Rural Livelihoods

Joanna, Talia, Martin & David

Overview of Presentation
Origin of livelihood discourse
Definitions of livelihoods Hierarchical levels of livelihood approaches

LH approaches
Framework for analyzing livelihoods Issues and critiques of livelihood approaches Case studies

Definitions of livelihoods
Livelihood compromises the capabilities, assets (both material and social resources) and activities required for a means of living (Chamber 1992)

Adequate stocks and flows of food and cash to meet basic needs (WCEDC 1987)

Origins of livelihood concept

Livelihoods thinking dates back to the work of Robert Chambers in the mid-1980s (further developed by Chambers, Conway and others in the early 1990s). Since that time a number of development agencies have adopted livelihoods concepts and made efforts to begin implementation The term 'sustainable livelihood' came to prominence as a development concept in the early 1990s, drawing on advances in understanding of famine and food insecurity during the 1980s (UNDP 2009)

Much of the literature takes an adaptation of Chambers and Conways (1991) definition of livelihoods.

LH in the development agenda

Integrating concepts for LH approaches
Concept of livelihoods came to incorporate the idea of security and sustainability. Livelihoods are sustainable when it can cope with and recover from stresses and shocks, maintain or enhance its capabilities and assets, while not undermining the natural resource base Sustainable livelihood security was seen as a precondition for a stable human population. Concept of sustainable livelihoods is thus increasingly central to the debate about rural development, poverty reduction and environmental degradation (Scoones 1998)

Hierarchical levels of LH
Individual Household Household cluster Extended kin Village/community Region Nation

LH dimensions (Chambers 1992)

1. Creation of working days
2. Poverty Reduction 3. Well-being and capabilities
Livelihood

4. LH adaptation, vulnerability and resilience

5. Natural resource base of sustainability
Sustainability

Framework for analyzing LH

Difficulties in livelihoods approach

Definitions is not particularly clear can vary among different contexts
Changes is definitions through time Sustainability No neat, simple algorithm for objectively measuring sustainable livelihoods (Scoones)

Case-studies on livelihoods South Africa

Case study - a Well-off Accumulator
Secondary education / strong commitment to church led to tertiary education Social networks business partner and access to information about available land Among 1st black farmers to attend the NAMPO Congress (national maize growers organization) Good relationships with political power granted him the purchase option of lands Gave education to children Importance of networks, information and access to state Flexibility and responsiveness to new opportunities in livelihood strategies

 Case study - Vulnerable Farm Labourers

Husband and wife /farmers / no schooling Owner of farm they used to work for years died look for a new place to live Seasonal farming Husband went blind No identify documents /No awareness on entitlement for disability benefits 5 children no schooling Dependency on 2 of their daughters for money and food Lack of skills to work outside the farming sector Lack of access to information about social security entitlements Vulnerability of a livelihood on the effects of illness