Rural Livelihood Diversification in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Literature Review
(2015) In Journal of Development Studies 51(9). p.1125-1138- Abstract
- This article provides a comprehensive review of the literature on the nature and evolution of rural
livelihood diversification in sub-Saharan Africa, and the situation regarding smallholders. It reveals mixed
findings about the causes and consequences of livelihood diversification on rural smallholders adopting this
strategy. A lot of evidence from the literature suggests that it is relatively better-off smallholders with sufficient
assets who achieve successful livelihood diversification, mainly by exploiting opportunities and synergies between
farm and nonfarm activities. Because of asset constraints, increase in incomes and wealth based on livelihood
diversification has not yet benefitted the large majority of... (More) - This article provides a comprehensive review of the literature on the nature and evolution of rural
livelihood diversification in sub-Saharan Africa, and the situation regarding smallholders. It reveals mixed
findings about the causes and consequences of livelihood diversification on rural smallholders adopting this
strategy. A lot of evidence from the literature suggests that it is relatively better-off smallholders with sufficient
assets who achieve successful livelihood diversification, mainly by exploiting opportunities and synergies between
farm and nonfarm activities. Because of asset constraints, increase in incomes and wealth based on livelihood
diversification has not yet benefitted the large majority of smallholders. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/bbaf24a8-9043-471b-8cb4-b878118e0df8
- author
- Alobo Loison, Sarah Harriet LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2015-08-13
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Journal of Development Studies
- volume
- 51
- issue
- 9
- pages
- 1125 - 1138
- publisher
- Routledge
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:84941748116
- wos:000369823100001
- ISSN
- 0022-0388
- DOI
- 10.1080/00220388.2015.1046445
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- bbaf24a8-9043-471b-8cb4-b878118e0df8
- date added to LUP
- 2017-06-01 21:45:28
- date last changed
- 2025-03-19 01:27:18
@article{bbaf24a8-9043-471b-8cb4-b878118e0df8,
abstract = {{This article provides a comprehensive review of the literature on the nature and evolution of rural<br/>livelihood diversification in sub-Saharan Africa, and the situation regarding smallholders. It reveals mixed<br/>findings about the causes and consequences of livelihood diversification on rural smallholders adopting this<br/>strategy. A lot of evidence from the literature suggests that it is relatively better-off smallholders with sufficient<br/>assets who achieve successful livelihood diversification, mainly by exploiting opportunities and synergies between<br/>farm and nonfarm activities. Because of asset constraints, increase in incomes and wealth based on livelihood<br/>diversification has not yet benefitted the large majority of smallholders.}},
author = {{Alobo Loison, Sarah Harriet}},
issn = {{0022-0388}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{08}},
number = {{9}},
pages = {{1125--1138}},
publisher = {{Routledge}},
series = {{Journal of Development Studies}},
title = {{Rural Livelihood Diversification in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Literature Review}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00220388.2015.1046445}},
doi = {{10.1080/00220388.2015.1046445}},
volume = {{51}},
year = {{2015}},
}