875 resultados para cash income
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In recent years, researchers and policy makers have recognized that nontimber forest products (NTFPs) extracted from forests by rural people can make a significant contribution to their well-being and to the local economy. This study presents and discusses data that describe the contribution of NTFPs to cash income in the dry deciduous forests of Orissa and Jharkhand, India. In its focus on cash income, this study sheds light on how the sale of NTFPs and products that use NTFPs as inputs contribute to the rural economy. From analysis of a unique data set that was collected over the course of a year, the study finds that the contribution of NTFPs to cash income varies across ecological settings, seasons, income level, and caste. Such variation should inform where and when to apply NTFP forest access and management policies.
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Bibliography: leaves 128-132.
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We evaluated the impacts of wildlife on household food security and income in three semi-arid villages adjacent to Lake Manyara National Park (LMNP) and Mkomazi Game Reserve (MGR) in Northeastern Tanzania. Survey data were collected using both household interviews and human-wildlife conflict related archive information from the village government offices. Crop destruction by wildlife influenced both household food security and cash income. Crop damage to households was, on average, 0.08 ton/annum, equivalent to two months household loss of food and reduced household cash income by 1.3%. A combination of measures is proposed as incentives for conservation. These include provision of economic incentives, soft loans to initiate non-farm (e.g., ecotourism, business enterprises) projects to ease dependency on natural resources, increasing of reserves buffer zones and fencing of reserves.
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This extension circular covers the following areas of a cash flow planning form: Beginning Cash Balance, Operating Sales (crop and hay, market livestock, livestock product, custom work); Capital Sales (breeding livestock, machinery and equipment); Personal Income (wages, interest); Operating Expenses (car/truck, chemicals, conservation, custom hire, feed purchased, fertilizers and lime, freight and trucking, gasoline, fuel and oil, insurance, labor hired, rents and leases, repairs and maintenance, seeds and plants, storage, warehousing, supplies, taxes, utilities, veterinary, breeding fees and medicine, feeder livestock); Capital Purchases (breeding livestock, machinery and equipment, family living withdrawals, personal investments, income and social security, term loan payments); Net Cash Available (operating loan borrowings, operating loan payments); and Ending Operating Loan Balance. Along with the Cash Flow Planning Form is a Projected Income Statement Form which covers Projected Business Income (operating sales, breeding livestock, estimated cash income adjustments, estimated gross revenues, estimated value of production); Project Business Expenses (cash operating, esimated operating, prepaid and supplies, cash investment in growing crops, accounts payable); Projected Net Income Summary (estimated net income from operations, estimated net business income, estimated net income after taxes, estimated earned net worth change); and a Physical Inventory Flows Worksheet.
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This dissertation concerns the Punan Vuhang, former hunter-gatherers who are now part-time farmers living in an area of remote rainforest in the Malaysian state of Sarawak. It covers two themes: first, examining their methods of securing a livelihood in the rainforest, and second looking at their adaptation to a settled life and agriculture, and their response to rapid and large-scale commercial logging. This study engages the long-running debates among anthropologists and ecologists on whether recent hunting-gathering societies were able to survive in the tropical rainforest without dependence on farming societies for food resources. In the search for evidence, the study poses three questions: What food resources were available to rainforest hunter-gatherers? How did they hunt and gather these foods? How did they cope with periodic food shortages? In fashioning a life in the rainforest, the Punan Vuhang survived resource scarcity by developing adaptive strategies through intensive use of their knowledge of the forest and its resources. They also adopted social practices such as sharing and reciprocity, and resource tenure to sustain themselves without recourse to external sources of food. In the 1960s, the Punan Vuhang settled down in response to external influences arising in part from the Indonesian-Malaysian Confrontation. This, in turn, initiated a series of processes with political, economic and religious implications. However, elements of the traditional economy have remained resilient as the people continue to hunt, fish and gather, and are able to farm on an individual basis, unlike neighboring shifting cultivators who need to cooperate with each other. At the beginning of the 21st century, the Punan Vuhang face a new challenge arising from the issue of rights in the context of the state and national law and large-scale commercial logging in their forest habitat. The future seems bleak as they face the social problems of alcoholism, declining leadership, and dependence on cash income and commodities from the market.
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The problematic of invasive species in an alien environment has aroused the attention of scientists all over the world for quite some time. One of the exotic tree species that has provoked special attention in the tropical drylands is Prosopis juliflora. Originating in South America, prosopis (hereafter referred to as prosopis) has been introduced in the hot and semi-arid zones of the world particularly to provide fuelwood, to stabilize sand dunes and to combat desertification. The tree has become an essential source for fuelwood and a provider of several other products and services in areas where it has become established. However, despite the numerous benefits the tree provides to rural people, in several regions prosopis has become a noxious weed with a negative impact on the environment and to the economy of farmers and landowners. In India, prosopis was introduced in Andhra Pradesh in 1877. The tree was then proclaimed as the precious child of the plant world by scientists and local people alike. The purpose of this study was to investigate the overall impact of prosopis on local rural livelihoods in the drylands of South India. Of particular interest was the examination of the different usages of the tree, especially as fuelwood, and people s perceptions of it. Furthermore, the study examined the negative impacts of the uncontrolled invasion of prosopis on croplands, and its occupation of the banks of irrigation canals and other water sources. As another central theme, this study analysed the Hindu classification system for nature and for trees in particular. In India, several tree species are regarded as sacred. This study examined the position of the exotic prosopis among sacred trees, such as the bodhi, banyan and neem trees. The principle method for collecting the field data was by using individual and thematic group interviews. These interviews were semi-structured with open ended questions. Moreover, unstructured interviews as well as general observations provided complementary information. The data were gathered during two fieldwork periods in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, in South India. The results confirmed that prosopis both provides benefits and causes hazards to different stakeholders. Farmers and agriculturalists suffer economic losses in areas where prosopis has invaded crop fields and competes with other plants for water and nutrients. On the other hand, for a significant number of poor rural people, prosopis has become an important source of livelihood benefits. This tree, which grows on government wastelands, is commonly a free resource for all and has thus become a major local source of fuelwood. It also provides several other goods and services and cash income that contributes to improve livelihoods in rural communities. Prosopis ranked lowest in the tree classificatioin system of the Hindus of South India. Although it is appreciated for many benefits it provides for poor people, it has remained an outsider compared with the indigenous tree species. On the other hand, the most sacred trees, such as the bodhi or the banyan, are completely excluded from extraction and it is seen as a sacrilege to even cut branches from any of these trees. An unexpected finding was that, in a few cases, prosopis had also been elevated to the status of a sacred tree. Goods and services from prosopis are not utilized in the most beneficial way. Silvicultural management practices are suggested that would provide additional income and employment opportunities. Interventions are recommended to control further invasion of the tree that might cause serious negative effects in the future. For Hindus, the sacred always ranks highest, even above economic gain. The conservation of sacred groves and sacred trees is a tradition that has its roots in ancient history. These socio-religious practices need to be respected and continued. Successful management of tree and forest resources depends on the willingness of the local people to manage their natural resources, and this willingness exists and has always existed in South India. Keywords: South India, drylands, livelihood, fuelwood, invasive, resource, silviculture.
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Why are SRS important? The answer is to be found in this well-structured survey under: SRS as food source; SRS as additional source of cash income; Role of SRS in social capital. An analysis of the threats to SRS and the potential management options for farmer managed aquatic systems are also available in this survey along with the following definition of SRS: SRS are defined as aquatic animals that can be harvested from farmer managed aquatic systems without regular stocking. (PDF contains 4 pages)
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毛乌素沙地是我国十二大沙漠之一,地处北方干旱半干旱区向亚湿润区过渡地带,长期以来,不合理的人类土地利用,结合当地脆弱的环境生态特征,引起了严重的现代荒漠化过程,是我国北方荒漠化研究的重点地区。本文着重从自然和人文学科密切合作的角度,对毛乌素沙地土地利用/土地覆被变化的内在作用机制进行了研究,得到以下主要结论: 1. 利用多年实地观测数据资料,考察了毛乌素沙地四种主要草地类型代表性植物群落地上生物量响应气候因子波动的变化规律,建立了植物地上生物量对气候因子的逐月回归模型,揭示出如下规律:①各种气候因子对不同类型草地以及同一类型不同生长阶段草地都产生不同的影响作用;②同一气候因子在植物不同生长阶段上,对生物量形成的重要性程度存在差异:③在植物生长期内,每个生长阶段的生物量都对后一时期的生物量产生显著影响,说明植物生长的连续性对于生物量的形成和积累是重要的;④在植物的凋枯期,各种气候因子基本上都不对生物量产生显著影响;⑤水分因子对毛乌素沙地几乎各种类型草地的生物量,都是重要的影响因子,毛乌素沙地降水状况在不同年份的显著波动对草地植物地上生物量的影响,不仅直接构成了土地覆被变化的重要组成部分,而且还影响到土地利用的方式、方法和后果。 2. 在考察毛乌素沙地草地地上生物量对气候因子变化的响应规律中,利用逐月动态回归建模方法改进了传统的累积气候因子回归建模方法。逐月回归模型与累积回归模型的比较显示,逐月动态回归模型的优势表现在三个方面:①可以提供累积回归模型无法揭示的作用规律;②模拟更加精确;③可以预测不同气候条件下群落地上生物量的变化范围。 3. 利用风速、降水和潜在蒸发等气象记录资料,建立了毛乌素沙地气候因子影响沙尘暴频率的作用模型,定量地考察了沙地各处气候因子对沙尘暴频率的影响作用。研究表明,气候因素是导致毛乌素沙地沙尘暴发生的主导原因,在沙地各处,气候因子可以解释沙尘暴频率分布格局总信息的比率分别为:乌审召83.6%,乌审旗77.5%,河南82.4%,鄂托克旗79.8%,新街73.1%,伊金霍洛旗82%。 4. 在定量考察气候因素对沙尘暴频率影响作用的基础上,对影响沙尘暴频率格局的自然和人为因素进行了定量分离,研究表明:人为影响因素对对沙尘暴发生起次要作用,解释沙尘暴频率分布格局信息的比率分别为:乌审召16.4%,乌审旗22.5%,河南17.6%,鄂托克旗20.2%,新街26.9%,伊金霍洛旗18%。 自然和人为因素影响作用的定量分离研究表明,毛乌素沙地人为因素的影响作用表现出空间上的差异性:①从方位上说,呈现自东向中、西部递减的梯度:②从地点上说,城镇附近人为影响作用远高于农村地区;③从土地利用方式上说,农垦种植业区域高于畜牧业区域。 5. 在实地观测基础上,建立了裸露沙面和植被覆盖沙面风蚀输沙率模型,定量考察了植被覆盖率与风蚀输沙率之间的关系。研究表明:当植被覆盖率达到60%以上,可以保护地表土壤使风蚀在大多数条件下不致发生;当覆盖率达到40%,可以使风蚀输沙大为减少;而当植被覆盖率低于10%,植被覆盖基本不能对地表土壤起到有效的防护作用。 6. 应用植被覆盖地表风蚀输沙率模型,考察了沙地不同风速条件下植被有效覆盖率。根据当地气象台站的多年气象记录,沙地最大风速在20m/s左右,这样的风速条件下,保证风蚀不致发生的植被有效覆盖率为65%左右;在沙地常见的大风风速14-16m/s下,植被有效覆盖率大致为50-55%;对于沙地一般的中等风速l0-12m/s.植被有效覆盖率为40%。植被覆盖对风蚀的影响作用也可以理解为,植被覆盖使沙粒起动风速发生了增大效应,研究表明:与裸露沙面沙粒起动风速4.5m/s对照,70%植被覆盖率使起动风速改变为15.4m/s;60%植被覆盖率使起动风速改变为12.1m/s;40%植被覆盖率使起动风速改变为8.Om/s;而在10%植被覆盖条件下,起动风速为5.Om/s,改变量很小,说明植被覆盖的保护作用极其有限。 7. 基于野外实地观测,比较了沙地五种常见植物种和二种人工防护材料防风效应上的差异。研究表明,防风效应由高到低的次序是,沙蒿>芨芨草>杨柴和牛心朴子>沙障>栅栏>旱柳;就乔、灌、草和人工材料而言,防风效应的次序是,灌木植被>草本植被>人工材料>乔木植被。植物和人工防护材料降低风速的比率与风速呈现二次函数关系,不同植物种或人工材料,降低风速比率都表现出不同的规律,在一般情况下,降低风速效应随着风速的增大而降低。 8. 通过不同植物种防风效应的比较研究,对毛乌素沙地植被生态建设的实践有一定的指导意义。毛乌素沙地的植被建设中对植被类型和植物种类的选择,应该遵循如下原则:①选取防风固沙效应好的植物种类;②应该考虑植物水分供给与需求的平衡状况,实行适地适树;③植物防护效应应该与当地风蚀气候在时间上较好地匹配,在春季等风蚀严重季节,植被覆盖应该具有较好的防风效应。 9. 在现实中,各种影响风蚀的因素是同时发挥作用的。将风蚀影响因素分解为风速、湿润度和植被覆盖率(以及植被类型)三个方面,在此基础上,建立了风蚀影响因素的综合作用的概念模型和沙丘活动性指数定量模型。湿润程度低、风速高、植被覆盖率低的地区,是风蚀最为严重的地区;在湿润程度高、风速低、植被覆盖率高的地区,是风蚀最弱的地区;在其他地区,风蚀状况根据三个方面因素的综合状况来决定。 10. 利用风蚀影响因子综合作用的沙丘活动性指数模型,从空间、时间、植被类型变化角度,考察了毛乌素沙地的风蚀变化状况。得到如下结论:①随着空间变化,风速、降水等气候因素也随之存在差异,导致沙丘活动性指数的变化规律是,西北部鄂托克旗沙丘活动性最高,乌审旗次之,其他几个站差别不太显著,这是由各地降水、气温、沙粒粒径等因素共同决定;②随着时间的变化,气候、植被生长等方面的状况随之发生改变,导致沙丘活动性发生变化,春季最高,冬季次之,夏秋季最低:③随着沙丘植被覆盖类型的变化,沙丘活动性也发生显著变化,在一般情况下,乔木覆盖沙丘活动性>草本植物覆盖沙丘>灌木覆盖沙丘。 11. 在实地调查土地利用现实状况及其社会、经济和政策影响因素的基础上,建立了我国北方干旱半干旱区土地利用决策机制的概念模型,分析了与土地利用密切相关的农牧民一政府一环境科学家这三个社会群体对土地利用的立场和影响作用力上的差异,分析了毛乌素沙地土地利用的现状及其影响因素,探讨了现实中不可持续土地利用行为发生的社会、经济和政策原因。 12. 在实地调查基础上,分别利用产出一费用分析法和过程影响因素分析法,建立了毛乌素沙地土地利用经济收益的定量模型。产出一分析研究表明,无论是农垦种植业,还是草地畜牧业,农牧民从这两种土地利用方式都只能获得较低下的经济收益。造成这种状况的原因,主要在于两个方面:一是低下且不断处于波动之中的农牧业产品物价,二是沉重的农牧业税收。 13. 将影响农牧业产出的因素,划分为四个方面:土地面积(牲畜头数)、环境状况、管理水平和利用强度,在此基础上建立了定量的影响作用模型。研究表明:环境状况指数每增加0.1,农牧业经济收益增加26%;管理水平因子每提高0.1,农牧业经济收益增加12.7%;农牧业经济收益最优的土地利用强度在0.4左右,在此之前,随着利用强度的增加,经济收益随之增大,而在此之后,随着利用强度的增大,经济收益逐渐降低,当土地利用强度达到0.9左右时,呈现负的经济收益。 14. 毛乌素沙地实施土地资源可持续利用,必须从技术的革新和社会经济政策等因素的调整两条途径同时入手,二者缺一不可。通过改进和应用节水灌溉、风能光能利用、生物增产技术,尽可能地提高各种资源的利用效率;通过应用免耕或浅耕技术,尽量减轻土地利用对资源和环境的破坏;通过栽培、速生技术,提高植被建设的成效和速度。而通过税收、物价政策的调整,尽可能地提高农牧民经济收益增长的速度,减轻土地利用压力;通过政府与人民之间对话和合作机制的建立,让广大农牧民参与到土地利用的决策和管理的过程中去;通过土地利用管理政策、措施的调整和完善,调动农牧民保护资源的积极性和自觉性;通过激励机制的建立,引导农牧民土地利用向着可持续的方向发展。 15. 实现毛乌素沙地土地资源可持续利用的有效途径,在于这样几个方面:①建立和完善政府及其管理部门与人民之间有效的对话和合作机制,让广大农牧民参与到土地利用决策和管理的过程中去:②实行产业结构调整,转变片面追求经济增长的做法,制订适应当地自然条件和生态特征的发展模式;③降低农牧业税收、稳定并提高农牧业产品的物价,增加农牧民经济收入,减轻土地利用压力;④进一步改进和完善土地利用管理政策和法规;⑤建立有效激励机制,引导农牧民土地利用向着可持续的方向发展:⑥努力改进节水灌溉技术、生物增产技术,提高土地利用的科技水平:⑦改进环境保护和植被建设决策的科学性,提高植被建设的成效。
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Ricinodendron heudelotii (Baill.) Pierre ex Pax. kernel (njansang) commercialization has been promoted by the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) in project villages in Cameroon with the aim to alleviate poverty for small-scale farmers. We evaluated to what extent development interventions improved the financial situation of households by comparing project and control households. The financial importance of njansang to household livelihoods between 2005 and 2010 was investigated through semi-structured questionnaires with retrospective questions, focus group discussions, interviews and wealth-ranking exercises. The importance of njansang increased strongly in the entire study region and the increase was significantly larger in project households. Moreover, absolute numbers of income from njansang commercialization as well as relative importance of njansang in total cash income, increased significantly more in project households (p < 0.05). Although the lower wealth class households could increase their income through njansang trade, the upper wealth class households benefited more from the projects' interventions. Group sales as conducted in project villages did not lead to significantly higher prices and should be reconsidered. Hence, promotion of njansang had a positive effect on total cash income and can still be improved. The corporative actors for njansang commercialization are encouraged to adapt their strategies to ensure that also the lower wealth class households benefit from the conducted project interventions. In this respect, frequent project monitoring and impact analysis are important tools to accomplish this adaptation.
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Increasing population size and demand for food in the developing world is driving the intensification ofagriculture, often threatening the biodiversity within the farmland itself and in the surrounding land-scape. This paper quantifies bird and tree species richness, tree carbon and farmer’s gross income, andinteractions between these four variables, across an agricultural gradient in central Uganda. We showedthat higher cultivation intensities in farmed landscapes resulted in increased income but also a declinein species richness of birds and trees, and reductions in tree carbon storage. These declines were particu-larly marked with a shift from high intensity smallholder mixed cropping to plantation style agriculture.This was especially evident for birds where significant declines only occurred in plantations. Small scalefarming will likely continue to be a key source of cash income for the rural populations, and ensuring‘sustained agricultural growth’ within such systems while minimising negative impacts on biodiversityand other key ecosystem services will be a major future challenge.
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Each year the federal government gathers data relating to agriculture through the various departments of the United States Department of Agriculture. These data are classified and analyzed by the Bureau of Agricultural Economics at Washington and all information which may be helpful to farmers is published. For several years it has been the policy of the Department of Rural Economics and the Agricultural Extension Service of the College of Agriculture, Lincoln, to select from the federal information facts which may be especially helpful to Nebraska farmers. These facts and other economic conditions in Nebraska are published this year as the Agricultural Outlook for Nebraska, 1938. The Outlook should be helpful in the marketing of the crops and livestock on hand. It should also be helpful in making farm plans for 1938.
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Trade in non-timber forest products (NTFPs) has been touted as promoting forest conservation and enhancing the well-being of local residents through increased cash income, which is considered a positive outcome. However, research on cooperation has demonstrated that increased market access and income may strengthen or weaken cooperation. Because cooperation is essential for community resilience in small-scale societies, negative effects on people's well-being can be expected if increased NTFP trade reduces cooperation. To evaluate whether NTFP trade affected cooperation, we used household data (survey and systematic observations) to compare the frequency of cooperation in two communities of Brazilian Amazon Caboclos, one of which engaged in NTFP trade, while the other did not. Cooperation was less frequent in the community trading NTFPs, but neither household cash income nor household participation in NTFP exploitation was associated with cooperative behavior. Decreased frequency most likely derived from indirect effects of NTFP trade, such as less time to fish or socialize, or other outcomes observable only at the community level, such as income inequality, the influx of new residents and consequent population growth. Our results indicate that conservation and development projects based on NTFP trade may negatively impact social and economic well-being of local communities.
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Slovenia is considered to be one of the most successful Central and Eastern European countries undergoing the process of transition. It has a high GDP per capita (the highest in the Visegrad group) amounting to about 7200 US dollars (at the exchange rates pertaining during Ms. Stropnik's research). In 1994, a low rate of inflation, a low level of public debt and almost balanced public finances, were all positive elements. However, there is a darker side, for instance the dramatic increase in unemployment and (somewhat less dramatic) fall in production during the transition period. This analysis aimed to provide insights into what is actually happening at the household level, since households are the ultimate bearers of macroeconomic and social change. The final output totalled 166 pages in English and Slovenian, available also on disc. The income concept used by Ms. Stropnik is that of the disposable (monetary) household income, i.e. the cash income of all household members - including social security transfers and family benefits, and the net sum of taxes and social security contributions - plus the equivalent of domestic production, used in the household. Non-monetary income sources, such as household own production, benefits in kind, subsidies for goods and services, and fringe benefits, were not taken into account. The concept of relative and objective poverty was followed. Poverty means having less than others in society, it is a state of relative deprivation. Objective aspects of the situation, e.g. command over resources (i.e. the household income) and the relative position of the household in the income distribution, determine who is poor and who is not. Changes in household composition - an increase in the number of pensioners, unemployed and self-employed, concomitant with a large decrease in the number of employees - obviously played a part in the changing structure of household income sources during this period. The overall decrease in the share of wages and salaries from primary employment in 1993 is to be observed in all income deciles. On the other hand, the importance of salaries gained from secondary employment has increased in all deciles. The lower seven deciles experienced a sharp rise in the share of social benefits in the period 1988-1993, mostly because of the increase in the number of persons entitled to claim unemployment benefits. In Slovenia, income inequality has increased considerably during the 1988-1993 period. To make matters worse, the large increase in income inequality occurred in a period of falling real incomes. In 1983 the bottom decile disposed of 3.8 percent and the top decile disposed of 23.4 percent of total monetary income in Slovenia, whereas by 1993 the same statistics revealed 3.1 percent and 18.9 percent respectively. Unemployment greatly increases the risk of living in poverty. In 1993, 35 per cent of all unemployed persons in Slovenia were living in the lowest income quintile. Ms. Stropnik found certain features that were specific to Slovenia and not shared by most countries in transition. For example, the relative income position of pensioners has improved. Retirement did not increase the risk of poverty in 1993 as much as it did in 1983 and 1988. Also, it appears that children have not been particularly hard-hit by the transition upheavals. The incidence of poverty amongst children has not increased in the period 1983-1993. Children were also fairly evenly distributed across income quintiles. In 1983, 11.8 percent of households with children aged 18 or less were poor. In 1993, this figure was 8.4 per cent. On the other hand, poor households with children were, in comparison with other households of the same type, poorer in 1993 than in 1983. Ms. Stropnik also analysed the impact of social transfers. Her conclusion was that the level of social transfers prevented them from being successful in alleviating poverty. Family policy transfers (child allowances, child tax allowances, subsidised child care) did, however, contribute to the lowering of income inequality between families with and without children, and amongst families with different numbers of children. Ms. Stropnik is determined that the results of her research be used in the creation of social policy aimed at helping the poor. She quotes Piachaud approvingly: "If the term 'poverty' carries with it the implication and moral imperative that something should be done about it, then the study of poverty is only ultimately justifiable if it influences individual and social attitudes and actions."
Resumo:
In rural Ethiopia, parents play an important role in the major life events of their daughters such as education and marriage. However, parents’ roles have been evolving, likely due to the rapid expansion of educational opportunities for girls and the growing need of cash income among rural households. Currently, encouraging their daughters to take up further education and jobs in the formal sector contrasts with rural Ethiopian women’s conventional life course events in the past, which are characterized by early marriage and low educational profiles. An interview analysis with parents of young women indicated that under the continuing de-agrarianization among rural households, women are expected to have their own cash income generating activities to qualify as marriage partners.
Resumo:
Harvesting of Chinese caterpillar fungus, one of the most expensive biological commodities in the world, has become an important livelihood strategy for mountain communities of Nepal. However, very little is known about the role of Chinese caterpillar fungus in household economy. We estimated the economic contribution of Chinese caterpillar fungus to the household income, quantified the extent of "Chinese caterpillar fungus dependence" among households with different economic and social characteristics, and assessed the role of cash income from the Chinese caterpillar fungus harvest in meeting various household needs including education, debt payments, and food security. Results show that Chinese caterpillar fungus income is the second largest contributor to the total household income after farm income with 21.1% contribution to the total household income and 53.3% to the total cash income. The contribution of Chinese caterpillar fungus income to total household income decreases as the household income increases making its contribution highest for the poorest households. There is significant correlation between Chinese caterpillar fungus dependency and percentage of family members involved in harvesting, number of food-sufficient months, and total income without Chinese caterpillar fungus income. Income from Chinese caterpillar fungus is helping the poorest to educate children, purchase food, and pay debts. However, reported decline of Chinese caterpillar fungus from its natural habitat might threaten local livelihoods that depend on the Chinese caterpillar fungus in future. Therefore, sustainable management of Chinese caterpillar fungus through partnership among local institutions and the state is critical in conserving the species and the sustained flow of benefits to local communities.