Rural livelihoods and diversity in developing countries

Both livelihoods and diversity have become popular topics in development studies. The livelihood concept offers a more complete picture of the complexities of making a living in rural areas of low income countries than terms formerly considered adequate, such as subsistence, incomes, or employment. Diversity recognizes that people manage by doing many different things rather than just one or a few things. This book sets out the rural livelihoods approach within the larger context of past and current themes in rural development. It adopts diversity as its principal theme and explores the implications of diverse rural livelihoods for ideas about poverty, agriculture, environment, gender, and macroeconomic policy. It also considers appropriate methods for gaining quick and effective knowledge about the livelihoods of the rural poor for project and policy purposes.

Table of Contents: 

Part I. Concepts, Definitions, and Framework 1: Livelihoods, Diversification, and Agrarian Change 2: A Framework for Livelihoods Analysis Part II. Dimensions of Diverse Rural Livelihoods 3: Determinants of Livelihood Diversification 4: Poverty and Income Distribution 5: Agriculture and Farm Productivity 6: Environment and Sustainability 7: Gender and Rural Livelihoods 8: Macro Policies and Reform Agendas Part III. Investigating Livelihoods for Policy Purposes 9: Methods and Livelihoods 10: A Case-Study in Rural Tanzania Part IV. Looking Ahead 11: Livelihoods, Diversification, and Policies