Determinants of participation in livelihood diversification among peasant farmers in rural Uganda

Abstract

Participation in livelihood diversification (NFEAs) is gaining prominence in most developing economies due to the increasing inability of the farm sector to support rural livelihoods especially among the peasant farmers. This study aimed at investigating the determinants of participating in livelihood diversification in Uganda. The source of data was 2009/10 Uganda National Household Survey (UNHS) this was conducted by the Uganda Bureau of statistics (UBOS) using a nationally representative probability sample of 6,800 households. Within these 7,188 respondents had participated in livelihood diversification within the last one week prior to the survey. Data were analyzed at three different levels namely univariate, bivariate and multivariate levels. At bivariate level; age, sex, marital status, level of education, region and participation in entrepreneurship training were significant to participation in livelihood diversification. While at multivariate level, all age groups ranging from below 19 to 59 years, females, widows/widowers, the singles, the illiterates, those with lower primary, and A level +, the Easterners, Westerners and those who had not participated in entrepreneurship training were significant to participation in livelihood diversification. It is therefore, recommended that any intervention aimed at bringing improvements in rural livelihoods through the rural non-farm sector should target these individual specific factors. Then also the insignificant factors in Uganda but very important variables according to other studies like belongingness to an association should be considered also. This will help to increase the incomes of the peasant farmers at household level and improve their standards of living which will bring about development at all subsequent levels.