What are the Consequences of Livelihood Diversification, and what Solutions are Suggested? Findings from Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract

Agriculture is one of the major sectors affected by climate change, and farmers are having to adapt rapidly to overcome the risks. However, farmers face many struggles because of lack of awareness and experience of new methods. Understanding farmers’ constraints and adaptation strategies is very important for the implementation of adequate policies for agricultural and food security. Hence, this research aims to investigate the consequences faced by farmers due to livelihood diversification and suggestions to overcome. Data were collected from 240 respondents in Tamil Nadu, India by a thorough survey method with the help of a pretested, well-structured interview schedule. Percentage analysis is an appropriate method that gives answers to how many respondents give a particular response. The Garratt ranking technique was used to study the preferences and change in priority of consequences encountered by farmers–and the potential advantages–into numerical scores. The Z test was used to determine whether two population means are different with the same variance. Data analysis was done using SPSS software. The results show that the majority of farmers reported concerns regarding constraints such as lack of previous experience, poor family support, and involvement of risk factors. The survey reveals that Tamil Nadu farmers suggested the conducting of specific training, encouraging livestock management and providing subsidies for agricultural and allied enterprise development as strategies to overcome the constraints of livelihood diversification. The Z test results indicated that there is a difference between irrigated and nonirrigated farms with respect to farmers’ age, educational status, level of income, occupation, and awareness of climate change. The suggestions offered help policymakers develop suitable policies.