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Rural Livelihood Diversity in Developing Countries: Evidence and Policy Implications

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Publication date
07/04/1999
Number of Pages
10
Language:
English
Type of Publication:
Working Papers & Briefs
Focus Region:
Global
Focus Topic:
Knowledge Management
Type of Risk:
Biological & environmental
Market-related
Weather & Climate related
Type of Risk Managment Option:
Risk coping
Risk reduction/mitigation
Commodity:
Other
Author
Frank Ellis
Organization
Overseas Development Institute (ODI)

This paper examines livelihood diversification as a survival strategy of rural households in developing countries. Although still of central importance, farming on its own is increasingly unable to provide a sufficient means of survival in rural areas. The paper’s objectives are first, to increase awareness of livelihood diversification in approaches to rural development; second, to consider the interactions among diversification and poverty, farm productivity, natural resource management and gender relations in rural areas; and third, to advance the policy understanding of diverse rural livelihoods.