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The importance of household asset diversity for livelihood diversity and welfare among small farm colonists in the Amazon

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  • Stephen Perz

Abstract

Taking a small farm colony on the Amazon frontier as a case study, this article examines the relationships among household assets, livelihood diversity and welfare. The findings show that: (1) few households diversified into non-agricultural income sources, but those that did also had agricultural incomes comparable to households primarily reliant on agriculture; (2) distinct household assets influence the extent of agricultural and non-agricultural diversity, implying that households with combinations of specific assets were best able to diversify their livelihoods, and (3) while specific types of household assets influence household welfare, livelihood diversity does not exert an additional effect on welfare. A key issue that emerges is that different arrays of assets are important for agricultural and non-agricultural diversity as well as for household welfare, implying that households need diverse assets for diverse livelihoods as well as better welfare.

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  • Stephen Perz, 2005. "The importance of household asset diversity for livelihood diversity and welfare among small farm colonists in the Amazon," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 41(7), pages 1193-1220.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:jdevst:v:41:y:2005:i:7:p:1193-1220
    DOI: 10.1080/00220380500170899
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ellis, Frank, 2000. "Rural Livelihoods and Diversity in Developing Countries," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198296966.
    2. Christian Jette, 1996. "Diversification as a Risk Management Strategy in an Andean Agropastoral Community," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 78(5), pages 1329-1334.
    3. Thomas Reardon & J. Edward Taylor & Kostas Stamoulis & Peter Lanjouw & Arsenio Balisacan, 2000. "Effects of Non‐Farm Employment on Rural Income Inequality in Developing Countries: An Investment Perspective," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(2), pages 266-288, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Joseph V Hackman & Karen L Kramer, 2021. "Balancing fertility and livelihood diversity in mixed economies," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(6), pages 1-17, June.
    2. P. P. Braga, Daniel & Pokorny, Benno & Porro, Roberto & Vidal, Edson, 2023. "Good life in the Amazon? A critical reflection on the standard of living of cocoa and cattle-based smallholders in Pará, Brazil," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 31(C).
    3. Porro, Roberto & Lopez-Feldman, Alejandro & Vela-Alvarado, Jorge W., 2015. "Forest use and agriculture in Ucayali, Peru: Livelihood strategies, poverty and wealth in an Amazon frontier," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 47-56.
    4. Bowman, Maria S. & Amacher, Gregory S. & Merry, Frank D., 2008. "Fire use and prevention by traditional households in the Brazilian Amazon," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(1), pages 117-130, August.
    5. Amacher, Gregory S. & Merry, Frank D. & Bowman, Maria S., 2009. "Smallholder timber sale decisions on the Amazon frontier," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(6), pages 1787-1796, April.
    6. Jinhai Ma & Jie Zhang & Li Li & Zhanjing Zeng & Jingrong Sun & Qilou (Bill) Zhou & Yuling Zhang, 2018. "Study on Livelihood Assets-Based Spatial Differentiation of the Income of Natural Tourism Communities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-20, January.
    7. Zabala, Aiora & Barrios, Luis Enrique García & Pascual, Unai, 2022. "From participation to commitment in silvopastoral programmes: Insights from Chiapas, Mexico," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 200(C).
    8. Martin, Sarah M. & Lorenzen, Kai, 2016. "Livelihood Diversification in Rural Laos," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 231-243.
    9. Viswanathan, P.K., 2008. "Emerging Smallholder Rubber Farming Systems in India and Thailand: A Comparative Economic Analysis," Asian Journal of Agriculture and Development, Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), vol. 5(2), pages 1-19, December.

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