Analysis of the pluriactivity of senegalese rural households
Ya Cor NDIONEPhD Candidate
Université Cheikh Anta Diop DakarInitiative prospective agricole rurale
2nd International Conference on Sustainable Development in AfricaDakar, Senegal, 26-27 November 2015
Presentation outline Context_Motivations
Research questions/Objectives
Results and discussions
Conclusion and Policy Implications
Key findings
Methodological framework
Context_ Motivations• classical approaches of agricultural and rural development :
develop viable farms large enough to provide adequate incomes to rural households
• persistent poverty of rural populations
• Pluriactivity of rural households : emerging features of the rural world nonfarm activities are ever-increasing like a continuous process of “depeasantization” which
involves reorientating rural economy far from agriculture (Bryceson , 1999) .
• Evidence of higher nonfarm incomes : Over time, nonfarm activities have experienced
a rapid development, contributing to both rural employment and income generation (Haggblade
and al, 2009).
• Income improvement via pluriactivity : solution to rural poverty helps reduce poverty and contributes to balance income distribution (De Janvry and Sadoulet,
2001). Diversification stands as an essential part of agricultural and rural policies (Tocco and
al, 2013).
Context_ Motivations• Pluriactive households do not always have the best socioeconomic
situation. McCoy and Filson (1996) assessed the effects of off-farm labor on the life quality
perception of West Ontario rurals. Low satisfaction levels and lack of leisure time
have been the most frequent issues for the latter
• Pluriactives households : a group that can potentially leave agriculture Part-time farmers, compared to their counterparts, have a lower probability to continue farm
activities (Weiss, 1999)
According to Kimhi (2000), part time agriculture is like a channel through which rural labor
force gets its way out of agriculture.
• Rural pluriactivity can prevent the natural process of structural change
in agricultural sector
Context_ Motivations• Rural pluriactivity, determinants and role:
Widely studied in developed countries, in Asian and in Latin America countries
What about rural African economies ?
• African context: important to understand the behavior of pluriactivity Many households seem to run into an invisible wall in the transition process, as
they have difficulties earning enough income through diversification
The African case of income diversification suggests a more ambiguous image:
Diversification can reinforce class hierarchy as those who get higher incomes
redirect part of their agricultural capital to more gainful non farm activities
(Brycesson, 2002)
Context_ Motivations• Senegalese agriculture is struggling to provide an efficient labor
market to rural households 70% of active labour force works in agriculture
Senegalese rural areas: problem of underemployment (rate of
underemployment of 32.0%), with rainfed agriculture, risks related to
production and climatic hazards
Increasing rural households orientation towards rural non-farm activities• In Senegal, despite the growing importance of rural pluriactivity, little
is actually known about its determinants and its role in income generation for rural households
• Pluriactivity at the household level : pluriactive household as a
household with more than one income-generating activity (Ellis, 2000)
Research questions/Objectives
• Understand rural pluriactivity - its causes and its effects
for rural households in three different agro-ecological
zones of Senegal 1.What are the determinants of pluriactivity choice of households?
2. What is the magnitude and what is the signal sent by the
pluriactivity behavior of Senegalese rural households?
3. Finally what are the effects of that pluriactivity on households
particularly, on their incomes?
Methodological framework• Agricultural Household Model as theoretical model
developed by Singh, Squire and Strauss (1986), has been frequently used to
study the allocation of rural labor force
allows to understand the behavior of rural labor force by integrating
production decisions (agricultural supply and demand factors of
production) and household decisions in terms of consumption and labor
supply.
The model is based on the assumption that households need to maximize
their utility, which is a function of consumption and leisure and is subject to
time and budget constraints.
Methodological framework• Theoretical model
(1)
(2)
(3)
• Empirical design
Logit model
= reservation wage = non farm wage
Study areas
Data collectionAgro-ecological
zones Socio-economiccharacteristics
Data collection:EJMAO 2013 Villages Households
Groundnut Bassin
• Rainfed agriculture • High population density• underemployment • Migration of young people and
women
• Household surveys • Semi-structured
interviews • Focus groups.
19 700
Niayes Region
• Better farming conditions • more nonfarm employment
opportunities • home to migrant farmers coming
from rainfed areas
• Household surveys • Semi-structured
interviews • Focus groups.
13 400
Senegal River Delta
• Benefited from important public investments in water control and in development of irrigated agriculture
• home to migrants farmer coming from rainfed areas
• Household surveys • Semi-structured
interviews • Focus groups.
13 400
Total 45 1 500
12
34%
5%
61%
Groundnut Bassin
10%
20%
70%
Niayes Region
57%
5%
38%
Delta River Valley
34%
9%
57%Total
Categories of households by Agro ecological zonesResults and discussions
13
VARIABLES Pluri_hhhousehold_size 0.243***age_hhead 0.00456Sex_ hhead -0.133N_Youth 0.135***hh_with_migrant -0.0365N_Oc_worker_ -0.253***N_Less10years -0.266***N_noeduc -0.0485*N_ inf_edu_ -0.203***Niayes Region 1.172***Senegal River Delta 0.651**hh_withland 0.614**availand_hh -0.0143acqui_mod 0.352**nat_ter 0.391*rainfed_crop 0.0592peanut_prod -0.0309cereal_prod -1.011***fruit_prod -0.520**sharerev_AGRhh -0.978***Constant -0.308Observations 1,492
*** p<0.01, ** p<0.05, * p<0.1
logistic results : Determinants of Senegalese rural households pluriactivity
Results and discussionsdifferent models of pluriactivity by agro-ecological zones
• In rain-fed area : agricultural constraints push farm agricultural
households to pluriactivity pluriactivity due to low agricultural productivity , low farm incomes and
persistence of underemployment
households combination of farm and non-farm activities facilitated by the
fact these activities do not have the same exercise periods
Given the insufficiency of farm land, households prefer to turn to non-
agricultural activities
Following a drought period some households try out non-agricultural
activities. This conjectural situation may lead to a stable situation of
pluriactivity
Results and discussions Different models of pluriactivity by agro-ecological zones
• The irrigated areas: agro climatic and economic conditions create a favorable
environment for pluriactivity
Importance of pluriactivity due to the development of agriculture
Pluriactivity in irrigated areas favored by existing opportunities. These
opportunities also explain the passage of exclusively non-farm households
or exclusively farm households to pluriactive households
Households increase and diversify their incomes and can alleviate credit
constraints.
This combination of activities is encouraged by the possibility of
sharecropping
Results and discussionsImpact of pluriactivity on households income : Gini Decomposition by Income Source
Source Sk Gk Rk Share % Change
inc_agr 0.4769 0.6052 0.7901 0.4369 -0.0400inc_liv 0.0172 0.9722 0.5007 0.0160 -0.0012inc_pech 0.0507 0.9742 0.8367 0.0791 0.0285inc_agr_wage 0.0125 0.9852 0.4960 0.0117 -0.0008inc_AGR 0.5572 0.6091 0.8361 0.5437 -0.0134inc_nonagr 0.1102 0.8659 0.5937 0.1085 -0.0017inc_nonagr_wage 0.3327 0.7303 0.7471 0.3478 0.0151inc_NONAGR 0.4428 0.6734 0.7986 0.4563 0.0134Total income 0.5219
• The distribution of income in the absence of non-farm income is more unequal : nonfarm
income decreases income inequality among households.
• Farm income and non-farm income are substitutes, as the highest Gini coefficient of non-
farm income corresponds to the lowest global income
Key findings• Analyzing pluriactivity of Senegalese rural households allowed to
understand the underpinnings of this behavior: Pluriactivity is essential for the survival of Senegalese rural households : Pluriactivity’ s
net effect is to lower disparities in income distribution among rural households
Pluriactivity does not only develop in areas with disadvantaged agriculture: In rainfed
areas a “survival pluriactivity” ; in irrigated areas a “ pluriactivity of opportunity”.
To increase rural household income the choice is on non-agricultural activities and not
on increasing production capacities for various reasons (lack of land, the moral hazard
problem with external labor, access to funding)
Rural populations in their pluriactivity strategy do not intend to abandon agriculture
Some poor households may be prevented from adopting pluriactivity as a strategy due to
high entry barriers for nonfarm activities.
Conclusion and Policy implications
• Rural employment programs must take into account agroecological differences
• Nonfarm rural activities are important to Senegalese rural households.
Despite positive general trends, its level of development is low. At present, the
non-farm sector in Senegal is characterized by a high level of self-employment,
the supply of small services, and precariousness of employment.
• Developing agricultural value chains may be a viable option for policymakers
to improve the potential for job creation and income generation
• Smart policies that lower existing barriers to entry to gainful agricultural and
non agricultural activities: projections about the likely speed of land/farm
consolidation should be revised downwards. Also adapted microfinance
strategies should be targeted to enable to overcome entry barriers.
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