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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]

Introduction: Food insecurity remains a global issue and a top national priority in Ethiopia. However, it continues to pose a serious challenge in rural areas. Therefore, this study investigated household resilience to food insecurity among rural residents in Mekiet district. Methods: A cross-sectional research design was used, focusing on two agroecological zones of Mekiet district—lowland and midland—involving 228 respondents. The study employed both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Multistage sampling techniques were employed to select the sample households, and factor analysis was employed to analyze the data. Results and discussion: The results from the factor analysis using the TANGO approach showed that the latent variables of absorptive and adaptive capacities had factor loadings of 0.98 and 0.79, respectively. On the other hand, transformative capacity showed a negative loading (−0.78), with all variables being statistically significant. The mean household resilience capacity index was 0.51. The variables of absorptive and adaptive capacities were positively associated with household resilience capacity, while transformative capacity exhibited a strong negative association. All factor loadings were significant, exceeding the recommended absolute value of 0.364 for sample sizes of 200 or more. Additionally, these variables were also highly correlated with resilience capacity. The study recommends that resilience programs be implemented at district, community, and household levels to enhance resilience to food insecurity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The largest disaster reduction and relocation project was conducted in Shaanxi Province, China, in an effort to reduce the threat of natural disasters and preserve the environment. Although the literature has attempted to assess the economic and ecological impacts of the project quantitatively, there is currently a dearth of research on the connection between resource dependence and adaptive capacity at the rural household levels. Using survey data from southern Shaanxi, China, this study evaluated and quantified natural resource dependence (NRD) and household adaptive capacity (HAC) in the context of disaster resettlement. Simultaneously, we explored the differences in NRD and HAC among various groups and relocation characteristics. An ordinary least squares regression model was used to specifically examine the relationship between them. The results indicated that, first, NRD was significantly and positively related to HAC. Second, the dependence of relocated households on energy, food, and income had a significantly positive correlation with HAC. Third, compared to local, involuntary, and scattered resettlement households, the HAC of relocated households, voluntary relocated households, and centralized resettlement households is substantially lower. The aforementioned findings have significant policy implications for rural China and other developing nations, as they can help reduce natural resource dependence and increase adaptive capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Part-time farming is a widespread phenomenon associated with the long-term global trend of urbanization, especially in China since its reform and opening-up in 1978. The shift of agricultural labor to non-agricultural sectors has significantly impacted cultivated land use activities, yet the connection between part-time farming and cultivated land use sustainability (CLS) remains understudied. Here, we construct an index system for assessing CLS that integrates ecological, economic, and social sustainability. Using survey data from seven Chinese villages across three provinces, we analyze the impact pattern and mechanism of part-time farming on CLS. We find the following: (1) The impact of part-time farming on CLS presents an inverted U-shape, peaking negatively at a 45% inflection point; (2) Spatial heterogeneity exists in the effect of part-time farming on CLS; (3) A household's non-agricultural workforce size and the gender of the household head significantly moderate the link between part-time farming and CLS; (4) CLS strongly hinges on various factors including the household head's health, other family members' education levels, commercial insurance, and agricultural skills training. Our findings provide empirical insights into governing part-time farming for sustainable cultivated land use and, eventually, rural human–land system sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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An ongoing and global agenda is the food security policy debate in rural Ethiopia of households to enhance resilience at the individual and household level for tackling food insecurity. Therefore, this study investigated determinants of household resilience to food insecurity in rural dwellers of Mekiet District. A cross-sectional research design was conducted in two agro ecological zones of the Mekiet district, lowland, and midland, involving 228 respondents. The study employed a quantitative and qualitative approach, with multi-stage sampling techniques results employed to select sample households by using two-stage factor analysis. The result from factor analysis using the RIMA approach showed that the latent variables of adaptive capacity, asset, and social safety net have a positive value of (0.76), (0.51), and (0.77), respectively, and in the contrast, access to essential services has a negative load of (-0.61), and all variables were found to be statistically significant. All those loads were significant, with an absolute value of factor loadings greater than 0.364, which is recommended for a sample size of 200 and above. Those variables were also highly correlated with resilience capacity. The study recommended that resilience programs should be implemented at district, community, and household levels to enhance resilience to food insecurity.

The centralization of household waste disposal represents a significant stride toward achieving ecological viability in rural China. This initiative can substantially alleviate the grassroots government's burden of managing rural household waste. The proliferation and utilization of smartphones, a powerful tool that can expedite and reduce the cost of imparting environmental protection knowledge to producers, is a beacon of hope in the fight against waste. This article, utilizing Probit modeling and micro-survey data from 2126 agricultural households in China, examines the effect of smartphone usage on farmers' participation in centralized household waste disposal. The findings indicate that smartphone usage significantly enhances farmers' engagement in centralized domestic waste disposal, motivating them to participate actively. Notably, this finding persists even after robustness tests. Further heterogeneity analyses indicate that older and low-income populations exhibit a more pronounced level of engagement in centralized household waste disposal. This paper presents these findings and underscores the importance of the proposed policies to enhance farmers' consciousness regarding the environmental implications of smartphone usage. These policies are not just suggestions but urgent and necessary steps towards a more technologically advanced and efficient waste management system, and their implementation is crucial for the future of waste management.

IntroductionFood insecurity remains a global issue and a top national priority in Ethiopia. However, it continues to pose a serious challenge in rural areas. Therefore, this study investigated household resilience to food insecurity among rural residents in Mekiet district.MethodsA cross-sectional research design was used, focusing on two agroecological zones of Mekiet district—lowland and midland—involving 228 respondents. The study employed both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Multistage sampling techniques were employed to select the sample households, and factor analysis was employed to analyze the data.Results and discussionThe results from the factor analysis using the TANGO approach showed that the latent variables of absorptive and adaptive capacities had factor loadings of 0.98 and 0.79, respectively. On the other hand, transformative capacity showed a negative loading (−0.78), with all variables being statistically significant. The mean household resilience capacity index was 0.51. The variables of absorptive and adaptive capacities were positively associated with household resilience capacity, while transformative capacity exhibited a strong negative association. All factor loadings were significant, exceeding the recommended absolute value of 0.364 for sample sizes of 200 or more. Additionally, these variables were also highly correlated with resilience capacity. The study recommends that resilience programs be implemented at district, community, and household levels to enhance resilience to food insecurity.

This study examines whether taking advantage of off-farm employment as an alternative income source improves the welfare of rural households in Indonesia. Using a panel data set from rural households in Central Sulawesi, the effect of off-farm diversification examines on total household income and economic mobility over time. A fixed effects and random effects model with an instrumental variable are applied in analyzing the causal effects of off-farm employment. The findings confirm substantial growth stemming from work outside of a household's farming, which shown to improve income and economic mobility in rural areas. Off-farm work was found to positively affect total household income, which increased by 63.20% in real Indonesian rupiah (IDR) in conjunction with the number of men in the family and cocoa cultivation. The results also indicated a need for a policy that encourages off-farm employment, particularly for value-added activities that are accessible to lower-income groups, to improve income and reduce poverty among the poor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women’s empowerment is a key focus of the Sustainable Development Goals. It is also an element in China’s national poverty reduction strategies. As most poverty identification, alleviation, and graduation strategies are targeted on households rather than individuals, the status of rural women’s empowerment remained insufficiently studied. This paper examines the status of women’s empowerment in the formerly poverty-stricken rural areas in western China, using data obtained in 2021 from a questionnaire-based survey on 1027 rural households in seven counties of four provinces. It constructs a women’s empowerment index with 10 indicators in five domains – production, resources, income, leadership, and time use – based on women’s empowerment theories and practices in agriculture. The study finds that the average level of women's empowerment is 0.654. Women are most empowered in the time use domain while least empowered in the leadership domain. Logistic regression results reveal that women’s ages, women’s educational years and the decision-making in women’s parental families are significant determinants of women’s empowerment. Further studies indicate that the role of family legacy is getting weaker in younger generations and stronger among spouses with closer ages. The household relative poverty status has no significant effect on women’s empowerment in this study, which implies that in rural areas, sociocultural factors might outweigh economic factors in determining women’s empowerment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zhen Yuan,1,2 Fan Zhang,3 Zhiguang Li,1,2 Hua Wei1,2 1School of Economics and Management, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui, People’s Republic of China; 2Key Laboratory of Data Science & Innovative Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Philosophy and Social Sciences of Anhui Province, Hefei, Anhui, People’s Republic of China; 3School of Finance, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Zhiguang Li; Hua Wei, Email lizhiguang0731@163.com; weihua@ahtcm.edu.cnBackground: A linchpin to realizing the internal circulation (referring to the domestic cycle of production, distribution and consumption) is reducing residents’ saving rate and expanding the domestic needs. However, rural residents in China demonstrate a strong propensity to save money.Methods: In light of practical characteristics of urban-rural health integration promoted in different places, the three-phase data (from 2014 to 2018) and the dual difference-in-differences model of the China Labor-force Dynamics Survey (CLDS) are used to empirically investigate the impact of urban-rural health insurance integration on rural household savings.Results: Research reveals that urban-rural health integration can reduce the health risks and medical risks facing rural households, thus weakening the motivation of precautionary savings. The analysis of heterogeneity reveals that the integration of urban-rural health insurance significantly influences the savings rates of households headed by older individuals, particularly women, with lower levels of educational attainment. Besides, the single-tier health insurance system can have a more significant impact, whereas the multi-tier insurance system may not significantly affect the savings rate.Conclusion: Based on the aforesaid research conclusions, this article believes that in order to reduce the savings rate of rural households and expand consumption, the health insurance system should be further improved.Keywords: urban-rural health insurance integration, rural household, savings rate, health risks, medical risks

Building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) contributes to promoting green and low-carbon transformation in rural areas. In order to better guide rural households to invest in BIPV projects and promote the goal of "carbon neutrality" in China's building sector, this study integrates the theory of planned behavior (TPB), the social cognitive theory (SCT), and the PEST analysis framework. It constructs a theoretical model from the perspective of "External Factors-Internal Psychology-Investment Intention" to investigate rural households' investment intentions toward BIPV projects and their influencing factors. Basic data were collected from 488 valid questionnaires from rural households in Henan Province, and the theoretical model was empirically tested using structural equation modeling. The results show that the model constructed from both internal and external factors effectively explains rural households' investment intentions (II) toward BIPV projects (R2 = 0.89), with investment attitude (IA) being the strongest psychological motivation leading to their II. All four external factors—policy, economic, social, and technological—positively influence II with diminishing effects. Additionally, the policy factor has the most significant effect on IA, while the economic factor has a more prominent effect on perceived behavioral control (PBC), and the technological factor has a relatively weaker effect on the two psychological factors. Furthermore, the four external factors indirectly influence investment intentions through the two psychological factors of IA and PBC, with the mediating effect of IA being higher than PBC. Based on the findings, this study proposes effective suggestions to enhance rural households' investment intentions toward BIPV projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water scarcity is rapidly increasing as one of the most important threats to sustainable agriculture in arid and semi-arid regions of the world. This has led to many problems such as poverty and food insecurity among rural households. Therefore, building and improving resilience is important for rural households as a way to reduce the effects of water scarcity. Based on this, the current research has investigated the resilience of rural households against water poverty. The population studied was rural households in Hamadan, Kabudrahang and Malayer cities, and based on Cochran's formula, 334 people from rural households were randomly selected as a statistical sample. The tool for collecting information is a researcher-made questionnaire. Its formal validity has been obtained by confirmation professors and Cronbach's alpha, the combined and shared reliability of all factors is greater than 0.7, which indicates the appropriate reliability of the model. To analyze the collected data, structural equation modeling was used with the help of PLS Smart software. The results showed that physical-infrastructure and human capital had the greatest impact on the resilience of households. Therefore, with long-term investment appropriate to physical capital and infrastructure and strengthening human capital with the help of education and raising the level of awareness and participation of people, the resilience of households will increase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Every facet of life, including health, social, and economic aspects, has undergone a tremendous transformation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This condition is exacerbated by socioeconomic fragility and vulnerability amid economic uncertainty, with an enormous debt burden and inequality increasingly spreading to regions. Elements of society in Indonesia experience the problem of a lack of income and capital, in addition to vulnerability and helplessness. Social, economic, community–institutional, and resource vulnerabilities are inevitable; therefore, they must be identified, anticipated, and dealt with to avoid worsening. This research aims to identify the affected households and their economic resilience when facing the COVID-19 pandemic. A mixed approach with a sequential exploratory strategy was employed, whereby qualitative data were first collected and analyzed. Based on the findings of the first stage, quantitative data were obtained and examined in the second stage. This study was conducted in two rural locations with distinct characteristics: the Gunungkidul District on Java Island and the Bangkalan District on Madura Island. These findings demonstrate the economic resilience of households in Bangkalan and Gunungkidul. The factors that significantly influence economic resilience are household income, assets, and product availability in the market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rent-free farmland transfer that exists widely in China's rural areas is a topic worthy of attention. Particularly, the regional heterogeneity of its occurrences implies regional cultural heterogeneities. Using local dialects to proxy regional cultural features, this study applies econometric methods to examine the impacts of dialect diversity on rent-free farmland transfers. It also considers possible mechanisms through a mediation analysis, based on a combined two-year rural household survey dataset from the Guangdong and Jiangxi Provinces in 2015 and 2016. Robust estimation results reveal that dialect diversity increases the probability of rent-free farmland transfers at the household and village levels. According to the mediation analysis, dialect diversity influences villages' farmland abandonment, rural farmland market development, and the flexibility of farmland transfer contracts, which further affects rent-free farmland transfer. Rent-free farmland transfer depends on social trust and contracts' self-fulfilling advantages. Therefore, cultural and traditional factors should be taken into consideration, which would form beneficial interactions between the selections of rural farmland institutional arrangement and land rights policy implementations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land management technology (LMT) adoption is one of Ethiopia's crucial strategies to combat soil depletion and promote agricultural production. However, there is scant information concerning the intensity, interdependent nature, and households' decision to adopt multiple LMTs. Thus, the purpose of this study is to identify factors influencing households' decisions to adopt multiple LMTs and the intensity and interdependency of the technologies in the Goyrie watershed of southern Ethiopia. The data was collected from 291 randomly selected household heads, focus group discussion participants, and key informant interview respondents. The quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and econometric methods like multivariate probit and ordered probit modeling, while the qualitative data was presented through content analysis. The result indicated that more than half of respondents (67 %) applied one or two LMTs. The highest complementary effects were observed in mixed soil bunds with desho grasses and manure applications. However, soil bunds and fanya-juu, manure application and agroforestry showed interchangeability with one another. Sex, education, family size, landholding size, access to development agents and credit institutions, training, and village membership increased the probability of adopting multiple LMTs, whereas age, land rent, and crop sharing discouraged the likelihood of households' decisions to adopt LMT. The results of the ordered probit model revealed that village membership and contact with extension agents highly encouraged the intensity of LMT adoptions. Thus, policymakers and planners should consider social, institutional, human asset, and technological related factors to increase adoption rates and intensity of land management technologies.

The Pan-Third Pole region comprises multiple nations affected by climate vulnerability and energy inequality, wherein promoting energy transitions in rural households would provide a path to combat climate change. Identifying the factors that drive rural household energy consumption and the transition is important. This study performed a micro-survey of 1060 rural households in five countries in the Pan-Third Pole region and empirically analyzed the relationships between off-farm income, energy consumption, and energy transitions. The off-farm income of rural households was found to have a significantly positive effect (p

Part-time farming is a widespread phenomenon associated with the long-term global trend of urbanization, especially in China since its reform and opening-up in 1978. The shift of agricultural labor to non-agricultural sectors has significantly impacted cultivated land use activities, yet the connection between part-time farming and cultivated land use sustainability (CLS) remains understudied. Here, we construct an index system for assessing CLS that integrates ecological, economic, and social sustainability. Using survey data from seven Chinese villages across three provinces, we analyze the impact pattern and mechanism of part-time farming on CLS. We find the following: (1) The impact of part-time farming on CLS presents an inverted U-shape, peaking negatively at a 45% inflection point; (2) Spatial heterogeneity exists in the effect of part-time farming on CLS; (3) A household’s non-agricultural workforce size and the gender of the household head significantly moderate the link between part-time farming and CLS; (4) CLS strongly hinges on various factors including the household head’s health, other family members’ education levels, commercial insurance, and agricultural skills training. Our findings provide empirical insights into governing part-time farming for sustainable cultivated land use and, eventually, rural human–land system sustainability.

This research analyzes the factors that affect resilience after natural disasters of 997 households in rural areas of Vietnam in 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2016 by using logistic regression. The research results show that factors such as receiving timely warnings related to natural disasters, not taking measures to respond to natural disasters, and putting trust in the community will improve resilience after natural disasters. If the household head is of Kinh ethnicity and participates in community organizations, the response capacity whenever a disaster occurs is higher, and vice versa. Additionally, household heads not responding to natural disasters, instead receiving support from their relatives and friends and borrowing capital positively affect resilience capacity after one year since the disaster. In cases where Kinh women are household heads and join social communities, the resilience capacity after one year also increases. Besides, the research suggests some solutions to develop resilience capacity, which focus on the relationship between characteristics of households, household heads, and disaster response with the resilience capacity of rural households in Vietnam. Finally, this research proposes some suitable policies to improve resilience capacity in Vietnamese rural areas.

IntroductionThis study examines the determinants of energy sources among rural households in the forested regions of the Zagros Mountains in Iran.MethodsThe research focuses on 157 forest villages, categorized into three groups based on their access to different fuel sources: wood, kerosene and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and natural gas (NG). A survey was conducted among 346 rural households using a multi-stage stratified random sampling approach and a questionnaire.ResultsThe findings reveal that firewood plays a significant role in household energy patterns, particularly in remote areas. Income is identified as a crucial determinant of energy structure, but non-income socio-economic factors also strongly influence energy patterns. Moreover, commercial energy sources exhibit higher energy efficiency, resulting in reduced annual energy consumption compared to the use of firewood as the primary fuel.DiscussionThe study emphasizes the urgent need to address the reliance on low-efficiency energy sources to mitigate deforestation risks. In countries like Iran, where forest resources are limited, transitioning from firewood to higher efficiency fuels becomes imperative for forest conservation and sustainability. The implications of this research underscore the importance of considering both economic and social dimensions in energy planning and interventions, promoting accessible and affordable alternatives to traditional biomass fuels, and designing targeted policies to encourage the adoption of cleaner and more efficient energy sources in rural areas.

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]

Energy poverty is one of the three major crises of the global energy system. It tends to deepen as a result of the imbalance between supply and demand, energy transition and financial factors, especially in rural areas of developing countries. This paper took rural household energy poverty as the subject and collected 27 Chinese papers and 44 English papers from Google Scholar, Sci-hub, CNKI and other academic websites in the academic field on the definition, identification methods, influencing factors and governance countermeasures of energy poverty. It focused on analyzing the influence of income level, geographic location, urban–rural differences, demographic characteristics and other factors on energy poverty, as well as the profound impact of energy poverty on the population's health, the population's economic status, social equity, welfare of the population, the national economic development, etc. It finally landed on the government's countermeasures to govern energy poverty so as to provide references for solving the problem of energy poverty by systematically sorting out the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surge in mining operations to meet the global demand for mineral resources adversely impacts ecosystem services and dependent households, but the issue barely attracts attention. This study evaluated the dynamics of mining-induced changes in the value of ecosystem services (ES) and the consequent economic and relational cost to rural households in the Ahafo region of Ghana. Face-to-face structured interviews with 200 householders were conducted in three mining communities. We determined relational values in the landscape through focus group discussion and the economic cost of the ecosystem services lost by applying replacement and contingency cost estimations. Old-growth forests, degraded forests, teak plantations, cultivated land, wetlands, and grassland were ecosystems identified in the mining landscape. The most valued ecosystem was old-growth forest, while the least was grassland. Provisioning service was the most valued ES, while supporting service was the least. Provisioning ES was rated the most impacted by the mine, whereas cultural services were the least affected. Mining activities caused a significant loss of 14 ecosystem services (including crops, livestock, capture fisheries, wild food, bush meat, biomass fuel, and freshwater) that were of priority to the communities. The affected households experienced relatively high monthly economic costs, approximating $300 per household, from the loss of priority ecosystem services. Canonical correspondence analysis revealed connections between ecosystem services valuation and the socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents. There was a perceived mine-adverse effect on the relational values of the people relating to cultural identity, sovereignty, symbolic value, security, subsistence and livelihood, sense of place, social cohesion, social memory, female emotional/mental health, and womanhood training opportunities. Actors in the mining industry should consider policies and management interventions that will limit ecosystem services loss, widely ascertain ecosystem benefits, and comprehensively mitigate the impact of their loss on households.

The present research aimed to evaluate the economic and environmental sustainability of livestock farms in inland areas of the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park (Southern Italy) and the convenience and possibility of activating forms of local economies. The study involved three types of grazing husbandries: one with only sheep and goats; one with only cattle; and one mixed, namely with cattle, sheep and goats. The profitability of the analyzed farms was compared through their gross profit and the net income of the farmer. To evaluate the convenience of the farms under study to activate forms of a short supply chain, the transformation value of the milk was used as the reference parameter. The environmental impact per farm and per adult bovine unit was assessed through the LCA methodology. The economic analysis showed that the survival of the analyzed farms is essentially linked to public subsidies, which in some cases represent more than 75% of the total output. Family enterprise plays a fundamental role in management decisions, in the size of animal breeding, and in investment decisions. Referring to environmental impacts, the analysis showed a lower sustainability of cattle farming, mainly due to the higher methane emissions during enteric fermentation. Despite all this, the ecosystem services provided by these semi-extensive farms in inland areas are significant, and therefore economic and environmental analyses should take them into account to enhance them and encourage farmers to remain in these often marginal areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to alleviate ecological environmental degradation and to enhance sustainable rural household livelihoods, the Shaanxi government of China launched a disaster mitigation program: the disaster avoidance resettlement. Measuring household livelihood vulnerability and further assessing its influence, hold the key to strengthening livelihood adaptation in the context of disaster resettlement. Taking Ankang—in southern Shaanxi Province, China—as an example, this article explores the impact mechanism of household livelihood vulnerability on adaptation strategies through a multinominal logistic regression model in which 657 rural questionnaires were employed. In order to provide more integrated empirical evidence, we draw lessons from the livelihood of the previously proposed vulnerability framework, which has three dimensions: the degree of sensitivity, exposure, and adaptive capacity. The adaptive strategies were divided into pure farming, non-agricultural, and diversified adaptation types according to the types of income sources. The results indicated that livelihood vulnerability varies with different resettlement characteristics. In terms of adaptive strategy types, the vulnerability of pure farming households was the largest. This article found that the relocated households who had a lower sensitivity preferred the non-farming livelihood adaptation strategy. Local households with a high adaptive ability preferred to implement diversified adaptation strategies. The weaker the social support network of the relocated households, the more likely they were to choose off-farm adaptation strategies. Our research results are robust and have broader implications in terms of promoting rural household diversifications of adaptation strategies and reducing livelihood vulnerability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of the internet is growing rapidly and has become an engine for economic development. However, few studies have examined the impact of internet use on agricultural production, and the results are not yet conclusive. Employing a dataset of more than 2000 observations in rural Vietnam, our study analyses the impact of internet use on agricultural productivity using the heteroscedasticity‐based instrument approach suggested by Lewbel, Journal of Business and Economic Statistics, 2012, 30, 67–80 and examines the heterogeneity and distribution of the impact using quantile regressions. Our results show that internet use has significant and positive effects on agricultural productivity. However, these effects are heterogeneous across population groups. The positive effects of internet use are stronger for households with a lower level of education, with a young and female head, and from ethnic minorities. The benefits are also found to be skewed towards the group of farmers at the bottom of the productivity distribution. Therefore, we propose facilitating the diffusion of the internet, since it not only boosts agricultural productivity, but also reduces productivity inequality. In addition, we recommend promoting rural education, supporting local markets, investing more in irrigation systems, and facilitating farm mechanisation as these factors are found to contribute to increasing agricultural productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Belgorod Region is one of the main agro-industrial regions of Russia. The volume of production in the livestock sector in 2022 amounted to 203 billion rubles. Most often, livestock farms are located near agricultural land with plant crops, which increases the risk of contamination of the latter with various toxicants. The purpose of this work was to study and assess the contamination with heavy metal ions and toxic chemicals of the soils of agricultural lands and nearby reservoirs in the Prokhorovsky district of the Belgorod region. Watercress (Lepidium sativum) and crustaceans (Daphnia magna Straus) are bioindicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Topicality. The production of labor-intensive agricultural products in the state is largely provided by small enterprises. They play an important role in food security, ensuring the employment of the rural population, and shaping the living environment in communities. Therefore, the research of the development of small forms of business in the agrarian sector of the economy during the period of war in Ukraine is relevant. Formulation of the problem. In the agrarian sector of the economy of Ukraine, the transformation of collective agricultural enterprises into market-type business entities took place. In large- and medium-sized agricultural enterprises, the concentration of production of less labor-intensive and export-oriented agricultural crops can be traced, and the number of employees in them continues to decrease. Therefore, determining the social and economic foundations of the development of small forms of business should be an important task of modern agrarian policy. The subject of research covers the theoretical and practical principles of the development of small forms of business in the agrarian sphere. The purpose of the work is to substantiate the social and economic directions of the development of small forms of business in the agrarian sector of the economy. Research methods: historical, systematic approach, abstract-logical, statistical-economic, calculation-constructive methods. Results of the work: the essence was summarized and the classification of types of small forms of management in the agrarian sector of the economy was carried out on the basis of organizational, legal and social and economic foundations of their development; the priority directions for the development of small forms of business to ensure employment and motivation of the rural population to formally conduct agribusiness are substantiated, taking into account their current economic condition; conceptual directions for improving the business economic activity of small businesses thanks to organizational and material support and infrastructural development of rural areas have been determined. Practical implementation: the formation of agrarian and regional policy at the macro- and meso-levels of the economy, the process of developing projects of state and local programs for the development of the agrarian sector of the economy and rural areas. Conclusions: organizational and financial and material support for the development of small forms of business in the agrarian sector of the economy will ensure a decrease in unemployment in the industry, will contribute to the development of the social and labor sphere in rural areas.

With agriculture being the main source of livelihood, migration has posed severe constraints, thus hampering the livelihood of many households. This research focused on the effects of migration on the livelihood of rural households in Nigeria. Descriptive statistics, Probit and Tobit regression models were the analytical tools employed. Most of the households were male-headed and two-thirds of the rural households had members who had migrated for at least six months. Internal migration was the predominant type of migration while rural households were found to have a low level of livelihood. Age, education, household size, type of employment, land access, type of dwelling, migrant status and physical assets were significant in determining livelihoods of rural households. Thus, lessening the rural-urban divide in the rural areas through public-private partnerships in terms of innovations to support and expand the livelihood possibilities of rural households at all levels of governance should be prioritized.

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]

Globally, waste is accepted as an emerging issue and it concerns everyone, locally, nationally, and globally. However, studies on waste generation, composition, and management systems are often focused on urban areas. Similarly, Bhutan lacks information and reliable data about rural household solid waste generation and its composition at large and there is vague information on its management systems. This paper presents precise information on waste generation, composition, and management systems in rural areas in three administrative units called Gewogs namely Khatoed, Semjong, and Phangkhar under Gasa, Tsirang, and Zhemgang districts respectively. These study areas are located in different regions of the country with varying geographic locations, natural resources, altitudes, cultural diversity, lifestyles, and consumption patterns. The study envisioned narrowing the data gap, creating a yardstick for similar studies to be undertaken henceforth, and delivering sufficient and reliable information for informed decision-making for the successful progression of waste prevention and management programs to achieve "Zero Waste Bhutan", the vibrant vision of the country towards attaining zero waste society. On average, each household generated about 0.17 kg per day in the study areas and the per capita waste generation was 0.039 kg, 0.037 kg, and 0.032 kg a day in Khatoed, Semjong, and Phangkhar Gewogs respectively. On average, at least 72.9% practiced reduction, 86.8% reported that they reused, and 29.4% practiced recycling in their daily lives. At least 95.7%, 73.7%, and 82.1% of the household under Semjong, Phangkhar, and Khatoed Gewogs respectively practiced waste segregation into wet and dry at the source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attention to food security in Iran has always been a primary objective of rural and agricultural development programs. In this regard, rural households, as the main providers of the country's food, should have adequate access to the food they need. However, this issue has always faced numerous challenges. Therefore, the purpose of this qualitative study conducted in 2021 was to analyze the challenges of food security in rural households. The study focused on the heads of rural households in Haft Ashian District, Kermanshah Township, with a sample size of 375. In-depth interviews were conducted with key informants using purposeful sampling and snowball method, resulting in a sample size of 35. The data collected was analyzed through content analysis using MAX-QDA12 software, leading to the identification of 44 concepts categorized into four main categories. Based on the findings, the primary challenges to food security in the study area, in order of importance, include: financial and credit challenges (frequency: 212), weak management and legislation (frequency: 190), sociocultural challenges (frequency: 183), and the complex nature of agriculture and environmental conditions (frequency: 181). Therefore, improving the income of rural households will have significant and impactful effects on enhancing food security. It is crucial for authorities to prioritize and address the financial and credit challenges to make meaningful progress in this regard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heterogeneous land development opportunities induced by spatial regulation produce different advantages in areas, which undoubtedly differentiates farmers' employment. The aim of this study was to quantitatively examine its impact. We selected Moshui Lake City Park (urban development planning area), Sino-French Eco-City (industrial development planning area), and Chenhu International Wetland (ecological protection planning area) as its principal research areas. These regions are all located in Wuhan city, Hubei province, China. After obtaining 907 valid responses from rural households, the Tobit model was adopted to identify the impact of land development opportunities on farmers' nonfarm employment. The results show that, first, industrial development opportunity (IDO) and urban development opportunity (UDO) provide more job security than the reference group, which is ecological development opportunity (EDO), with the estimated coefficients of IDO and UDO being 0.325 and 0.944, respectively. However, a negative correlation was found between UDO and farmers' employment selection and income. Second, heterogeneity analysis reveals that the promotion effect of land development opportunities on farmers' employment is more significant for low- and middle-income, low-quantity, and high-quality households. Finally, further analysis shows that IDO can promote employment for all age groups, but UDO inhibits the elderly labor force from getting employed. These findings provide evidence-based insights which can enable the government to formulate land value-added distribution systems that promote balanced development between regions and stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) contributes to promoting green and low-carbon transformation in rural areas. In order to better guide rural households to invest in BIPV projects and promote the goal of “carbon neutrality” in China’s building sector, this study integrates the theory of planned behavior (TPB), the social cognitive theory (SCT), and the PEST analysis framework. It constructs a theoretical model from the perspective of “External Factors-Internal Psychology-Investment Intention” to investigate rural households’ investment intentions toward BIPV projects and their influencing factors. Basic data were collected from 488 valid questionnaires from rural households in Henan Province, and the theoretical model was empirically tested using structural equation modeling. The results show that the model constructed from both internal and external factors effectively explains rural households’ investment intentions (II) toward BIPV projects (R2 = 0.89), with investment attitude (IA) being the strongest psychological motivation leading to their II. All four external factors—policy, economic, social, and technological—positively influence II with diminishing effects. Additionally, the policy factor has the most significant effect on IA, while the economic factor has a more prominent effect on perceived behavioral control (PBC), and the technological factor has a relatively weaker effect on the two psychological factors. Furthermore, the four external factors indirectly influence investment intentions through the two psychological factors of IA and PBC, with the mediating effect of IA being higher than PBC. Based on the findings, this study proposes effective suggestions to enhance rural households’ investment intentions toward BIPV projects.

The rent-free farmland transfer that exists widely in China’s rural areas is a topic worthy of attention. Particularly, the regional heterogeneity of its occurrences implies regional cultural heterogeneities. Using local dialects to proxy regional cultural features, this study applies econometric methods to examine the impacts of dialect diversity on rent-free farmland transfers. It also considers possible mechanisms through a mediation analysis, based on a combined two-year rural household survey dataset from the Guangdong and Jiangxi Provinces in 2015 and 2016. Robust estimation results reveal that dialect diversity increases the probability of rent-free farmland transfers at the household and village levels. According to the mediation analysis, dialect diversity influences villages’ farmland abandonment, rural farmland market development, and the flexibility of farmland transfer contracts, which further affects rent-free farmland transfer. Rent-free farmland transfer depends on social trust and contracts’ self-fulfilling advantages. Therefore, cultural and traditional factors should be taken into consideration, which would form beneficial interactions between the selections of rural farmland institutional arrangement and land rights policy implementations.

Abstract Background Beekeeping activity is carried out in most parts of Ethiopia. However, despite the favorable agro-ecology for beekeeping practices and the high number of bee colonies the country is endowed with, the level of beekeeping adoption is low. Methods This study was conducted to identify determinants of the decision to adopt beekeeping, and the intensity of adoption by using a cross-sectional data collected from 772 rural households in Northwest Ethiopia. Stratified random sampling method was used to select the households, and the data were collected using a questionnaire. To achieve the objectives, Heckman two-stage sample selection model was used. Results The result of the first step Heckman model revealed that age and educational level of the household head, household size, extension visits, training, incentive, home consumption of honey, major economic activities of the household, perception towards better hives, distance to the nearest marketplace, the number of years the household stayed in the village, and location were the significant variables influencing rural households’ beekeeping adoption decision. The second step Heckman model revealed that livestock holding of a household head, number of extension visits, credit use, presence of honey bee pests, whether a household is engaged in swarm catching practices, and major economic activities of a household head were the variables that influence the intensity of beekeeping adoption significantly. Conclusions The findings of the study can be used to make evidence-based policy interventions to improve beekeeping adoption and the intensity of beekeeping adoption by rural households, which could also help to improve their livelihoods.

(1) Background The demand for forestry science and technology is one of the core elements in the design of forestry science and technology innovation system. Forest farmers are the main body of the demand for forestry science and technology innovation. Their demand for forestry science and technology will affect the promotion and implementation effect of forestry science and technology innovation achievements to a large extent. (2) Methods The research data were collected from field surveys and 298 valid questionnaires in Fuzhou City and Sanming City in Fujian Province from July to August 2022. The demand of forest farmers for forestry technology was selected as the dependent variable, pure forest farmers, part-time forest farmers and non forest farmers were selected as the independent variables, and individual characteristics, family characteristics and forestland characteristics were selected as the control variables. Multivariate disordered Logit model was used to empirically test the impact of different types of forest farmers on the demand for forestry technology. (3) Results The survey results show that according to the order of priority the demands of forest farmers for forestry technology are respectively ecological protection and restoration technology ( 43. 62%), forest seed in-dustry innovation technology (20. 47%), forest quality improvement technology (17. 79%), forestry carbon se-questration and sinks enhancement technology (12. 75%), and other technology (5. 37%). The empirical analysis results show that part-time forest farmers have a significant positive impact on the demand for forestry technology, and the demand for forestry technology of part-time forest farmers is greater than that of pure forest farmers and non forest farmers. The demands of different types of forest farmers for forestry technology are different. Compared with other forestry technologies, the pure forest farmers are more inclined to need ecological protection and restoration technology and forest quality improvement technology, while the part-time forest farmers are more inclined to need ecological protection and restoration technology, forest quality improvement technology and forest seed industry in-novation technology. At the same time, the forest science and technology service information has a significant positive impact on the forest farmers' demand for ecological protection and restoration technology and forest seed industry innovation technology. The type of forestland has a significant positive impact on the forest farmers' demand for ecological protection and restoration technology, forest seed industry innovation technology, forest quality improve-ment technology and forestry carbon sequestration and sinks enhancement technology, while the quality of forest- land has a significant negative impact on the forest farmers' demand for forestry technology. (4) Conclusions and Discussions First, the workers of forestry science and technology should consider the part-time forest farmers as the main promotion objects of forestry science and technology, and then promote the pure forest farmers to apply new forestry technology through demonstration effect. Second, forestry science and technology service information plays an important role in the demand for forestry science and technology. Based on the above conclusions, the following policy recommendations are put forward: First, pay attention to the forestry science and technology innovation demand of part-time forest farmers. Second, strengthen the training of forestry science and technology for the forest farmers. Third, construct a diversified forestry science and technology service system. Fourth, carry on the innovation of forestry science and technology by taking the demand of forest farmers for forestry science and technology as the guidance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzed food security status of rural households in North Eastern Nigeria. Secondary data were employed. The data were accessed from the General Household Survey (GHS) for years 2013 and 2016, waves 2 and 3. 451 households were considered in each wave. The objective of the study was to determine the food security status of rural households, analyze factors influencing their food security and compare the output of different methodologies used to measure food security during the periods. Frequency and Percentages were used to analyze the socioeconomic characteristics of respondents. Mean per Capita Food Expenditure (MPCE), Dietary Diversity Score (DDS), Foster, Greer and Thorbecke (FGT) index were used to analyze household food security status while Logit regression model was used to analyze factors influencing household food security status. Results from the descriptive statistics showed that male household heads, married household heads and literate household heads were food secure in both waves. Results from Mean per Capita Food Expenditure (MPCE), and Foster, Greer and Thorbecke (FGT) showed that more than half of the selected households were food secure in both waves but reverse was the case with Dietary Diversity Score (DDS). Age, level of education, and household size were found to be factors influencing food security in both waves and models. The results from the logistic regression showed that an increase in age of household head and household size will reduce the food security status of the North-Easterner’s rural households. Also, the result revealed that the food security status was higher in Borno, Gombe and Yobe compared to Taraba and tertiary education increased the level of food security status for MPCE but reduced the same for DDS. Based on these findings, the study recommends sensitizations on the importance of education and family planning for the rural household in North Eastern states of Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children are regarded as the best seed of a nation. The future generation of young individuals is expected to assume leadership roles at both national and global levels, undergoing a gradual process of maturation and skill development akin to the unfolding petals of a lotus flower. This study investigates the complexities of child vulnerability in Bangladesh between 2019 and 2020. The survey was conducted using a multistage sampling technique in three representative districts of Bangladesh: Rajbari, Pabna, and Faridpur. A total of 200 households were randomly chosen for inclusion in the study. Using a Multidimensional Child Poverty Index (MCPI) across six dimensions, it is determined that approximately 78.5% of sampled children endure deprivation in approximately 43% of vital indicators. While 43% are entrapped in multidimensional poverty, 17% are in poverty but experience better living conditions, and 28% thrive in excellent home environments. Utilizing multiple regression analysis, the study reveals that malnutrition, restricted healthcare access, inadequate sanitation, and maternal health are identified as crucial factors that exert substantial influence on the well-being of children. Furthermore, there exists a ray of optimism manifested in the presence of favourable correlations linking child survival to vaccine coverage, socioeconomic position, and educational achievement, with a notable emphasis on the influential role of maternal education. The various elements of household aesthetics, the prevalence of disease, gender inequities, harmful cultural practices, and the availability of knowledge all play distinct roles in this complex scenario. Targeted interventions are required to improve child well-being across diverse dimensions of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on exploring the factors affecting on urban Earnings of household of Multan district. Cross-sectional data was collected through questionnaire from household of District Multan's belonging to rural areas. About 300 respondents belonging to rural areas were randomly engaged for an interview in 2021. Mincerian earning function was used for analysis and its extension form was also analyzed. In this study it was found that Experience and Education positively impact on earning whereas experience square had a negative impact while evaluating Mincerian Earing function. In the Extended Mincerian Earing function, Education, experience, age, spouse involvement, marital status, and migration positively impact on earnings while age squared, experience squared, and employment have a negative impact on earnings of rural household of Multan district. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]