Poverty Reduction Research Articles

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

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

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.

Challenges and Opportunities of Livelihood Diversification in Ethiopia: A Review Article

Diversifying sources of income has been recognized as a crucial approach to alleviate poverty, mitigate food insecurity, and enhance the overall well-being of rural residents in Ethiopia. This review outlines the key challenges and opportunities associated with livelihood diversification in the country. The study identifies several primary constraints that hinder livelihood diversification, including inadequate infrastructure development, scarcity of arable land, limited access to credit services, gender disparities, and poor rural-urban linkages. However, it also highlights potential avenues for sustainable livelihoods through diversification, such as the promotion of sustainable land management practices, adoption of climate-resilient agricultural strategies, and the provision of training and capacity building programs. To facilitate successful livelihood diversification, the review emphasizes the urgency of investing in infrastructure development and ensuring access to credit services. Moreover, it underscores the importance of promoting gender equality to mitigate the challenges faced by women in diversifying their livelihoods. Encouraging sustainable land management practices, implementing climate-resilient agricultural strategies, and providing comprehensive training and capacity building programs are identified as critical measures to support diversification efforts in Ethiopia effectively. The review offers evidence-based policy recommendations to inform government agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and other stakeholders on effective strategies that can enhance livelihood diversification in the country, while also ensuring inclusivity and sustainability. The significance of livelihood diversification within Ethiopia's development agenda cannot be overstated, and it is imperative for stakeholders to act in addressing the identified challenges and capitalizing on the opportunities presented by diversification. By doing so, they can contribute to poverty reduction and sustainable development in the country. However, it is essential to note that further research is necessary to explore the efficacy of livelihood diversification strategies in different contexts and identify additional opportunities and challenges that may arise.

Economic complexity and income inequality in Russian regions

Although economic growth leads to a reduction in poverty, the growing income inequality and its possible consequences are of some concern. The level of economic complexity has recently been increasingly viewed as an important predictor of income inequality. In this paper, using pool and models with time fixed effects, the impact of the economic complexity index on income inequality in Russian regions for 2013 and 2015 was estimated. The results of the evaluation of econometric models show that regions with more complex economies showed a higher level of income inequality compared to others. The explanations for the effect obtained include an increase in demand for highly qualified labor as a result of the development of high-tech industries and an increase in wage differentiation between high-skilled and low-skilled workers, as well as the migration of high-skilled workers to economically more complex regions. The main conclusion is that economic complexity is a significant factor of the variation in income inequality and should also be taken into account while conducting economic and social policy in Russian regions.

Book Review: Social work for poverty alleviation by Deping Xiang

Book Review: <i>Social work for poverty alleviation</i> by Deping Xiang

Sweatshops and Labour Law: The Ethical and Legal Implications of Ignoring Labour Law in Developing Countries

Abstract Academic defenders of sweatshops argue that disregarding labour rights will result in increased welfare in the developing nations where transnational corporations (TNCs) operate. They argue that TNCs should ignore local labour laws in the best interests of the poor. In this article we criticise this ‘ignore the law’ position regarding sweatshops on three separate grounds. First, it fails to acknowledge the demands for businesses to respect the rule of law as part of the development process. Second, it utilises an inadequate account of voluntary contractual bargaining which overlooks how employment practises operate in sectors prone to utilising sweatshop labour, leading to coercive employment conditions incompatible with human dignity and free choice. Third, it fails to adequately account for labour law and international labour standards, which embody a strong moral conception of dignity at work and observance of fundamental human rights in protecting workers against abuse through the resulting legal duties placed on states and corporate actors. We conclude that poverty reduction requires the support of both private and public actors. Advocating the side-stepping of labour laws distracts from the important work of institution building necessary to protect workers and facilitate economic growth consistent with decent work, sustainable development, fairness and human dignity as embodied in international labour standards.

Navigating the road home: Challenges hindering the reintegration of street children with their families in Harare, Zimbabwe

The reintegration of street children with their families in Harare, Zimbabwe, is a significant social issue that is characterised by numerous challenges. Therefore, this research paper aims to identify the challenges that hinder the successful reintegration of street children with their families in Harare, using the bioecological model as a theoretical lens. A qualitative research approach, underpinned by a phenomenological research design, was employed with a purposefully selected sample of ten social development officers who are directly involved in working with street children. Data was obtained through semi-structured interviews conducted with the social development officers. The data was analysed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed various challenges, such as rejection and discrimination, economic hardship, disintegrated family structures, and lack of trust. Based on the findings, the study recommends the need to strengthen and expand support services that offer counselling, mediation, and practical assistance to families and children to ensure an effective reintegration process. Additionally, the study recommends the implementation of programmes that focus on poverty alleviation and economic empowerment for families. Moreover, social development officers should be capacitated with dispute resolution and cognitive restructuring skills to change the thinking patterns of members of the original families. Developing and prioritising sensitisation programmes to raise awareness about the issues faced by reintegrated street children and their families is also recommended.

Strategic Integration: Fostering Sustainability in Low-Income Country through Poverty Alleviation, Carbon Efficiency, Energy and Economic Resilience

This study emphasizes the critical importance of strategic integration for sustainable development goals (specifically Goals 1 and 2) in low-income countries (LICs). The research uses econometric models to focus on poverty reduction, economic resilience, energy use, and carbon emissions in Indonesia from 1996 to 2022. The study reveals a long-run co-integration among the estimated parameters, with a significant speed of adjustment at a 1.04% level. ECM models highlight a positive relationship between energy use, poverty, and carbon emissions while indicating a negative association between economic growth and carbon emissions. Robustness checks support these findings, including Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS) and Canonical Co-Integrating Regression (CCR). Granger causality analysis reveals a unidirectional causality from energy use to carbon emissions and economic growth, along with one-way causation from carbon emissions to economic growth and poverty. Diagnostic tests affirm the model's reliability. The study's outcomes contribute valuable insights to the discourse on strategic integration, offering policymakers and stakeholders guidance in formulating sustainable development strategies tailored to the unique challenges encountered by low-income countries.

The impact of agricultural credit on the cattle inventory and deforestation in Colombia: a spatial analysis

The relationship between agricultural credit and agricultural production as well as the impacts on sustainable development (i.e., poverty alleviation, reduction of inequalities, food and nutrition security, and stimulation of economic growth) have been widely documented. The objective of this study is to analyze the impact of credit on cattle production and deforestation in Colombia through spatial panel data models. For this purpose, a departmental data panel for the period 2011–2020 was built, based on available information from public entities. The results suggest that in Colombia, the relationship between access to credit and cattle production is significant and can be either negative or positive. In addition, there is evidence of spatial dependence, meaning that cattle production in one department is being affected by cattle production in a neighboring department or by all the departments that make up the national territory. Regarding deforestation, results show that, although the number of cattle present in a department does affect its annual deforestation rate due to a poor coverage of sustainably intensified cattle ranching systems, there is no relationship between deforestation and the access to credit nor any spatial correlations.

Atlas 2022 of African health Statistics: Key results towards achieving the health-related SDGs targets

IntroductionThe Atlas 2022 of African Health Statistics is a comprehensive tool that gives an overview of the health ecosystem in the African region. As such, it tracks progress towards globally agreed objectives, such as Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), assesses the capacity of African countries to achieve them, and helps policymakers identify gaps and areas requiring substantial reinforcement. MethodsWe analyzed health-related SDGs’ key indicators in the Atlas 2022 of African Health Statistics. This platform is a nexus for consistent and comparable data sources across countries. A review of studies addressing the evolution of health-related SDG indicators in Africa was also considered for discussion and recommendations. ResultsHunger and different forms of malnutrition remain prevalent in the Region. Maternal and neonatal mortality is still high compared to other regions, with increasing incidences of non-communicable diseases and poor mechanisms to address mental health issues. Many inequalities are noted in violence against women, access to health services, or access to water and basic sanitation, which is exacerbated in rural areas. Regarding achieving the SDGs, the trend of most indicators shows they will be challenging to perform at the Regional level. However, a few countries are on track to achieve some goals. These results clearly show that countries have different experiences and, therefore, different progress in achieving sustainable development goals. The delays experienced by many countries in terms of development in other sectors, such as climate and the environment, poverty reduction and economic growth, equity and justice, etc., will make it even more difficult to achieve the health-related SDGs. Achieving these goals should, therefore, be seen as a transdisciplinary and inclusive process. ConclusionBeyond the COVID-19 pandemic that has recently challenged health systems worldwide, the African Region is also dealing with several threats, jeopardizing its progress toward achieving the SDGs by 2030. Given the Region’s particular context, a readjustment of the regional targets and/or deadlines would be advisable to ensure they are achievable.

The politics of the targeting and expansion of pro-poor programs in Ghana

ABSTRACT The paper examines how the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty program in Ghana is politicised and its implications for poverty reduction. Data from 26 in-depth interviews and 12 focus group discussions were analysed. The paper observes that a broad cross-party consensus exists because the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) program has been politicised by the two main political parties, namely the National Democratic Congress and the New Patriotic Party, who target the policy to their politically supportive districts and communities. The key pathway for the politicisation and subsequent expansion of the program is partisan manipulation of the District Level Implementation Committees (DLICs), partisan selection of beneficiaries, and party membership card as a requirement for inclusion. These political considerations tend to result in wrong targeting, where undeserving beneficiaries are included, thereby undermining sustained poverty reduction and inclusive development potential of the LEAP program.

Administering and encountering the poor: Poverty from above and below in Brunei Darussalam

In this paper we argue that there is a ‘missing middle’ between policies to ameliorate poverty of those in need and the experience of poverty. Drawing on interviews with respondent poor(er) households in Brunei's ‘water village’ of Kampong Ayer and with officials and local leaders, the paper details a complex and well‐funded system of support for those in need. It then shows how this impressive architecture of welfare does not always meet the needs of those it seeks to support. Through rendering poverty technical, policies implicitly ascribe persistent destitution as arising from the failure of the poor to take advantage of the opportunities made available to them. The paper suggests that this gap could be bridged by giving non‐governmental organizations (NGOs), social enterprises and informal businesses a greater role in the delivery of support. Kampong Ayer's experience has its parallels in other places and situations: the tendency to bureaucratize poverty and its amelioration; the desire to simplify poverty but complicate programmes for poverty eradication; and the expectation that the onus for adaptation should be on—and with—the poor. When the poor fail to adapt and to respond in the manner desired, they are blamed for their enduring poverty.