IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jlands/v11y2022i2p157-d728630.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Differential Evolution of Farmers’ Livelihood Strategies since the 1980s on the Loess Plateau, China

Author

Listed:
  • Kongsen Wu

    (Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Earth Surface System and Environmental Carrying Capacity, Northwest University, Xi’an 710127, China
    College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an 710127, China)

  • Xinjun Yang

    (Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Earth Surface System and Environmental Carrying Capacity, Northwest University, Xi’an 710127, China
    College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an 710127, China)

  • Jian Zhang

    (College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an 710127, China)

  • Ziqiao Wang

    (College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an 710127, China)

Abstract

Understanding the evolution of farmers’ livelihood strategies (FLS) is crucial for maintaining the sustainable development of farmers’ livelihoods, especially on the arid Loess Plateau, China. This study constructed a novel analytical framework for analyzing the evolution of FLS and the critical influencing factors. Changwu County, an apple cultivation region, was selected as a case study. The results suggest that four types of livelihood strategies (crop-planting, apple-planting, work-oriented, and part-time comprehensive) have emerged since the 1980s. The evolutionary process of leading FLS varies across geographic location. In the loess tableland region and economic fringe region, this evolution followed a progressive path from the crop-planting type to the apple-planting type to the work-oriented type, while in the loess gully region, loess ridge region, and economic core region, FLS jumped directly from the crop-planting type to the work-oriented type. The geographic location, training opportunities, garden area, cultivated land area, production and living materials, loan opportunities, and education level were found to be the critical factors influencing the differentiation and development of FLS. The analytical framework proposed here is also applicable for studying the evolution of FLS in other counties on the Loess Plateau, considering the representativeness of the selected case.

Suggested Citation

  • Kongsen Wu & Xinjun Yang & Jian Zhang & Ziqiao Wang, 2022. "Differential Evolution of Farmers’ Livelihood Strategies since the 1980s on the Loess Plateau, China," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-21, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:11:y:2022:i:2:p:157-:d:728630
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/2/157/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/2/157/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Babulo, Bedru & Muys, Bart & Nega, Fredu & Tollens, Eric & Nyssen, Jan & Deckers, Jozef & Mathijs, Erik, 2008. "Household livelihood strategies and forest dependence in the highlands of Tigray, Northern Ethiopia," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 98(2), pages 147-155, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Hui Xiao & Jianxiu Xiao & Fangting Xie, 2022. "Impact Assessment of Farmland Lease-Out on Rural Households’ Livelihood Capital and Livelihood Strategy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-22, August.
    2. Kongsen Wu & Dongyan Kong & Xinjun Yang, 2023. "The Impact of Rural Industrial Development on Farmers’ Livelihoods—Taking Fruit-Producing Area as an Example," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-21, July.
    3. Qingqing Yang & Yanhui Gao & Xinjun Yang & Jian Zhang, 2022. "Rural Transformation Driven by Households’ Adaptation to Climate, Policy, Market, and Urbanization: Perspectives from Livelihoods–Land Use on Chinese Loess Plateau," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-23, July.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Shackleton, C.M. & Garekae, H. & Sardeshpande, M. & Sinasson Sanni, G. & Twine, W.C., 2024. "Non-timber forest products as poverty traps: Fact or fiction?," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    2. Soltani, Arezoo & Angelsen, Arild & Eid, Tron & Naieni, Mohammad Saeid Noori & Shamekhi, Taghi, 2012. "Poverty, sustainability, and household livelihood strategies in Zagros, Iran," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 60-70.
    3. Mugido, Worship & Shackleton, Charlie M., 2019. "The contribution of NTFPS to rural livelihoods in different agro-ecological zones of South Africa," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    4. Gil, J.M. & Diaz-Montenegro, J. & Varela, E., 2018. "A Bias-Adjusted Three-Step approach for analysing the livelihood strategies and the asset mix of cacao producers in Ecuador," 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia 277215, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    5. Kibria, Abu SMG & Costanza, Robert & Soto, José R, 2022. "Modeling the complex associations of human wellbeing dimensions in a coupled human-natural system: In contexts of marginalized communities," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 466(C).
    6. Hongzhi Ma & Yexi Zhong & Minghui Ou & Wenhui Wang & Xinghua Feng, 2022. "The Transformation of Fishermen’s Livelihoods in the Context of a Comprehensive Fishing Ban: A Case Study of Datang Village at the Poyang Lake Region, China," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-14, December.
    7. Mukisa, Nicholas & Zamora, Ramon & Lie, Tek Tjing, 2020. "Assessment of community sustainable livelihoods capitals for the implementation of alternative energy technologies in Uganda – Africa," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 160(C), pages 886-902.
    8. Ghulam Raza Sargani & Yuansheng Jiang & Abbas Ali Chandio & Yun Shen & Zhao Ding & Asif Ali, 2023. "Impacts of livelihood assets on adaptation strategies in response to climate change: evidence from Pakistan," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 25(7), pages 6117-6140, July.
    9. Bierkamp, Sina & Nguyen, Trung Thanh & Grote, Ulrike, 2021. "Environmental income and remittances: Evidence from rural central highlands of Vietnam," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).
    10. Kisaka, Lily & Obi, Ajuruchukwu, 2015. "Farmers’ Preferences for Management Options as Payment for Environmental Services Scheme," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 18(3), pages 1-22, September.
    11. Seewald, Eva, 2024. "The environment-poverty nexus using a multidimensional poverty index in rural Vietnamese households," Forschungsberichte der ARL: Aufsätze, in: Finger, Anne & Badelt, Ole & Dahmen, Kathleen & Heilen, Lydia & Mai, Nora & Seegers, Ronja & Seewald (ed.), Transformationsprozesse in Stadt und Land: Erkenntnisse, Strategien und Zukunftsperspektiven, volume 23, pages 184-200, ARL – Akademie für Raumentwicklung in der Leibniz-Gemeinschaft.
    12. Taye Melese Mekie & Abebe Birara Dessie & Amsalu Abich Andargie, 2023. "Economic contribution of forest products to household income in Metema district, Ethiopia," Letters in Spatial and Resource Sciences, Springer, vol. 16(1), pages 1-16, December.
    13. Bühler, Dorothee & Grote, Ulrike & Hartje, Rebecca & Ker, Bopha & Lam, Do Truong & Nguyen, Loc Duc & Nguyen, Trung Thanh & Tong, Kimsun, 2015. "Rural Livelihood Strategies in Cambodia: Evidence from a household survey in Stung Treng," Working Papers 200207, University of Bonn, Center for Development Research (ZEF).
    14. Asmera Adicha & Demis Segaw & Asmelash Tesfaye & Shimelis Tesema, 2017. "Value Chain Analysis of Frankincense in Hammer and Benna-Tsemay Districts of the South Omo Zone, South Western Ethiopia," International Journal of Environmental Sciences & Natural Resources, Juniper Publishers Inc., vol. 7(3), pages 68-73, December.
    15. Nakakaawa, Charlotte & Moll, Ricarda & Vedeld, Paul & Sjaastad, Espen & Cavanagh, Joseph, 2015. "Collaborative resource management and rural livelihoods around protected areas: A case study of Mount Elgon National Park, Uganda," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 1-11.
    16. Mohammad Shamsul Hoq & Md. Taj Uddin & Shankar Kumar Raha & Mohammad Ismail Hossain, 2022. "Determinants of households’ livelihood diversification strategies to adapt to natural hazards: evidence from ecologically vulnerable haor region of Bangladesh," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 114(3), pages 3255-3291, December.
    17. Pienaar, Louw & Traub, Lulama, 2015. "Understanding the smallholder farmer in South Africa: Towards a sustainable livelihoods classification," 2015 Conference, August 9-14, 2015, Milan, Italy 212633, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    18. Chuan Liao & Christopher Barrett & Karim-Aly Kassam, 2015. "Does Diversification Improve Livelihoods? Pastoral Households in Xinjiang, China," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 46(6), pages 1302-1330, November.
    19. Cotta, Jamie N., 2015. "Contributions of local floodplain resources to livelihoods and household income in the Peruvian Amazon," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 35-46.
    20. R.W.M.N. Gunasekara & S.P. Premaratne & H.M.S. Priyanath, 2017. "Impact of Social Capital on Livelihood Success of the Members of Community Based Organizations in Sri Lanka," International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, Human Resource Management Academic Research Society, International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, vol. 7(12), pages 1156-1167, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:11:y:2022:i:2:p:157-:d:728630. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.