scholarly journals Forest Dependence among Rural Households in Southern Ghana: Implications for Conservation and Poverty Reduction

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-24
Author(s):  
Philip Prince Kwasi Mantey ◽  
Joseph Kofi Teye

While it is widely acknowledged that an understanding of the determinants of rural households’ forest extraction and dependence on forest resources is important for policies on forest conservation and rural development, the factors that determine Ghanaian households’ dependence on forests are neither adequately explored nor well-understood.  Against this background, this paper examines the extraction and dependence on forest resources among rural households in the forest communities of Southern Ghana. Data were collected through a household livelihood survey and in-depth interviews in two forest communities. Regression models were then used to investigate key factors that condition the households' dependence on forests in the study communities. The findings indicate that almost all households are engaged in forest extraction. The average overall contribution of forests to household income in the study communities was 21 percent and constituted the third largest contributor to household income following crop income and non-farm income. The findings also indicate that forests also play an essential safety net role in the face of unforeseen income shortfalls and ultimately, in poverty alleviation. The results further reveal that the rural household's extraction of forest resources and consequently its dependence on forests (livelihood strategy) are a function of its access to other livelihood assets, its vulnerability context as well as other context variables. Recommended policy interventions for forest conservation and sustainable rural development include securing the natural resource base, broadening poor people's livelihood options and improving access to education in rural communities.

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (17) ◽  
pp. 6877
Author(s):  
Eunji Choi ◽  
Jonghoon Park ◽  
Seongwoo Lee

Faced with an aging and declining population, many governments around the world endeavor to revitalize their rural communities in a sustainable manner. In South Korea, the Comprehensive Rural Village Development Program (CRVDP) was carried out from 2004 to 2013 as a key strategy to reinvigorate rural areas. This study aims to conduct an ex-post quantitative evaluation of the effectiveness of the CRVDP in boosting rural households’ farm income. In doing so, the present study adopts quasi-experimental research design that is seldom utilized in assessing rural policies. As an alternative evaluation tool with flexibility for using readily available data, the study employed the combined application of the Heckman selection model and the Blinder–Oaxaca decomposition method. The study revealed a significant positive impact of the Program on farm income of rural households in the program-supported areas from both cross-sectional and longitudinal perspectives. A robust causal estimation of the impact of this bottom-up, multi-sectoral rural development program on farm income is achieved, which can be leveraged to widely promote similar type of rural development approach.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fassil Eshetu

Abstract The aim of this study was to measure the level and determinants of rural households’ vulnerability to food insecurity using a sample of 574 households and feasible generalized least square method. Results showed that the mean level of food insecurity at high land, low land and middle land areas are 73.12, 77.11 and 52.24 percent respectively. But mean level of vulnerability to food insecurity at high land, low land and middle land areas are 76.87, 84.32 and 55.62 percent respectively. The overall level of food insecurity and vulnerability to food insecurity in the study area are 68.31 and 73.34 perecent respectively. Thus, vulnerability to food insecurity is more wide spread in the study areas particularly in moisture stress low land area. Logistic regression showed that age of household, family size, off farm income, safety net programs, distance from health, death of household members and death of animals significantly increase rural households’ vulnerability to food insecurity. But, farm income, irrigation use and credit uses significantly decrease rural households’ vulnerability to food insecurity. Hence, government may help rural households to gather more resources and reduce vulnerability to food insecurity via better access to credit, infrastructure, irrigation uses and population control.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (18) ◽  
pp. 10182
Author(s):  
Rachmat Mulia ◽  
Elisabeth Simelton ◽  
Tan Quang Nguyen ◽  
Magnus Jirström

Rural households in Asian developing countries such as Vietnam have been participating in non-farm activities for decades, yet impacts beyond the economy of these households are little understood. Using evidence from available literature and two case studies from rural Vietnam, this paper exposes a range of socio-cultural impacts of non-farm activities. An increased social tension driven by a widening economic gap between poor and better-off households or ethnic majority and minority groups was the most frequently reported impact in the literature. The case studies reveal additional impacts, notably those associated with public security, preservation of local culture, and safety of farm households with migrants during and following climate-related disasters. An increasing number of young migrants who exited family farms to access non-farm jobs partially led to the latter two impacts. The rural development and poverty reduction policies of Vietnam enacted in the past two decades (2000–2020) that promoted livelihood diversification had limited measures addressing socio-cultural impacts of non-farm activities. An amendment of these two categories of policies for the implementation beyond 2020 or a strengthened synergy in implementation with other categories of policy such as social policies is necessary to ensure sustainable rural development in Vietnam.


2013 ◽  
pp. 49-73
Author(s):  
Suh Chong-Hyuk ◽  
Kim Hyong-Mo

From the early seventies the Korean Government has adopted a rural industrialization policy as an important measure for promoting rural development. It has been perceived that through this measure the over-concentration of economic activity would be controlled and dispersed. Development of rural industrialization has passed through three different phases: i) the period of promoting rural cottage-type industries (1960-80); ii) the period of rural industrial park establishment; and iii) a stagnation period after the early 1990s. Throughout the overall period government policy changed from an individual project-oriented approach to a diversified and comprehensive policy program. The policy programs, such as the development of rural industrial parks, off-farm income source development and vocational training programs for farm youths, have helped in promoting rural industrialization. On the other hand, policy programs promoting rural out-migration and unbalanced regional development policy have impacted negatively on rural industrialization. Presently one of the serious policy issues facing rural industries is how to secure a young labor force and how to promote rural entrepreneurship. In addition, rural development efforts by local government and authorities are necessary in order to increase investment from urban-based entrepreneur firms. Keywords:Rural industrialization, farm household, off-farm income, rural development, rural industrial park, rural


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