A Quest for Livelihood Sustainability? Patterns, Motives and Determinants of Non-Farm Income Diversification among Agricultural Households in Punjab, Pakistan
| Autor: | Abdus Samie, Azhar Abbas, Rakhshanda Kousar, Muhammad Iqbal, Muhammad Sohail Amjad Makhdum, Nasir Nadeem, Muhammad Rizwan, Muhammad Nazam |
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| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2021 |
| Předmět: |
start-up
animal diseases Geography Planning and Development Farm income TJ807-830 adaptation Management Monitoring Policy and Law Family income TD194-195 Renewable energy sources profitability GE1-350 community support Socioeconomics business Socioeconomic status Environmental effects of industries and plants Renewable Energy Sustainability and the Environment business.industry Livelihood sustainability Environmental sciences Social protection Agriculture Household income Business Rural area constraints |
| Zdroj: | Sustainability Volume 13 Issue 16 Sustainability, Vol 13, Iss 9084, p 9084 (2021) |
| ISSN: | 2071-1050 |
| DOI: | 10.3390/su13169084 |
| Popis: | Many farmers worldwide resort to choosing various income-earning options for diversifying their income sources as a means of risk-avoidance, social protection, and, above all, to finance agricultural operations. Non-farm income generation among farm families has become an imperative part of livelihood earning strategies in recent years amid fast-evolving climatic and sociodemographic changes. In this regard, this study seeks to identify the patterns and socioeconomic factors responsible for the uptake of various non-farm income diversification sources among agricultural households in southern Punjab, Pakistan. For this purpose, a total of 290 farm households were sampled using a random sampling technique to collect relevant data through structured questionnaires. Results show that approximately 79% of the surveyed farmers were involved in non-farm income generation activities, whereas, the income from these sources accounts for about 15% of total household income. The majority of the respondents offered labour for off-farm work followed by self-employment ventures. The major reason to pursue non-farm work includes low income from agriculture, mitigating risks associated with farming, and acquiring funds to finance farming operations, along with the desire to increase family income. A range of socioeconomic and infrastructure-related variables are associated with the decision to participate in specific off-farm activity, such as age, education, family size, farm income, dependency burden, farming experience, and distance to the main city. Results imply the provision of technical support to increase livelihood from farming operations to ensure food security and curb rural-urban migration. However, vocational training can enhance the rural inhabitants’ skillset to diversify on the farm through agribusiness development within rural areas, enabling them to employ local people instead of populating urban centres. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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