Welfare Of Rural Households Research Articles

Harnessing Potentials of Indigenous Environmental Myths for Forest Conservation in Rivers State

Indigenous environmental mythology has long been an essential component of many communities' ecological and cultural systems in the Rivers State, Nigerian These myths, which usually stem from the notion that nature is untouchable, offer crucial insights into the practices of traditional forest protection. This study looks into how these indigenous myths could help with current conservation efforts, particularly those that are meant to protect forest resources. By examining a number of myths and the associated behaviours, the study demonstrated how these cultural narratives have historically controlled human interaction with the environment, ensuring the sustainable use of forest resources. It also suggested how community members can remain involved in the conservation of forest resources. The study pointed out the forest's critical role in the welfare of rural Nigerian households. Therefore, the more community people participate in sustainable forest management, the more the forests contribute to meeting the needs of rural Nigerian household welfare. Thus, it was concluded that community involvement not only protects people of the community's means of sustenance but also enhances the social, economic, and environmental aspects of forestry efforts.

Impact of Farmer Associations on Sales and Crop Diversification

Contributing to the growing interest in understanding the impact of farmer cooperatives on rural household welfare, we add new empirical evidence to the current literature and debate. In particular, this study investigates the impact of farmer cooperatives on sales per hectare of land and crop diversification, which have been largely overlooked. We apply the Propensity Score Matching method to the Cambodia Inter-Censal Agricultural Survey 2019, with its large sample size of 16,000 small-scale producers. Additionally, we perform a robustness check to ensure our findings are unbiased. Results indicate that Cambodian farmers perceive the cooperatives as a risk-sharing mechanism or knowledge-sharing platform that provides technical know-how to cope with natural calamities. Propensity Score Matching (PSM) outputs show a significantly positive impact of participating in the cooperatives on sales and the crop diversification index. This study thus advocates increasing technical support and implementing policies by the government to help cooperatives thrive and expand.

The impact of improved beehive technology adoption on rural household income, consumption expenditure and asset wealth in Wonchi districts, Ethiopia

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of adopting enhanced beehive technology on the welfare of rural households engaged in beekeeping activities in Ethiopia. We examined the impact of adopting enhanced beehive technology on welfare outcomes in the Wonchi districts using a two-stage random selection process and propensity score matching (PSM) methodology. This research offers novel perspectives on the adoption of enhanced beehive technology and its influence on household welfare outcomes in the field of beekeeping. It employs a comprehensive analysis that takes into account several dimensions, such as income, welfare, and spending. Our research findings indicate that several characteristics have a favorable impact on the adoption of enhanced beehive technology. These factors include the gender of the household head, the size of the land, the marital status of the household head, as well as the availability of extension services, input and credit services, and the total number of animals owned. On the other hand, age, dependency ratio, and proximity to farmer training facilities negatively impact the adoption of technology. The analysis using Propensity Score Matching (PSM) methodology demonstrated that the adoption of technology had a favorable influence on the income, wealth, non-food expenditure, and food expenditure of households. However, it is important to acknowledge some limitations. As the study relied on cross-sectional data from a specific region, its findings may not be generalizable to other locations or time periods. Additionally, self-reported data is subject to biases. Other potential limitations are the omission of other factors that could influence welfare outcomes and limited assessment of long-term sustainability. Based on our research results, policymakers should prioritize efforts to understand the determinants that facilitate the acceptance and utilization of enhanced beehive technologies in order to enhance the overall well-being of rural households. Further research is needed to address the study limitations.

Welfare Effects of Food Tariff Changes on Urban and Rural Households

This study aims to analyze the effects of food tariff changes on the welfare of urban and rural households in Iran. The study considers the role of households as consumers, producers, and workers, as well as the market structure over the past fifteen years. Firstly, the study estimated the consumption behavior for the main food groups using the QUAIDS and pseudo-panel data. Then, the extent of tariff pass-through to domestic food prices was determined, and after that, price-wage elasticity and wage changes as a result of tariff changes were estimated. Finally, it calculated the effect of tariff changes on household purchasing power and income through an indirect utility function to get welfare effects. The results indicate that tariff pass-through to food prices is incomplete and varies between urban and rural areas. The study has found that skilled labor is more sensitive to food tariff reductions than unskilled labor, particularly in rural areas. The results reveal that tariff changes positively affect urban households' welfare, while rural households experience a loss due to these changes. Urban areas benefit from reduced household expenditure, while food prices are increasing in rural areas due to weak or absent tariff pass-through. Although these increases favor producers, they do not compensate for the loss suffered by consumers, resulting in reduced welfare in rural areas. The findings show that the effects of tariff changes vary across regions, not only between urban and rural areas but also among different provinces. Furthermore, the tariff reductions have been a boon for consumers, but a bane for producers, ultimately harming production in the long term. The findings suggest that regional markets may be either sufficient or insufficient to convert pass-through-the-border prices into domestic prices. Therefore, policymakers can use this study as a useful guide to reform the regional market structure to raise household welfare, food security, and income inequality.

Effect of climate shocks on rural household welfare dynamics in Ethiopia: evidence from panel data

Effect of climate shocks on rural household welfare dynamics in Ethiopia: evidence from panel data

Agricultural services and rural household welfare: empirical evidence from Ghana

PurposeThis paper aimed to examine the impacts of agricultural services on welfare of rural farmers in Ghana.Design/methodology/approachUsing data from 1431 rural maize farmers, we employ multinomial endogenous switching regression and multivalued inverse probability weighted regression adjustment to assess the impacts.FindingsResults show that 19.8%, 9.7% and 3.42% of farmers adopted solely irrigation, extension and mechanization, respectively. Furthermore, utilizing a range of agricultural services significantly improves maize yields, gross income and per capita food consumption.Research limitations/implicationsThis study recommends strategies that target the adoption of combinations of agricultural services to enhance rural farmers’ welfare in Ghana and other developing countries.Originality/valueWhile agricultural services are claimed to improve agricultural production and peasants’ welfare, their impacts are not studied exhaustively. This paper contributes by providing empirical evidence of the impacts of agricultural services on farmers’ welfare.Peer reviewThe peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-11-2022-0745.

Rainfall variability and welfare of agricultural households: Evidence from rural Niger

AbstractVariable weather continues to be the major source of vulnerability to chronic hunger and poverty in many developing countries due to the strong dependency of livelihood strategies on rainfed farming. Quantifying the effect of climatic parameters on agricultural households is, therefore, necessary to help policymakers understand the benefits of climate policies, improve the allocation of the scarce resources dedicated to adaptation and prioritize among adaptation strategies. This article investigates the empirical relationship between the welfare of rural households and rainfall variability in the semi‐arid tropics, using household panel data and high‐resolution remotely sensed rainfall data from Niger. We find that a standard deviation increase in rainfall variability is associated with a reduction of real food consumption by 11.13%. Results also indicate that a standard deviation increase in rainfall variability reduces expenditures for cereal‐based products, animal‐based products and processed foods by 11.96%, 21.31%, and 16.23%, respectively. Our results are consistent across a battery of robustness checks. Finally, we find geographical‐based differences in terms of the effect and that access to cereal banks cushions the negative effect of rainfall variability. Policy interventions aiming at improving the well‐being of rural households should therefore emphasize improving climate adaptation strategies.

Interdependence of rural household welfare measurement in the context of climate variability in Ethiopia

The Ethiopian government and various stakeholders have made significant efforts to improve household consumption, poverty, and food security. However, the results have not met expectations. To ensure that programs are effective, it is critical to have a robust measure of well-being that considers social, economic, institutional and environmental challenges. Previous studies on welfare have focused on a single measurement, but it is important to recognize the interdependence between various well-being indicators to formulate comprehensive interventions and initiatives for rural households in the context of climate change and variability. This paper examines the dynamic link between unidimensional poverty, multidimensional poverty, and food security using panel data from Ethiopia. The interdependency of welfare measurements was estimated using a seemingly unrelated multivariate probit model with a conditional mixed process estimator with full information, a simulated maximum likelihood approach, and the presumption that different metrics can have various policy implications. The chances of interdependence wellbeing status were low for households that were simultaneously food insecure and poor or nonpoor. Multidimensional poverty has a higher success rate than food insecurity or consumption poverty. Unlike unidimensional poverty and food insecurity, multidimensional poverty has a higher chance of to be deprived. Policymakers must consider the synergies and trade-offs of different types of welfare and the dynamic linkage between climate-induced shocks and other covariates with household welfare to minimize households' vulnerability to climate-induced shocks for effective intervention for rural households to obtain a whole picture of wellbeing.

Prime Minister Social Security Schemes - An Investigation into the Well-being of Rural Households

Abstract: Background: In order to establish a universal social security system for Indian citizens, especially the rural, marginalized, and vulnerable groups, the Indian government launched three ambitious social security schemes related to the insurance and pension sectors on May 9, 2015. Objective: This article is an attempt to investigate the effectiveness of these three social security schemes — Atal Pension Yojna, PM Jeevan Jyoti Beema Yojna, and PM Suraksha Beema Yojna, in improving the well-being of the poor households from rural regions and the people from the unorganized section of the country. Methodology: This investigation is entirely based on secondary sources, particularly the research publications on the selected topic and the government documents, reports, policy announcements, and news sources. Findings: Focusing on the identified schemes and their respective benefits, the article critically investigated their achievements along with the various challenges faced in effectively executing these schemes. Conclusion: The researcher highlighted an urgent need for a multi-faceted approach involving policy adjustments, awareness campaigns, and targeted efforts to address the identified challenges in the effective execution of the identified social security schemes.

The substantial impacts of carbon capture and storage technology policies on climate change mitigation pathways in China

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology, considered as a pivotal tool in mitigating climate change within the fossil energy system, particularly in China, has experienced slower development than expected. The exploration of direct incentive policies to facilitate its growth remains relatively underdeveloped. This study developed a hybrid dynamic computable general equilibrium (CGE) model to simulate the substantial impacts of CCS incentive policies on China within the context of carbon neutrality target. Two potential incentive policies, carbon emission trading system (ETS) and 45Q tax credit, were simulated, with different sectoral coverage. The results indicate that CCS technologies can reduce carbon emissions by 960 ∼ 1,604 MtCO2 annually by 2060 through the strategic implementation of these incentive policies. The 45Q tax credit demonstrates its effectiveness in promoting early-stage research and development (R&D) and demonstration of CCS, while the ETS policy facilitates the commercial development of CCS in the later stage of development. By 2060, the implementation of CCS incentive policies could potentially result in 7.7 ∼ 17.4 % reduction in China’s primary energy consumption, 71.2 ∼ 82.7 % decrease in the carbon price of ETS and 5.64 ∼ 6.59 % increase in the GDP compared with the no-policy scenario. In addition, the sectoral output in various sectors and the welfare of urban and rural households also increase. This paper provides an important reference for the realization of China’s carbon neutrality goal and the model framework can be applied to other countries.

Determinants and impacts of rural crime victimization: Evidence from a case study in Southeast Asia

We use a panel dataset of around 3500 rural households from Southeast Asia and investigate evidence on crime victimization. More concretely, we ask (1) to what extent are rural people affected by crime? (2) What factors determine rural crime victimization? And (3) what are the impacts of crime victimization on welfare of rural households? We use the routine activity approach as the theoretical framework and apply different logit models to identify determinants of crime victimization. We find that 5.46% of the rural households have been victimized, mainly by theft, over the last 12 months, some of them even more than once. Living in a rural region with higher levels of inequality is positively correlated with the likelihood of theft victimization. Households with higher levels of crop commercialization are associated with a higher victimization risk, while households with more livestock and being more specialized in specific livestock species are associated with a lower risk. Moreover, past victimization and exposure to weather shocks are positively associated with the likelihood of being affected by crime. With respect to the impacts, we use the heteroscedasticity-based instrumental variable approach to account for endogeneity and find highly significant negative effects of agricultural theft victimization on food consumption and child health outcomes. We conclude that rural crime requires attention although overall incidence is low in rural Thailand and Vietnam. Guardianship should be promoted, especially in times of weather shocks. Finally, reducing inequality helps preventing theft.

Analyzing the Impact of Road Infrastructure Spending on Rural Household Welfare (Food Security) in Laos: A Comparison of DID and PSM-DID Approaches

To investigate the effects of road infrastructure investments on rural household welfare, this study combines DID analysis with Propensity Score Matching (PSM) and Difference-in-Differences (DID). Initial DID results point to a non-significant impact of road infrastructure investment on household well-being; however, PSM-DID analysis yields different conclusions. The non-significant DID results show a possible mismatch between theoretical predictions and actual results, challenging preconceived notions and contradicting empirical data. Nonetheless, the next PSM-DID analysis shows that investments in road infrastructure have a notable and beneficial effect on household welfare, especially when it comes to real food spending per capita. These findings highlight the need to use reliable approaches to precisely evaluate the effects of infrastructure investments. Furthermore, well-being is favorably influenced by control variables including household business, education, and urbanization. Welfare, however, is adversely affected by the size of the home and the number of individuals residing there. These results underline the complexity of rural development and the need for more study to fully comprehend the intricate relationships between these factors.

The welfare effects of digital infrastructure: Micro-level evidence from China

Over the past 40 years of reform and opening-up, China has achieved remarkable progress in rural infrastructure development. Although some empirical studies have demonstrated a positive relationship between the provision of digital infrastructure and increases in agricultural output and farmer income in various developing countries, research exploring the impact of digital infrastructure on rural households’ welfare is rare. This gap represents a significant issue for policymakers and academic researchers in developing countries today. By matching micro-survey data with county-level digital infrastructure investment data, this paper empirically examines the effects and mechanisms of digital infrastructure on the welfare of rural households using ordered probit and mediation models. We found that digital infrastructure has a significant impact on rural households’ overall welfare levels. Mechanism testing revealed that digital infrastructure operates through at least three distinct pathways, positively affecting both the economic and non-economic welfare of rural households. Additionally, the level of human capital and regional economic development exhibit notable heterogeneous effects on the impact of digital infrastructure. The validity of the results was demonstrated through instrumental variable regression and a series of robustness tests. The reason behind this result lies in the fact that the improvement of digital infrastructure in rural areas enhances households’ ability to access resources, develop skills, and engage in decision-making processes. This objectively improves their living standards and meets their needs. The empirical findings of this study have important policy implications for strengthening rural digital infrastructure, further enhancing rural households’ digital skills, and ultimately improving their overall welfare.

Economic benefits of climate-smart agricultural practices: empirical investigations and policy implications

Adopting climate-smart agricultural practices (CAPs) has the potential to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change and directly influence the well-being of households. Therefore, this research investigates the impact of CAP adoption intensity on household income, net farm income, and income diversity, using the 2020 China Rural Revitalization Survey data. We utilize the approach of two-stage residual inclusion (2SRI) to mitigate the endogeneity of CAP adoption intensity. The results show that CAP adoption intensity positively and significantly affects household income, net farm income, and income diversity. Heterogeneous analysis indicates that the impacts of CAP adoption intensity on household income increase across the selected quantiles, but the impacts on net farm income decrease across the same. In addition, CAP adoption intensity significantly improves income diversity only at the 20th quantile. Our findings suggest that enhancing farmers’ CAP adoption intensity improves rural household welfare.

Impact of urbanization on the welfare of farm households: Evidence from Adama Rural District in Oromia regional state, Ethiopia

Urbanization is a widespread phenomenon with varying causes, patterns, and effects across countries. However, existing studies have overlooked the specific impact of urbanization on households near urban areas by failing to compare them with households in more distant regions. This study examines the impact of urbanization on rural household welfare in the Adama Rural District of the Oromia Region, Ethiopia. A multi-stage sampling technique was employed, selecting a sample of 397 households from two distinct categories. Of these households, 148 were located near the urban center, while 249 were far away. The study utilized descriptive and inferential data analysis methods and employed the propensity score matching technique to investigate the impact on farm households. Data was collected through questionnaires to gather cross-sectional information, supplemented by qualitative insights from Key Informant Interviews. The findings revealed that households near urban areas had a significantly lower mean annual consumer expenditure of 5207 ETB compared to 8092 ETB spent by families in distant areas. The results from propensity score matching further indicated that households near urban centers experienced lower annual consumption expenditures than those located further away. These results highlight the influence of urbanization on the welfare of rural farming households near urban areas. To address the negative effects of urbanization on these households, city administrations, and regional governments need to prioritize the development and implementation of alternative livelihood support strategies. Additionally, the study emphasizes the necessity of implementing policies that mitigate farmland loss while considering the socioeconomic factors impacting farmers in the region.

Smallholder commercialisation and rural household welfare: panel data evidence from Ethiopia

Abstract This paper examines the relationship between smallholder commercialisation and rural household welfare. Employing a comprehensive three-wave panel dataset of smallholder maize farmers in Ethiopia, we find a positive association between commercialisation and household income which translates to wealth endowments through asset ownership and accumulation. We also show that commercialisation is associated with poverty reduction by reducing the prevalence of income poverty and the poverty gap. Deep diving into who benefits most from commercialisation, we find that agricultural commercialisation is inclusive and benefits all households. However, the greatest welfare gains accrue to income-poor households, suggesting some potential for reducing rural inequality. These insights support existing evidence that smallholder commercialisation is pro-poor and could be a significant entry point for stirring income growth and development in rural areas. Consequently, supporting poor and marginalised farmers with resources needed to boost agricultural production and commercialisation are relevant steps in the right direction of ensuring integrated rural development.

Can citrus farmers earn more from selling online?

Online sales are essential for linking smallholder farmers to a wide range of markets. In essence, online sales not only influence the income received from selling a specific product but also generate spillover effects on total farm income and household income because they promote the sales of other agricultural products and generate regional off-farm work opportunities (e.g. product sorting, packaging, and delivery). Taking citrus as an example, this study explores the income effects of online sales with a focus on net returns from citrus production, net farm income, and household income. We used an endogenous treatment regression model to address the self-selection bias issues of online sales and estimated data collected from 926 citrus-producing households in Jiangxi Province, China. The results show that online citrus sales boost income growth in rural China. Specifically, online sales significantly increased net returns from citrus production, net farm income, and household income by 5,000 Yuan/capita, 8,580 Yuan/capita, and 17,830 Yuan/capita, respectively. The income-enhancing effects of online sales are greater for female household heads than they are for their male counterparts. Our findings emphasise the importance of promoting online sales to improve rural household welfare.

Agricultural productivity, land use intensification and rural household welfare: evidence from Ethiopia

ABSTRACT While the role of agricultural productivity in alleviating poverty and enhancing household well-being is widely acknowledged, the micro-level evidence on the relationship between smallholder productivity and rural household welfare remains scarce in sub-Saharan Africa. Utilising three-wave comprehensive panel data from rural Ethiopia, this paper offers valuable insights into the effect of maize productivity on rural household welfare. We use both fixed-effects and correlated random-effects IV estimators to account for unobserved heterogeneity and endogeneity. Our findings reveal that increased maize productivity leads to higher household income, enhanced maize consumption, and greater asset ownership, ultimately reducing rural poverty. Notably, the welfare gains from maize productivity vary among farm households, with the most substantial effects observed among advantaged households, particularly those headed by male farmers and those with a more favourable economic standing in terms of poverty status. These results not only hold promise for poverty reduction through intensified agricultural practices in rural Ethiopia but also emphasise the necessity for targeted interventions to ensure equitable distribution of welfare benefits.

Exploring the potentials of underutilised indigenous legume for nutritional welfare of rural households in the Northern Part of Oyo State Nigeria

This study analyzed the nature of household demand and the factors that determined household demand for pigeon pea in Oyo State, Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique was employed to select 150 households. Primary data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics and Almost Ideal Demand System (AIDS) model. The results of the study showed that the majority(87.3 %) of the sample household were male-headed, married (80 %), between the ages of 40 and 60 years, with a mean household size of nine persons, and their primary occupation was farming. On average, households consumed 2.1 kg of pigeon pea per month and the household head earned ₦460,000 ($1150) per annum. The result of the AIDS model showed that pigeon pea was a normal and necessary food, and as well as complementary food for tubers and cereals. Further, household head’s age, formal education and pigeon pea attributes (taste and cooking time), significantly influenced household’s demand for pigeon pea. Research efforts should, therefore, be tailored towards improved varieties with less cooking time, better taste and awareness creation of its nutritional value to increase production, marketing and consumption for improved nutrition security in the study area.

Impact of agricultural commercialization on dietary diversity and vulnerability to poverty: Insights from Chinese rural households

In this study, we examine the role of agricultural commercialization in influencing rural households’ dietary diversity and vulnerability to poverty. The instrumental variable (IV)-based approaches, including IV-Poisson and IV-Probit models, are employed to estimate the data collected through the China Land Economic Survey project. The results show that a higher level of agricultural commercialization is positively and significantly associated with higher dietary diversity and lower vulnerability to poverty. The poverty-reduction effect of agricultural commercialization is robust to the adjusted poverty line. Further analysis reveals that increasing the level of agricultural commercialization significantly increases the consumption levels of legumes, fruits, livestock meat, and poultry meat. The findings highlight the importance of linking farmers to markets for commercializing agricultural products, a practical way to improve rural household welfare and reduce the risk of falling into poverty.