Sustainable Livelihoods Approach Research Articles

Strengthening oil palm smallholder farmers' resilience to future industrial challenges.

Oil palm cultivation has improved living standards and alleviated the poverty of many smallholder farmers. However, challenges such as climate change, aging palms and negative sentiments in the major markets, threaten the wellbeing of and raise the question on smallholder farmers' resilience, which remains poorly understood. Using primary data from Indonesia, the largest palm oil producer in the world, we measure and evaluate the resilience of oil palm smallholder farmers using the Sustainable Livelihoods Approach. Our results revealed five classes of smallholders with different levels of resilience: vulnerable, economically and socially constrained, low-skilled, semi-secure and adaptive smallholders. The farmers in the least resilient group are majorly olderlocal farmers, who established oil palm plantations independently. Meanwhile, the most resilient group is dominated by smallholders who participated in the migration program, and in the past, received support from the government to start oil palm plantations. Our study highlights the heterogeneity of smallholders' livelihood resilience and the need for inclusive and tailored interventions for the various classes of smallholder farmers to establish sustainable communities.

Utilization of Village Funds Based on Planning in Development in Improving Village Autonomy and Welfare of Village Communities in Malang Regency

This study aims to analyze how the impact of using Village Funds for village independence and community welfare in Sumberpasir and Pucangsongo Villages, Pakis District, Malang Regency based on community perceptions using the Sustainable Livelihood Approach (SLA) approach. The selection of the two villages was based on consideration of the uniqueness of different characters, where Sumberpasir is tourism-based because it is on the route of Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park (TNBTS) while Pucangsongo is agriculture-based. The results of the analysis show that in Sumberpasir Village, the impact of village utilization is more prominent on social capital, namely in the form of collaboration with other communities and human capital in the form of training for technology. In Pucangsongo Village, the use of village funds for the independence and welfare of rural communities is influenced by financial capital, in the form of business capital assistance for farmer groups. In addition, natural capital factors are also prominent as the use of village funds also to support the agricultural sector. This research contributes to an empirical study that provides an understanding that the utilization of village funds can be heterogeneous based on the characteristics of each village.

Changing Waves: Maritime Community Cultural Responses to the Anthropocene in Tambak Lorok, Semarang

Climate change rooted in the Anthropocene significantly impacts global ecological changes, including coastal ecosystems. As a coastal city, Semarang City experiences various phenomena related to the Anthropocene caused by humans, or anthropogenic, which affects coastal activities, including aspects of the community. Tambak Lorok community is among the communities most affected by anthropogenic threats. Therefore, Tambak Lorok fishermen continue to build resilience in running their livelihoods. This research used a mixed method through the Sustainable Livelihood Approach (SLA). Quantitative approach in the form of survey data collection on the Joint Business Group (KUB) representative is carried out, while a qualitative approach is used to delve into and understand the context of SLA further. The results show that the Tambak Lorok fishing community’s livelihood system can be analyzed through five capital assets: human capital, social capital, natural capital, physical capital, and financial capital. These five aspects get a variety of physical, social, and intervention vulnerabilities that create resilience and culture in the intersection. The KUB, as a representative of the fishing community, strengthens their sustainable livelihood in three ways: changing their fishing gear sustainably, diversifying income to FAD, and utilizing other alternatives outside fisheries sector. All of these alternatives to livelihood were achieved through collaborative governance with various policies and institutions as a sustainable livelihood strategy.

Environmental Sustainability in Livestock Production

Purpose: The general purpose of this study was to analyze environmental sustainability in livestock production.
 Methodology: The study adopted a desktop research methodology. Desk research refers to secondary data or that which can be collected without fieldwork. Desk research is basically involved in collecting data from existing resources hence it is often considered a low cost technique as compared to field research, as the main cost is involved in executive’s time, telephone charges and directories. Thus, the study relied on already published studies, reports and statistics. This secondary data was easily accessed through the online journals and library.
 Findings: The findings reveal that there exists a contextual and methodological gap relating to environmental sustainability in livestock production. The study provided valuable insights into the complex interactions between livestock production practices and environmental sustainability, highlighting significant challenges such as greenhouse gas emissions, water pollution, biodiversity loss, and land degradation. It emphasized the importance of adopting integrated approaches to mitigate these impacts, stressing the need for transformative changes in livestock production. The study also underscored the role of policy and governance mechanisms in driving sustainable practices and fostering multi-stakeholder collaboration. Urgency was emphasized in addressing environmental sustainability in livestock production to mitigate negative impacts, urging concerted action from governments, industry stakeholders, researchers, and consumers for a sustainable future.
 Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The Agroecology theory, Socio-Ecological Systems theory and the Sustainable Livelihoods approach may be used to anchor future studies on environmental sustainability in livestock production. The recommendations advocate for the promotion of sustainable livestock production practices, emphasizing techniques like rotational grazing and integrated pest management to minimize environmental degradation. Investing in research and innovation is crucial to developing new technologies for enhanced sustainability, while education initiatives empower farmers with necessary skills. Policymakers are urged to shape regulations and provide incentives for sustainable practices, with collaboration among stakeholders highlighted as essential for addressing environmental challenges effectively. Raising consumer awareness and promoting sustainable consumption patterns further drive positive change throughout the supply chain. In conclusion, a multifaceted approach integrating innovation, policy, education, and collaboration is essential for achieving environmental sustainability in livestock production, ensuring a balance between conservation and development.

Ambiguity in NGOs Poverty Reduction Programmes

Purpose: This article analyses why Non-Governmental Organisations in the selected regions of Cameroon continue to participate in poverty reduction programmes when their programmes are not decreasing the number or percentage of people living in poverty.
 Methodology: Sustainable Livelihood Approaches was used in the study as an efficient means of understanding poverty from the perspective of the underprivileged. A qualitative case study was used to understand Plan International and Summer Institute of Linguistics stakeholder’s perception of poverty and poverty reduction. 
 Findings: Based on the findings, results show that poverty and poverty reduction strategies mean different things to different people, hence programmes aimed at poverty reduction should be examined using a diverse measure. The studied Non-Governmental Organisations programmes are not reducing poverty because there are extraneous variables which account for the ineffectiveness in their determination to fight poverty. For example, lack of beneficiaries’ voices in Non-Governmental Organisations programmes during planning, implementation, monitoring and evolution. Gender role and power relation issues in these regions prevent beneficiaries from active participation in decision making. These factors account for poor prioritization of programmes. Additionally, attributing poverty reduction to Non-Governmental Organisations activities is something which the Non-Governmental Organisations themselves are conscious they can’t fully achieve. 
 Unique Contributions to Theory, Practice and Policy: The paper recommends that Non-Governmental Organisations as well as the government should start their poverty reduction programmes by assessing the needs of each community in which they operate by applying the Sustainable Livelihood Approaches since poverty is diverse and means different things to different people.

The Impact of Improving the Value Chain on the Assets of Olive Farmers with a Sustainable Livelihood Approach (case study of Iran)

The Impact of Improving the Value Chain on the Assets of Olive Farmers with a Sustainable Livelihood Approach (case study of Iran)

A rapid assessment of the status, trends and challenges in small-scale commercial sardine fisheries in the Sulu Archipelago, southern Philippines

Sardines are a crucial component of Philippine capture fisheries, providing economic benefits and contributing to food security. This study aimed to provide an overview of the status, trends and challenges in the sardine fishery in the Sulu Archipelago, a major fishing ground for sardines, focusing on the traditional but less-documented small-scale commercial ringnets or locally called kulibu. The modern kulibu has an average size of about 10 gross tons and is operated by 7–15 crew members. We estimated about 500 kulibu vessels operating in the entire Sulu Archipelago, with Sulu having the most, followed by Basilan and Tawi-Tawi, respectively. The normal catch rates of a kulibu ranged from 10 to 20 tubs or banggera per night, with each banggera containing about 40 kg of fish. While some fishers reported that catches are still abundant and did not change much over the past three decades, we have identified some signs of overfishing. These include using of advanced technology and bigger boats/nets, expansion of fishing to more distant areas, the increasing frequency of low to zero catches, and a change in species composition indicative of fishing down marine foodwebs. Fishers have identified major issues and challenges confronting the fishery, such as intrusion of larger purse seiners into their fishing grounds, lack or inefficiency of post-harvest facilities, absence of a reliable market for their catches, and security risks at sea. To provide a comprehensive perspective, we adopted the Sustainable Livelihood Approach (SLA) framework, highlighting the broader implications of our findings for fishery management.Bottom of Form

An Assessment of Small-scale Fisheries of the Paraná River Delta Through the Sustainable Livelihoods Approach

An Assessment of Small-scale Fisheries of the Paraná River Delta Through the Sustainable Livelihoods Approach

Exploring climate change impacts on rural livelihoods and adaptation strategies: Reflections from marginalized communities in India

Climate change and variability affect virtually everyone and every region of the world but the effects are nowhere more prominent than among rural marginalized communities that rely heavily on agriculture and fishing for a living and they face numerous livelihood challenges including risk posed by variability of climate. Using phenomenological research methods, interviews with key-informants, focus group discussions (FGD), household survey with standardised questionnaires and case study approach, the present study analyzes the perceptions of climate change and its impacts on livelihoods and well-being of rural marginalized communities in rural Dakshin Dinajpur district of the state of West Bengal, India and coping mechanisms adopted by these communities were also examined using participatory social research techniques. The research is primarily based on primary data which have been collected at household level using multistage purposive sampling methods and total sample size is 154. Descriptive and inferential statistical methods were employed for data analysis. The results were discussed in the context of the sustainable livelihoods approach and findings depicts that there is a decreasing trend in the availability of water for domestic purposes, crop failure and low agricultural production, reduction in human health, poor livestock health and a range of other problems due to climate change which subsequently impacted on their livelihood. Indigenous and local knowledge were widely used in dealing with the effects of climate change, while modern technologies were underutilized among marginalized communities. Farmers and fisherman's used multiple adaptation strategies to combat climate change effects such as modifications in farm management, migration, selling labour to neighbourhoods, measures related to financial resources and risk reduction, borrowing funds from local money lender as well as family and neighbours, credit programmes and assistance from NGOs and reducing household food consumption. Large-scale education, training programmes, development interventions and policies targeted at enhancing resource endowment are needed. The findings from this study can help policymakers and other stack holders about ongoing adaptation measures as well as the needs of households, bring out the gap between farm households and policymakers and also to develop suitable policies and effective adaptation strategies to enhance the livelihoods within this context of local marginalized communities context.

Cultural landscape management in context: Local communities' perceptions under Jadar mineral extraction project in Serbia

In 2004, a new lithium-rich mineral, 'jadarite', was discovered in Serbia. In 2020, the government of Serbia and mining giant Rio Tinto announced a plan to extract lithium, which sparked massive environmental protests across the country. In this paper, we study perceptions of local communities towards Jadar mineral extraction project, which is planned in the zone of the cultural landscape ‘Tršić Tronoša’.We employed a household-level face-to-face survey, conceptually following the sustainable livelihood approach. Results shows that local communities anticipate negative changes in environmental quality, lifestyle, and activities such as agriculture and tourism, which are seen as vital for future development compatible with the cultural landscape conservation goals. Local communities perceive a bias towards private companies by the government authorities, driven by economic interests that, as seen by locals, may also be influenced by international political pressures. Other factors, such as lack of participatory approaches and non-transparent communication were also negatively perceived. We argue that mineral extraction planning in high biodiversity and cultural heritage areas is sensitive because local communities are strongly tied through historical activities and traditions to the landscape and are not willing to trade off their environment for the economic benefits that the mineral industry could bring.

Exploring drivers of ecosystem-based livelihood diversification engagement: experiences from women in agri-based economy in Sri Lanka

Purpose Ecosystem-based livelihood diversification (ESLD) approaches have been identified as one of the best solutions to alleviate poverty and improve living standards in rural communities in developing nations. This study aims to elucidate the motivations that drive Sri Lankan women in rural agri-based community to adopt ESLD activities. Design/methodology/approach The sustainable livelihood approach (SLA) five pillars were used as a theoretical framework. This study was carried out with women living in farmer families located in Anuradhapura District, Sri Lanka. A purposive sampling technique was used, and semistructured interviews were performed with 46 women in a noncontrived setting. Deductive content analysis approach was used for answering research questions. Findings Making handcrafts using different plants, composting and home gardening are the major sources of ESLD of women in the study areas. Under the SLA factors, human resources include family size, education, vocational training, age and attitude. Social resources like participation in community work, family support received and becoming members in cooperatives encourage the women to partake in ESLD. Nonagriculture natural resources were considered as an incentive to engage in ESLD. Satisfaction with the income generated by the livelihood, other income sources and loans from the informal sector were the vital financial resources. Regarding the physical resources, the respondents were profound with infrastructure, marketplaces, training centers and tools/equipment. Practical implications Knowing the existing ESLD strategies and pointing out the determinant factors affecting women in practicing ESLD activities are unquestionably important in the provision of information to formulate an appropriate strategy for the development of the rural agri-based community. Originality/value Little is known about the ESLD efforts and the extent of adoption of ESLD practices by women in rural communities. The findings based on the SLA framework help to understand what is happening in livelihood diversifications in agri-based community and suggest important implications for the development of ESLD for the future.

Sustainable Livelihoods Sustainable Approach and Contemporary Research on Rural Social-Ecological Systems in Indonesia

As the largest tropical archipelago country in Asia, Indonesia has 84,096 villages. From the human ecology perspective, a village or rural area is a social-ecological system. The sustainable livelihood approach was built by rural scholars and experts, development studies, and human ecology as a framework for looking at aspects of sustainable development in rural areas. This paper uses the literature review method on (1) the trajectory of the sustainable livelihoods approach and (2) its use in contemporary research on rural social-ecological systems in Indonesia. The analysis results show that the sustainable livelihoods approach continues to grow and evolve, including using scientific principles of political ecology. In Indonesia, its use is also used for various research on rural social-ecological systems. This paper specifically shows the important results of six studies of rural social-ecological systems in West Java, South Sulawesi, North Sumatra, West Sumatra, West Kalimantan, and East Kalimantan (New Capital City of Indonesia/IKN) area. The six studies show that aspects of social and ecological systems are closely intertwined, and the sustainable livelihoods approach managed to peel it off.

Exploring the Association between Poverty, Livelihoods, Institutions, and Sustainable Community Development. A Conceptual Analysis

The aim of this paper is to assess the links or interfaces between poverty, livelihoods, institutions, and sustainable community development through a literature review. To realize this objective, the study used the Department for International Development’s (United Kingdom) Sustainable Livelihoods Approach as an overarching theoretical foundation. A descriptive method of data analysis using secondary data and a qualitative research approach were followed. The current state of the problem has been explored by means of a deductive approach. The results of the conceptual analysis show that the interactions between poverty, livelihoods, institutions, and community development are significant. The study also revealed that institutions are crucial for the formation of livelihood possibilities and strategies for the poor and marginalized groups, and they play a significant role in sustainable development. Existing empirical evidence demonstrates that livelihood outcomes may be positive or negative based on vulnerability contexts, the nature of livelihood, institutional frameworks, and livelihood strategies followed. The study concludes that institutional influence is pivotal since it directly or indirectly affects the access to livelihood, determines livelihood strategies and outcomes. Policymakers are therefore expected to consider and comprehend the relationship between these notions before formulating policies, plans or programs to alleviate poverty and promote sustainable development effectively.

Revisiting the Neighborhood Effects on Disadvantaged Households in Indonesia

The latest statistics of 2022 record 9,57 percent of the Indonesian population living in poverty. As most of the study in this field merely focuses on the internal factors of poverty, this study contributes to providing more perspectives for poverty alleviation by revisiting spatial linkages on poor households’ income in East Java, the second most populated province in the economy. This study employs spatial econometrics analysis in a three-step procedure: (i) designing spatial weight matrix within nearest districts, (ii) doing Moran's I Test to identify spatial effects on the variables, lastly (iii) doing LM Test to find best regression model. Estimates on the SUSENAS 2017 database show that both Ordinary Least Square (OLS) and General Nesting Spatial (GNS) models provide similar results. Nonetheless, when compared with Akaike’s Information Criterion (AIC) model, the GNS model provides better accuracy. This means accommodating spatial effect is imperative. This study also finds a positive spillover of poor households’ income within neighboring districts. This implies the existence of multiplier effects in a household’s economic activities that later might form clusters of poverty. These suggest that the Sustainable Livelihood Approach interventions in the province should take into account differences in social institutions and other socio-cultural characteristics.

Bangladeshi Non-Government College Teachers under Threat of Maintaining Sustainable Livelihood in the Crisis of Pandemic: A Phenomenological Case Study

In this time of pandemic, the teaching community is admirably and desperately trying to avoid the crisis ‘tragedy of not earning’ in order to preserve their livelihood. This article explored the non-government honours and master’s college teachers' livelihoods from different perspectives during the COVID-19 to answer the four research questions. Some reports published in the mass media were influenced by the background of the study. Newspapers and TV channel reports mention that teachers, especially non-government college teachers, in Bangladesh struggled a lot in the COVID-19 pandemic due to their salary irregularities and termination. These reports inspired researchers to conduct this study to explore the authentic condition of their livelihood. This study employs a theoretical framework from the DFID’s Sustainable Livelihood Approach in order to illustrate the livelihood condition of teachers. This study employs a qualitative research paradigm based on phenomenological case study methodology, with the theoretical framework providing guidelines for in-depth interviews. Eight teachers from the eight-division of Bangladesh were interviewed. Due to the COVID-19 crisis, interviews were conducted through mobile phones. An interpretative thematic analysis was applied in this study. The study results show that teachers are in poor financial, physical, social, natural, and human conditions, and COVID-19 has destroyed their normalcy of life by causing insecurity, instability, and precarity. They are compelled to struggle to meet their basic demands, concentrating on different income-generating tasks rather than conducting classes. The government should take the initiative to provide soft loans to teachers as an incentive to survive in these emergencies. But the government should find sustainable solutions for the betterment of these college teachers, such as nationalisation of the college teachers or including them in the Monthly Payment Order (MPO) list. Teacher’s World: Journal of Education and Research, Vol. 48(2), Dec 2022, p.27-40

Informal sector counterpower in Harare, Zimbabwe

AbstractAfrican city governments have generally been harsh on the informal sector. Informal traders are considered a nuisance and unworthy of government support and are subjected to severe regulations and police harassment. The paper frames this anti-informal-sector approach in Harare, Zimbabwe, as sovereign power and the informal traders’ resistance as counterpower (after Foucault). We use the sustainable livelihoods approach (SLA. to analyze their response to sovereign power. Our interviews with 50 informal street traders and 20 key informants revealed that this counterpower takes the form of good business practices, building on urban–rural linkages and disobeying the current bylaws. The traders also actively avoid damage from police raids by being mobile, not displaying all their goods, setting out goods on a sheet for quick removal when threatened, storing goods elsewhere, and paying bribes for information about police activity. Our findings contradict the view of the informal sector traders as helpless victims of government brutality.

An Assessment Of The Potentials Of Artisanal Fisheries In Spearheading The Blue Economy Transformation In Zanzibar Islands

This article assesses the potentials of artisanal fisheries in spearheading the on-going Zanzibar blue economy transformation. It focuses on five artisanal fisheries potentials, adopted from the five livelihood assets of the Sustainable Livelihood Approach (SLA); financial, physical, natural, human and social. Data were drawn from 333 artisanal fishers in five Zanzibar villages using a cross-sectional research design. A questionnaire survey was employed to collect data and analysed using descriptive statistics of frequencies and percentages. Qualitative data were obtained through FGDs and direct observations and analysed thematically. The study results revealed that (96%) of fishers lacked access to loans to support their artisanal fisheries. Again, (54.65%) of fishers used canoe, which is one of the traditional and inefficient fishing vessels. Furthermore, (65.17%) of the fishers did not own the fishing vessels, however, majority of them (80.48%) owned fishing gears. The study also shows that there was low application of fishing technologies in artisanal fisheries. It further revealed that (79.88%) of the respondents had informal knowledge and skills which they inherited from their forefathers and (90.69%) of fishers were not attendants of any capacity building programmes organised either by governmental or non-governmental organisations, while, (58.86%) of the fishers sell their fish catches at their village market that lack modern fish preservation infrastructures. It also revealed that (77.78%) were non-members of fishers’ cooperatives. The study, therefore, recommends that the potentials of artisanal fisheries have to be improved and supported by governmental, non-governmental organisations, and other fisheries stakeholders to ensure sustainable spearheading of the exiting blue economy transformation in Zanzibar Islands.

Linkages between Livelihood Assets, Healthcare Facilities and Health Well-being: A Study of Indo-Bangladesh Border

This paper is devoted to exploring the linkages between livelihood assets, healthcare facilities and health well-being in Indo-Bangladesh international border adjacent location. To establish the linkages, Sustainable Livelihood Approach (SLA) has been adopted here. The study assumes that adjacency to the international border makes the location vulnerable. The study evaluates that lesser access to healthcare facilities in Border Adjacent Zone (BAZ) makes the people unable to cope with their poor health conditions. Even the livelihood asset is not at a satisfactory level by which the worse condition are to be overcome. Better health conditions and greater access to healthcare facilities make the households in Border Distant Zone (BDZ) enjoy sustainable health well-being that too with higher scores of livelihood assets.

Asset ownership and electricity access in the urban informal settlements of Kampala, Uganda

Delivering on the promise of SDG7 for low-income communities will require that we appropriately measure energy access. However, common measures use narrow indicators which do not acknowledge that poor households draw on multiple assets to access electricity. Using the asset pentagon of DFID's sustainable livelihoods framework, this study investigated asset ownership in a slum in Kampala, Uganda in relation to electricity access. Data were collected using household surveys [n = 450], and a multidimensional index and regression models applied to deduce asset ownership with respect to electricity access. We find that asset ownership is weak, especially for financial and natural assets compared to human, social and physical assets where households are better off. Grid-connected households exhibit stronger asset ownership than the unconnected, and assets also differ between residences, businesses, and mixed-use households. Households also interact with, manage, and leverage multiple assets to access electricity, depending on the ease with which those assets can be converted or exchanged for electricity. Policy and service provision should espouse existing everyday means of accessing electricity by capitalising on the assets in which households are strongest. Further, electricity provision goals for slums should be strongly linked with asset ownership and tangible livelihood outcomes for households, and exploring the micro-politics of electricity access and provision could offer directions for actualizing this linkage. Sustainable livelihoods approaches offer a valuable entry point for understanding energy access in deprived urban settings, from a perspective that encompasses multiple priorities for sustainable and inclusive urbanisation.

Modernization through solar off-grid electrification? A mixed picture for rural Sierra Leone

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between solar off-grid electrification and socio-economic development of rural Sierra Leone through the lens of the Sustainable Livelihood approach. To this end, the study focuses on the level of household income, education, and fuel choices for cooking as three selected outcome variables. The empirical analysis is based on the field survey data from the recently electrified Mobai and non-electrified Pendembu - two rural communities in Kailahun district of the Eastern Province of Sierra Leone. The study finds that electrification associates with a move of the household income to a higher income bracket and an increase of daily learning hours of the primary and low-secondary school-age children by 42 min a day. Furthermore, the clean electricity access in Mobai has not resulted in the replacement of carbon-intensive fuels such as firewood or charcoal with renewable electricity for cooking. This is attributed to the lack of affordability of electricity and electric stoves, and also the taste preferences.