POVERTY AND DIVERSITY OF LIVELIHOOD SYSTEMS IN POST-APARTHEID RURAL SOUTH AFRICA: INSIGHTS INTO LOCAL LEVELS IN THE EASTERN CAPE PROVINCE

This paper highlights the plight of black rural areas in South Africa, in which deep poverty and weak subsistence agriculture are embedded. The apartheid policy and its numerous measures are the first causes of such a situation. Besides, the existence of a relatively well-developed non-agricultural labour market also maintains productive agricultural activities at a low level. This paper attempts to contextualize those elements in the Eastern Cape province. At province level, the paper first provides the main features of poverty and livelihood systems. Then, typological approaches are used to better understand the socio-economic diversity of local livelihood systems, beyond generic statistics. The results show that diversity is a major trait of local livelihood systems. Pensions and remittances are the pillars of livelihood systems, whereas local off-farm job opportunities remain scarce. Farming activities, although widespread, form a significant source of cash income for a small proportion of households. The factors influencing such a diversity and the evolution of types are discussed. It is confirmed that rural areas in Transkei follow some major trends that have been identified at a global level: diversification of rural livelihood at household level, de-agrarianisation and de-peasantisation at community level.Food Security and Poverty, Land Economics/Use,

Emerging Smallholder Rubber Farming Systems in India and Thailand: A Comparative Economic Analysis

This paper provides a comparative perspective on the performance of smallholder rubber farm livelihood systems based on case studies of two regions in India and Thailand. The analysis of the emerging farming systems in the two countries’ rubber farms reveals that the rubber monocrop system is viable, provided prices remain remunerative and primary markets efficient. Findings further indicate the dominant contribution ofrubber production to the gross household income of the rubber growers in the integrated farming systems. Nevertheless, from a sustainable livelihoods perspective, the socioeconomic significance of the rubber integrated farming systems assumes greater prominence, given the fact that small producers are highly vulnerable to market uncertainties. It has been found that rubber integrated livelihood systems provide the smallholders with ample capability for resilience during crises and ensure a sustained flow of income. The two case studies demonstrate the need to promote and scale up rubber integrated farm livelihood systems in the smallholder-dominated rubber producing countries in the Asian region. The paper also recommends enhancing the capabilities of the smallholders by strengthening their access to the five forms of capital that sustain their livelihood.

Designing Livelihood Systems Incorporating Trees for Smallholders on Leyte

This paper outlines proposed project activities associated with the design of tree farm based livelihood systems for smallholders on Leyte Island in the Philippines. In activity 3.1, four research questions will be addressed related to identifying livelihood strategies currently implemented by smallholder tree farmers and how these systems relate to food and income security; investigating whether livelihood systems can be developed which better meet the needs of a wider range of smallholders and whether there is potential for incorporating non-timber forest products into livelihood systems. This activity draws upon information collected from tree farms included as part of research in Activities 2.2 and 2.5

The social regulation of livelihoods in unplanned settlements in Freetown: implications for strategies of formalisation

This paper questions strategies of economic formalisation which prioritise the extension of state regulation as a means of extending access to labour protection and social protection. It draws on a research project on key livelihood systems and their associated governance arrangements in three unplanned urban settlements in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Our analysis of these fishing, and sand and stone-quarrying livelihood systems highlights the collective systems of regulation of these sectors by a range of different state and non-state actors. Reviewing the contributions of these various arrangements we suggest that, instead of focusing on formalisation as pursued primarily through the extension of state regulation, it is also crucial to explore means of working with the (informal) social arrangements through which these livelihood systems are governed

Assessing impacts of pathogen-tested sweetpotato planting materials in Central Luzon, Philippines

Sweet potato production in Central Luzon, Philippines has been plagued by a virus disease complex locally known as “camote kulot.” Aside from causing more than 50% reduction in yield, the disease was also responsible for the loss of an important variety with good and well-accepted agronomic characteristics. Interagency efforts resulted in a technology in the production of clean planting materials through thermotheraphy and meristem culture. A sweetpotato variety has been cleaned up, reproduced and multiplied for farmers use. CIP-UPWARD supported the use of participatory R&D approaches to adapt CPM in sweetpotato-associated livelihood systems in the region. The program implemented livelihood systems analysis, farmer field schools and farmer participatory researches. Several technical and socio-economic evaluation activities were also conducted to determine the contribution of these projects and CPM in livelihood systems. The results indicated the role of participatory approaches in facilitating project outputs and outcomes. PR&D approaches intensify awareness of research and development institutions about “kulot” and the potential of CPM in solving it leading to their provision of resources and other support to its solution. CPM were produced and used by 117 farmers in 19 villages of the provinces of Tarlac and Bataan. Local government units provided their own resources to so that their constituents will benefit from the technology. They build nethouses, finance FFS and mobilize communities leading to establishment of enterprises out of CPM technology. Unfortunately, there are a number of technical, socio-economic and policy issues that limits more widespread use of CPM and improvements in contributions of sweetpotato to the livelihood systems of households in the region. The paper also looks at the various elements of participatory research and development, how they have been operationalized within the project context and how they have contributed to achieving project outcomes and impacts. These elements evolved from UPWARD’s own field-based experiences and from efforts by other organizations to develop a wide range of participatory approaches. The paper explores the use of the following elements - problem-based agenda, impact-driven objectives, field-based action, user responsiveness, household orientation, livelihood systems framework, integration of scientific and local knowledge, interdisciplinary mode and inter-institutional partnerships, as touchstones for assessing PR&D processes

Constraint Analysis of Livelihood Systems in Coral Ecosystem

To secure people's livelihood security, it is important to determine the inhibiting factors so that necessary interventions may accordingly be made to create a conducive climate for them. A study was conducted in Lakshadweep islands of India to evaluate various constraints for sustainable livelihood approach. Respondents were classified into three livelihood classes based on their livelihood options. Results of the study showed that personal constraints followed by economic, promotional and infrastructural constraints were significantly different among people engaged in different livelihood options. Ecological and social constraints were not significantly different among groups. Multiple comparison of different groups showed that people depending on non-farm sector only (group 2) and those engaged in both farm and non-farm sector (group3) were on par regarding personal, economic and promotional infrastructural constraints

A baseline appraisal of water-dependant ecosystem services, the roles they play within desakota livelihood systems and their potential sensitivity to climate change

This report forms part of a larger research programme on 'Reinterpreting the Urban-Rural Continuum', which conceptualises and investigates current knowledge and research gaps concerning 'the role that ecosystems services play in the livelihoods of the poor in regions undergoing rapid change'. The report aims to conduct a baseline appraisal of water-dependant ecosystem services, the roles they play within desakota livelihood systems and their potential sensitivity to climate change. The appraisal is conducted at three spatial scales: global, regional (four consortia areas), and meso scale (case studies within the four regions). At all three scales of analysis water resources form the interweaving theme because water provides a vital provisioning service for people, supports all other ecosystem processes and because water resources are forecast to be severely affected under climate change scenarios. This report, combined with an Endnote library of over 1100 scientific papers, provides an annotated bibliography of water-dependant ecosystem services, the roles they play within desakota livelihood systems and their potential sensitivity to climate change. After an introductory, section, Section 2 of the report defines water-related ecosystem services and how these are affected by human activities. Current knowledge and research gaps are then explored in relation to global scale climate and related hydrological changes (e.g. floods, droughts, flow regimes) (section 3). The report then discusses the impacts of climate changes on the ESPA regions, emphasising potential responses of biomes to the combined effects of climate change and human activities (particularly land use and management), and how these effects coupled with water store and flow regime manipulation by humans may affect the functioning of catchments and their ecosystem services (section 4). Finally, at the meso-scale, case studies are presented from within the ESPA regions to illustrate the close coupling of human activities and catchment performance in the context of environmental change (section 5). At the end of each section, research needs are identified and justified. These research needs are then amalgamated in section 6