Asset Functions and Livelihood Strategies: A Framework for Pro-Poor Analysis,
Policy and Practice
Andrew Dorward; Simon Anderson; Susanne
Clark; Bernadette Keane; Julieta Moguel (2001)
What are the different
functions of assets in livelihood trajectories? How do the functions and attributes
of assets affect livelihood strategies? This paper examines the different functions
of assets in production, consumption, and exchange in the livelihoods of poor
people and presents a framework for analysing the role of assets in livelihoods
systems.
The framework is illustrated with preliminary analysis of information
on small livestock keeping (pigs and chickens) in Yucatan, Mexico. This data was
collected as part of an action research project investigating the potential for
improving crop and livestock productivity through greater integration between
smallstock keeping and the cultivation of forage crops. This application of the
framework highlights that:
The functions of assets, and their effectiveness
in fulfilling these functions, are influenced by their attributes, such as holding
costs and durability, which in turn depend on the overall asset environment.Where
assets have a savings function, easy convertibility may not be the most desirably
attribute, even where this means the asset is more expensive.
The
well-being analysis of pig and chicken rearing in Mexico illustrates that:
Providing
less risky or expensive savings mechanisms can in some circumstances be an alternative
to interventions focussed on raising the productivity of assets.In livestock
development projects, a focus on better management of feed or better access to
alternative feed may be more appropriate than more intensive feeding for raised
returns. |
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