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Food insecurity exists when households do not have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences. Food insecurity remains a serious challenge for many households in Vietnam and the situation is even more prevalent among rural smallholders. Therefore, this study aims to assess the food insecurity status according to rural households' profile and present better intervention strategies for policy makers to reduce food insecurity among rural households in Vietnam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractMost rural households in Ethiopia depend on traditional cooking fuels. The inefficient combustion of those fuels significantly raises health concerns by exposing them to indoor air pollution. This study aimed to assess the factors contributing to indoor air pollution exposure in rural households. The study was based on data from 573 households selected randomly using a multi-stage sampling approach. Descriptive statistics and a Generalized Ordered Logit model, which explores the relationship between various independent variables and levels of exposure to indoor air pollution, were used. The study employed indicators such as traditional solid fuel use, inadequate ventilation during cooking, and lack of improved cookstoves as proxies to assess households’ exposure to indoor air pollution. More than 79% of households were found to be severely polluted. Women were the most exposed to indoor air pollution. The number of rooms, having a bank or microfinance savings account, education, income, access to electricity, floor building material, number of dependent family members, and cooking time were the main contributing factors. The use of clean fuels, improved cookstoves, and adequate ventilation must be strongly advocated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using primary data collected from 462 farm households, this paper aims to examine the impact of income diversification on rural household food security in Ethiopia. A propensity score matching model was employed to analyze the impact of participation in both agriculture and non-agriculture activities on household food security. The results indicate that age, education level, household size, number of contacts with extension agents, and numbers of livestock in tropical livestock units have a significant effect on household participation in both agriculture and non-agriculture sources of income generation. The propensity score matching result suggested that participation in both agriculture and non-agriculture would increase the rural household food security status by 10.6% to 19.5%, mainly due to a positive effect of additional sources of income generation from non-agriculture activities as witnessed in present and past studies. Therefore, to make considerable improvement on the food security situation, there is need to promote and scale-up on-farm, off-farm and non-farm income-generating activities in rural areas to diversify income sources so as to improve food security status of the rural households in Ethiopia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although farmland transfer is a radical solution to the problem of sustainable development of the land rental market in China, there is insufficient research that attempted to quantitatively explore the determinants of land transfer behaviour, particularly the effects of enrolment in public pension programs. In this paper, we examine how enrolment in the recently established and expanded New Rural Pension Scheme (NRPS) can affect land transfer decisions among the age-eligible and age-ineligible rural residents. Specifically, our study employs balanced panel data from the first two waves of the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) in the year 2010 and 2012. It reveals that, although the enrolment in the public pension system increases the scale of farmland transfer among age-eligible people, this effect is not shown among age-ineligible members. Moreover, for households with members over the age of 60, the positive income effects are concentrated among farmers from low-income family; for other groups, the heterogeneous outcomes are insignificant. These estimates may offer insights for the dynamic adjustments of the public pensions for the elderly population and for enhancing the vitality of land transfer in rural China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cameroon's semi-arid zone (northern and far northern regions) is an important part of the local ecosystem that is vulnerable to climate change. This vulnerability raises concerns about rural households' well-being. Adapting to this vulnerability could mitigate some of the negative effects, agricultural shocks, and catastrophic risks associated with agricultural ecosystem destruction. Thus, the goal of this paper is to assess the impact of climate change adaptation strategies on rural households' sorghum productivity in Cameroon's semi-arid zone. On 721 households' secondary data, we used the endogenous switching regression model and the matching method. The results show that adopting adaptation strategies increases sorghum productivity in adapted households by approximately 21,99% more than in non-adapted households. In the absence of coping strategies, these households will lose 11,22% of their sorghum productivity. The importance of these findings adds to the debate about the need to implement climate change adaptation programmes and policies that address the concerns of all households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Saving is an important factor in households' welfare in developing countries. However, most studies have focused on urban areas and at the macroeconomic level. Consequently, such studies mask the reality of rural households, which constitute a large proportion in Ethiopia. Hence, this study aims at analyzing the factors that influence the probability of saving participation at the household level in the Libokemkem District. We employed a systematic random sampling technique to select a total of 157 household heads in three kebeles in Libokemkem District, Ethiopia. We used structured questionnaires to collect data from the sampled households. We then analyzed the data using a logistic regression model. The results of the study show that family size, farm land, education status, credit access and frequency of extension contact are the determinant factors for saving participation among rural households. We recommend that the Ethiopian Ministry of Economic and Finance should strengthen the existing credit services and create awareness campaigns for the communities to enhance rural saving participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relocation is an adaptive strategy applied to prevent the threats of climate-related hazards. Thus, understanding the determinants of rural households' adaptation decisions is crucial when informing policy interventions. This study explores the role of social networks (or peer groups) in geohazard-induced relocation using survey data (N = 516) from Chongqing, China. This study applies an instrument variable (IV) method and a series of robustness checks to confirm the findings. The results indicate that (1) social networks' willingness to relocate (WTR) increases one's relocation intention; and (2) people imitate their peers' mobility choices by consciously observing and learning when facing uncertain climate-related hazard risks. Our findings contribute to comprehending whether and why social networks prompt population relocation decisions and help policymakers exploit the role of peer groups when implementing relocation-related policies in geohazard-prone regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kenyan households, as in many rural areas in developing countries, suffer frequently from effects of shocks. Yet, they have limited access to effective coping strategies. Vulnerable households end up resorting to ineffective coping strategies such as distressed sales of farmland. Distress land sales limit household productive capacity and increase vulnerability to future shocks, thus entrenching poverty. Using a nationally representative data collected in two waves, we examine the circumstances under which rural households in Kenya sell farmland following shocks. We find that specific shock characteristics, household characteristics and the household social and physical environments are associated with distress sales of farmland. The likelihood of selling farmland was higher for idiosyncratic shocks and those that resulted in higher monetary and material losses. The likelihood of engaging in distress land sales was also higher in households with older heads, with more land holding, where land markets existed and in households that depended on social safety nets. The likelihood of distress sales was however lower in households with more educated heads, more livestock value and access to all-weather roads. These findings are thereafter discussed in the Kenyan context, and policy suggestions are offered for building rural households' resilience to shocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malaria has been found to be a significant contributor to the poor health problem in Nigeria and in Africa. It kills people more than any other infectious disease and about 80% of Nigerian population is exposed to malaria. Several factors influence the choices of households' treatment provider. This study examines the choices and determinants of malaria treatment seeking behaviour given the demographic characteristics of rural households. Household data were collected through a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire on 600 households selected from the three senatorial zones of Enugu state and analysed using frequencies and regression analysis. It was found that 43% of farmers, 44% of traders, 44% of skilled labourers and 30% of civil servants sourced treatment from 'chemists' while 12% of farmers, 20% of traders, 23% of skilled labourers and 40% of civil servants sourced treatment from hospital. Education level of household head, cost of treatment, severity and nearness to facility were found to statistically determine the choice of treatment provider (P < 0.005). The study concluded that educational attainment, distance to health facility, severity of illness and financial status of household head majorly determined the choice of malaria treatment and 'chemist' appeared the most-visited treatment provider. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rural households engaged in the primary sector are vulnerable to climate shocks. The adaptation strategies are supposed to be locale specific, determined by biophysical and socio-economic factors and adoption is contingent on the results from vulnerability assessments. This study is an assessment of local level vulnerability of three heterogeneous groups of selected rural households in South Gondar zone in Ethiopia's Amhara region. The study analyses the effects of climate change induced shocks on livelihoods using the LVI-IPCC framework along with an econometric technique to determine factors responsible for variations across households. The study corroborates earlier results that rural households are adversely impacted by climate shocks. The poor non-off-farm diversified rural households are highly vulnerable in comparison to those households adopting an off-farm diversification strategy. Irrigation, improvements in access to water, health and other rural infrastructure are also factors reducing vulnerability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biogas is an energy-efficient and environmentally beneficial technology used as an alternative to biomass energy sources. The objective of this study was to evaluate the traditional biomass energy system in Ethiopia and the National Biogas Program of Ethiopia (NBPE) as an alternative energy system. The study involved key informants, government legislation documents and strategy papers, bio-digester operating households and extensive literature reviews. The article provides a review of relevant literature in terms of both biogas technology and policy documents and related strategies in the Ethiopian context that support the NBPE. The literature review touches on both the technology itself and the policy aspects from within the country, sub-Saharan Africa and Asian countries. Furthermore, the article provides effective use and assessment of the findings for theory and policy of traditional biomass energy systems and biogas technology programmes. We argue that biogas technology is crucial as alternative sources of energy in Ethiopia, specifically for rural areas as it negates the disproportionate use of available traditional energy sources of firewood, cow dung, agricultural residues and charcoal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding dynamics within rural households' socio-economic behaviour is a prerequisite for effective design of intervention programmes targeting rural communities. This article seeks to understand how rural households' lifestyles and livelihood strategies have changed over time regarding four key factors: income sources, food preferences, daily activities and investment strategies. A case study of Ndabakazi—a cluster of villages in Butterworth—is explored using a representative sample of 20 households in each village, drawn randomly from the four selected villages of the study. A questionnaire administered face-to-face using a local language was supplemented with focus group discussions. To achieve the study objectives, we took a retrospective and circumspective approach combined with thematic and descriptive analyses. The results show a change in rural households' lifestyles, and this change can be linked to the rural development policies. First, we observed a change in income sources confirming the existing literature. Second, regarding food preference, traditional food is still preferred by household heads, although it is not consumed much. Due to improved basic services, daily activities have changed, implying less drudgery for women and children. We also observed a change in investment strategies away from farming to building decent homesteads and buying luxury furniture. Besides the change in income sources, the other key factors discussed in this article have received less attention in the literature, so this article extends the literature in this respect. Finally, the herein identified changes have implications for initiatives concerned with improving rural sociological aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Specialists on agricultural economics and economic development of China examine the dynamics of rural-to-urban migration in China from the perspective of migrant labor supply for the period of 1987–2008. Restricted by thehukou(registered permanent residence) system, rural households in China usually do not relocate from countryside to cities; only migrant workers travel back and forth. This circular pattern of migrant workers negatively influences their migration stability, thereby resulting in the instability of China’s migrant labor supply. By using panel data from rural household surveys in China, we examine migration persistence at both the household level and the individual level. We find that the extent of migration persistence was relatively low in China, suggesting that migrant labor supply was unstable. In addition, we find that labor counts, education level, and network effects improved households’ migration persistence. We also find that migration persistence was associated with individual characteristics, such as age, gender, and health conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study was carried out in Ijebu North East Local Government Area of Ogun State, Nigeria, to determine the effects of climate change on health of rural households. One hundred and twenty respondents were selected using multistage and random sampling techniques. Primary and secondary data were collected. The data collected were subjected to descriptive and inferential analyses. The results showed that 67% of respondents were males and the majority (54%) were above 40 years with a mean age of 43. The results also revealed that 60% of the respondents have been residing in the area for more than 6 years, which implied that a greater percentage of them witnessed the changes in the climatic pattern of the area. The major health problems reported included common cold, cough, malaria, and fever due to climate change. Many of the respondents patronized medicine hawkers (78%) and local chemists (46%) to treat the problematic changes in their health. Data analysis revealed that climatic change has significant effects on respondents’ health status (p < 0.05). The study concluded that there have been changes in the climatic pattern in the area and the health status of the people were affected. The study recommended that health, environment, and rural development agencies should coordinate efforts to assist rural households on preventing and mitigating the effects of climate change. Sustainable use of all resources, sustainable development, preventive health methods such as clean environment and proper hygiene, and reduction in activities contributing to the increase in climate change (deforestation, bush burning, environmental, and e-pollution) were advocated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]