compared to the 2017. It can be implemented in accordance with Presidential Decree No. 474 on 21 July 2020. Moreover, it is not the problem solving; the measurement scale transformation is not the proper tool that can eliminate (or at least reduce) poverty in society. The practical significance of the research is the introduction of a differentiated progressive taxation scale and development of favourable conditions for the intensive development of high-tech and competitive production as the most effective tools for poverty reduction. It will cause an increase in the population’s income, strengthening of the national distributive and redistributive functions. Additionally, it allows ones’ to reduce the income gap between the richest and poorest segments of the population (reduction of the Gini index).

E-commerce development, poverty reduction and income growth in rural China

PurposeThis research examines the impact of the National Rural E-commerce Comprehensive Demonstration Project (NRECDP) on poverty reduction and income growth in rural China.Design/methodology/approachThe study develops a theoretical framework, which considers the role of geographical, technological, institutional and cultural factors for the e-commerce poverty alleviation (e-CPA) model. Empirically, this study applies the difference-in-differences (DID) model and the event study approach to evaluate the effectiveness of NRECDP on the basis of large-scale county-level and household-level panel data spanning 2010 to 2020.FindingsThe study found that the NRECDP, as a government-led, information and communication technology (ICT)-enabled, market-based program, has led to a significant increase in per capita output of primary industry employees, as well as in the disposable income of rural residents, especially those in national-level poverty-stricken (NP) counties. The interventions of the NRECDP achieved these positive outcomes through transportation and Internet infrastructure improvement, ICT adoption and human capital accumulation in impoverished towns and villages in remote rural areas. These effects are larger in the eastern region of China, followed by the central region, whereas the weakest effects were found in the western region. However, we found little evidence of the NRECDP increasing household developmental expenditure.Research limitations/implicationsThe study findings have important practical and policy implications for rural e-commerce development and self-sustained poverty alleviation solutions. The research revealed the significance of government NRECDP interventions for increasing rural income, reducing living costs, and empowering the rural population in its multiple social roles, namely, as consumers, producers, employees and microentrepreneurs. The local cultural context may also play a role in ICT adoption and entrepreneurship cultivation with a downstream effect on the effectiveness of e-CPA practices. Policymakers would need to ensure a supportive entrepreneur-friendly environment for rural e-commerce development and continue implementing progressive policies for poverty alleviation.Originality/valueThis study explores poverty alleviation issues in China by developing for the first time a multi-faceted framework that is subsequently tested by both county-level and household-level large-scale observations. Also, it is the first study to provide nationwide empirical evidence on the effectiveness of e-CPA in narrowing down the spatial and digital divides in China. In addition to the impact of geography, technology and governmental support, this study also sheds light on the role of culture in the adoption and diffusion of digital technologies and as a source of local entrepreneurial opportunities.

Do languages matter? The impact of local dialect proficiency on multidimensional poverty alleviation among rural-to-urban migrants in China

Language plays a crucial role in poverty among migrants. However, the relationship between language skills and poverty among internal migrants in developing countries has received limited attention. Using data from 11,789 rural-to-urban (RTU) migrants in the China Migrants Dynamic Survey, this study empirically assesses the impact of local dialect proficiency (LDP) on multidimensional poverty alleviation among migrants and further investigates potential mediators of this association. The results indicate that enhanced LDP significantly reduces the prevalence of multidimensional poverty among RTU migrants, with speaking proficiency having a more significant effect than listening proficiency. Moreover, three key mechanisms contribute to multidimensional poverty alleviation through LDP: the expansion of social networks, enhancement of urban identity, and improvement of employment quality. Heterogeneity analyses reveal that the impact of LDP on multidimensional poverty alleviation is more significant in regions characterized by higher dialect diversity and lower popularity of Mandarin, as well as among males, older generations, and RTU migrants with lower levels of education. In conclusion, this study advances understanding of the role of language proficiency in poverty alleviation among migrants by constructing a cultural-linguistic theoretical framework.

Minimum wages and household income distribution: Evidence from China

AbstractBased on the 2004–2015 China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) data, this article examines the effect of minimum wages on household income distribution. The results show that minimum wage increases significantly reduce the probability of per capita household net income falling below the poverty threshold, indicating that minimum wage can play a role in poverty reduction. Furthermore, we find that minimum wages significantly reduce the probability of per capita household income being 0–3 times lower than the poverty threshold, but have little effect on households with per capita net income more than 3 times the poverty threshold, which means that minimum wage increases can reduce household income inequality. We also find heterogeneous effects of minimum wage increases on household income distribution across gender, education, hukou, and age of household heads. Finally, we show that minimum wage increases play a role in regulating household income distribution by increasing the wages of employed individuals in households.

The Impacts of the Poverty Alleviation Relocation Program (PARP) on Households’ Education Investment: Evidence from a Quasi-Experiment in Rural China

Families’ education investment in their children is crucial for fostering and accumulating human capital among rural children in China. This study examines the impact of the Poverty Alleviation Relocation Program (PARP) on household education investment using panel data from a large-scale survey conducted in 16 counties across 8 provinces over three waves. Employing a staggered difference-in-differences (DID) method, we find a significant increase in average education investment per student in households following the PARP’s implementation, supported by multiple robustness tests. Mechanism analysis reveals that the increase is primarily driven by a higher household income and lower medical expenses among relocated families. Heterogeneity analysis shows notable variations based on relocation attributes and household characteristics, with stronger effects particularly observed for dispersed relocation, scattered resettlement, and household heads with over 6 years of education or in good health. The impact is sustained and strengthens with longer durations of relocation. Our findings offer valuable insights for enhancing rural household education investment.