Livelihoods within rural communities are not static and are undergoing a quiet revolution in diversification. We need to understand this better when looking for sustainable solutions to the ‘wicked’ problem of poverty alleviation. Case studies from Thailand and Zimbabwe. Presented by Dr Andrew Noble, director of the CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems at World Water Week 2013 in Stockholm.

1. Beyond Agriculture: Transcending sectors
for diversified livelihoods.
Andrew Noble, Director WLE.

2. We are living in a globally connected
world dominated by megatrends.
Global Economic Rebalancing
• Emerging economies and growing
middle class – led by China and
India – will drive global growth
and create new markets.
• Mass industrialization and
urbanization highlight existing
pressures on the world’s natural
capital.

3. Environment and Resource
• Climate change enhances
vulnerability to climatic events.
• Deforestation continues, leading to
ecosystem decline and habitat and
species loss.
• Demand for resource needs expose
constraints in water, energy, waste
management, food and extraction
systems, and prompt new resource
markets.

4. Growing Pains
• Ageing populations, rising health
costs and shifting values.
• Growing cities, resource constraints
and diverse communities.
• Structural change, decline in full-
time manual male work.
• Growing inequity between the
‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’ – no
longer an issue between the north
and south.

5. Case studies
• Two case studies to
show different types of
problems and
complexities.
• One with organic
change.
• One with an assisted
intervention to improve
the resilience of system.
This story was written by Swathi Sridharan from ICRISAT and is part of the funding of WLE
the CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food
Livestock and risk
In southern Africa wealth is often measured by how many animals a family owns. The mor
and goats you have, the richer you are. And the more able you are to cope with life’s unex
demands.
Rural families have long relied on their livestock as a buffer against shock. Livestock repre
discreet amounts of cash that can be used to buy shortfalls of food, clothes, build houses
pay for education. For Kumutso Nare and her husband, livestock also signify a way to stor
wealth - a savings account of sorts from which they can draw as the need arises.
The Nares have four cattle but they prefer to focus their energies on goats. “Cattle are diff
maintain. The rangelands are 15 km away,” Nare says. Goats are easy to keep and feed.
are my favorite.”
The Nares’ plan for their livestock is straightforward – to build their herd. So far they have
adults and 11 goat kids. “The last time we sold a goat was last year,” she says. “We sell a
only when we need to. “
But while their plan is to hold on to their animals the impending drought was forcing them t
consider selling their animals. “Our strategy in a drought is to sell some animals and buy s
feed to feed the rest. We haven’t yet decided how many to keep or sell. We will see what
happens and then decide.”

6. Case 1: The quiet revolution: Moving beyond
the farm gate.
On-Farm Employment Profile of Families
Full time Part time Not On-Farm
Percentage(%)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
IFS
CFS
• A study 2010 undertaken
in Northeast Thailand of
integrated farming
systems (IFS) and
commercial rice growers
(CFS).
• Total number of family
members in each of the
IFS and CFS groups were
579 and 485.
• Higher percentage of
family members that were
either part-time farmers
or not employed on-farm.

7.  Declining productivity and
a shift in cropping
patterns = lower on-farm
incomes.
 Higher costs of production
= excessive borrowing and
high level on non
performing loans.
 Dependence on off-farm
employment i.e. migration
to Bangkok Can have
negative impacts on
family and social
structures.
 Aspirations of youth
beyond the farm gate.
Case 1: The quiet revolution: Moving beyond
the farm gate.

8. Case Study 2: Innovation platforms in
the Zimbabwe
The Nares have four cattle but they prefer to focus their energies on goats. “Cattle are difficult to
maintain. The rangelands are 15 km away,” Nare says. Goats are easy to keep and feed. They
are my favorite.”
The Nares’ plan for their livestock is straightforward – to build their herd. So far they have 33
adults and 11 goat kids. “The last time we sold a goat was last year,” she says. “We sell a goat
only when we need to. “
But while their plan is to hold on to their animals the impending drought was forcing them to
consider selling their animals. “Our strategy in a drought is to sell some animals and buy stock
feed to feed the rest. We haven’t yet decided how many to keep or sell. We will see what
happens and then decide.”
Photo by Swathi
Sridharan
This case is
abstracted from
ten years of work
done by ICRISAT in
Southern Africa
and which has
been supported
by CPWF the last
three years.

9. The challenge to diversity livelihoods in the semi-
arid regions of Southern Zimbabwe
• Introduction of improved
management of livestock
proved difficult because there
was a lack of incentives to
change.
• Markets were segmented, little
coordination, and poor
understanding of value.
• Unhealthy animals, poor
prices, and communities that
were food insecure.
Photo by Swathi
Sridharan

10. The solution.
• Innovation platforms
established to improve
market efficiency and
reduce transaction costs
along the entire value
chain.
Photo by Swathi
Sridharan

11. The outcome
• Platform has raised value
of goat from 10$ to 60$
• Farmers are readily
adopting previously un-
used technology to
produce goats now.
• Farmers have options
other than staple crops
such as maize and
cassava which have poor
yields and prices. Photo by Swathi
Sridharan

12. Conclusions
• Livelihoods within rural communities are
not static and are undergoing a quiet
revolution in diversification.
• Old push-side solutions are not viable
– Thailand: Labour, migration driving
agriculture, old solutions do not apply.
– Zimbabwe: Farmers only adopt when context
taken into account.

13. Conclusions
• If we are looking to sustainable solutions
to the ‘wicked’ problem livelihoods and
poverty alleviation there is a need to:
– Each actor holds a key to the solution.
– There is a need to engage each actor.
– Finding the right ‘lever’ is the key to getting
collective action.

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