The role of migration in post-soviet communities: the changing structure of rural livelihoods in Moldova

The nexus between migration and differentiation of livelihood strategies in sending countries is a widely investigated topic. However, this nexus has been often approached from narrow perspectives, highlighting the impact of migration only on limited elements of households’ livelihood strategies, typically related to the economic impact of remittances. This research presents a multi-level analysis of the migration-livelihood differentiation nexus, adopting the Republic of Moldova as a case study. Starting from two sets of original quantitative and qualitative data, a model-based cluster analysis allowed to identify 8 typologies of farmers with distinctive livelihood and income generation strategies. Then, a logistic regression model was developed to assess the impacts of demographic, economic, and social characteristics of rural households on the adoption of different livelihood choices. Finally, results from cluster analysis and logistic regression were integrated and discussed through qualitative data collected with interviews and focus groups conducted in Moldova between September 2020 and December 2022. Results shows that the impact of migration in the livelihood strategies adopted by Moldovan smallholders is multifaceted, ranging from the prevalent role of pure subsistence to the limited role of incentive for investing in higher added value activities, both in and off farm. Finally, out-migration represents a fundamental part of the livelihood strategy to cope with the multifaceted challenges experienced daily by rural households.