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Income Diversification and Household Wellbeing: Case Study of the Rural Framing Communities of Tang Krasang and Trapang Trabek in Stung Chreybak, Kampong Chhnang, Cambodia

Author

Listed:
  • Ham Kimkong

    (Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand)

  • Buapun Promphakping

    (Development Sciences Program, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand)

  • Harri Hudson

    (School of Geography, Royal Holloway University, Egham TW20 0EX, UK)

  • Samantha C. J. Day

    (School of Geography, King’s College London, London WC2B 4BG, UK)

  • Ly Vouch Long

    (Environmental Law College, Pannasastra University, Phnom Penh 12301, Cambodia)

Abstract

It has been generally agreed that income is a critical means of obtaining the resources required to sustain one’s living standards. In the developed world, the increase in life satisfaction does not keep pace with the increase in income. In the developing world, the majority of the population is dependent on income from agriculture, and the incidence of poverty is high. As in other regions, Cambodia has been in the process of an agricultural transformation, and the incomes of agricultural families are becoming increasingly diverse. Household wellbeing is related to income diversification and positively impacts the quality of life of farmers in the farming communities of Tang Krasang and Tapang Trabek in Stung Chreybak. As a result, most farmers have found that the diversification of their income provides them with a sustainable livelihood through the expansion of dry season rice production, access to higher education, access to good health care, and the upgrading of houses. The objectives of this paper are to examine the life goals of rural people and to assess whether the diversification of income affects their wellbeing. Structured interviews were used to collect data along with field observation, interviews with key informants interviews, and focus group discussions on the income diversification of various stakeholders including representatives from authorities, local traders, and key relevant provincial department bodies. A total of 300 household families were selected for the questionnaires through multistage purposive and random-sampling techniques conducted in six villages, two communes, and two districts in Stung Chreybak. We found that income diversification is strongly associated with the attainment of external life goals and the sustainable livelihoods of farmers. This study recommends that supporting the importance of income diversification through the creation of model agricultural technologies and off-farm activities and the development of vocational training skills would allow more farmers to easily attain improved socio-economic wellbeing.

Suggested Citation

  • Ham Kimkong & Buapun Promphakping & Harri Hudson & Samantha C. J. Day & Ly Vouch Long, 2023. "Income Diversification and Household Wellbeing: Case Study of the Rural Framing Communities of Tang Krasang and Trapang Trabek in Stung Chreybak, Kampong Chhnang, Cambodia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-17, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:14:p:11106-:d:1195521
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Ersado, Lire, 2006. "Income diversification in Zimbabwe : welfare implications from urban and rural areas," Policy Research Working Paper Series 3964, The World Bank.
    3. Lili Li & Zhonggen Zhang & Changluan Fu, 2020. "The subjective well-being effect of public goods provided by village collectives: Evidence from China," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(3), pages 1-16, March.
    4. Štefan Bojnec & Kristina Knific, 2021. "Farm Household Income Diversification as a Survival Strategy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-16, June.
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