Sahelian climate, for example, is insufficiently predictable to allow reliable harvests, and a common response is diversification involving a lesser element of agricultural production. Key objectives of the research, conducted in a Zarma and a Peul community, related to analysis of how social, environmental, and economic changes have played out at the local level how small Drylands farmers responded to these changes over the last thirty years the processes of land degradation and their social relations the nature of current livelihood systems, in which a mix of capital assets are created and used. Access to resources that people require is largely maintained by switching between capital assets, despite the existence of poverty at certain times and for certain people. Environmental degradation is actively managed as part of a livelihoods diversification system that mitigates its effects through different income generating activities. As part of this, migrants leave the community to look for work but usually return.
Women have their own cycles of capital generation that also augment household incomes.
Despite the loss of natural vegetation at the expense of seasonal cultivation, and higher levels of soil erosion on the farms of diversifying households, a variety of important trees and shrubs are still protected. Search Eldis for sources on food security Views expressed on these pages are not necessarily those of DFID, IDS, id21 or other contributing institutions. All rights reserved.