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Research article2011Peer reviewed

Livelihood strategies and the role of forest income in participatory-managed forests of Dodola area in the bale highlands, southern Ethiopia

Tesfaye, Yemiru; Roos, Anders; Campbell, Bruce M.; Bohlin, Folke

Abstract

To describe livelihood strategies in the context of a participatory forest management arrangement in the Bale highlands of southern Ethiopia, data were collected using four quarterly household income surveys and a focus group discussion. A principal component analysis followed by cluster analysis was used to establish typologies of households based on livelihood strategies. The result distinguishes five livelihood strategies with different outcomes and levels of livelihood diversification. Both the poorest and the better-off households pursue diversified strategies. However, in terms of income level and food security, business-based and crop-based strategies have better outcomes. Forest income is an important source of cash income and particularly for low income groups it provides opportunity to diversify their livelihoods. Household characteristics such as age of household head and possession of cropland together with geographical factors like altitude and distance from market were found to be the most important determinants of livelihood strategy choices. Implications of the results for policy and poverty alleviation are discussed. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Keywords

Income diversification; Forest user groups; Livelihood diversity; Rural livelihoods; Co-management

Published in

Forest Policy and Economics
2011, Volume: 13, number: 4, pages: 258-265
Publisher: ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

      SLU Authors

    • Tesfaye, Yemiru

      • Department of Forest Products, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

      • Roos, Anders

        • Department of Forest Products, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

        • Bohlin, Folke

          • Department of Forest Products, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

        Sustainable Development Goals

        SDG2 End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
        SDG1 End poverty in all its forms everywhere
        SDG17 Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development

        UKÄ Subject classification

        Landscape Architecture
        Forest Science

        Publication identifier

        DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2011.01.002

        Permanent link to this page (URI)

        https://res.slu.se/id/publ/57692