Does Livelihood Capital Influence the Livelihood Strategy of Herdsmen? Evidence from Western China

Manyu Wang, Min Li, Bei Jin, Lan Yao and Hao Ji
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Manyu Wang: College of Economics and Management, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Min Li: College of Economics and Management, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Bei Jin: College of Economics and Management, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Lan Yao: College of Economics and Management, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Hao Ji: College of Economics and Management, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China

Land, 2021, vol. 10, issue 7, 1-22

Abstract: The deterioration of grassland ecology is threatening the livelihood of herdsmen and increasing their rates of poverty. This study aims to explore the characteristics of herdsmen’s livelihood and the impact of livelihood capital and environmental perception on livelihood strategy selection. Based on 453 herdsmen households in the Province of Gansu and Qinghai, five types of livelihood capital were measured under the sustainable livelihoods framework. The influence of herdsmen’s livelihood capital on their decisions regarding their livelihood strategies was evaluated in multiple logistic functions. Meanwhile, hierarchical regression analysis and grouping regression methods were used to explore the moderating effects of two dimensions of environmental perception: ecological consciousness and sense of responsibility. The following results were obtained: First, all types of livelihood capital have a significant influence on the livelihood diversification of herdsmen; second, the direction and strength of these effects differ among types of livelihood capital. Moreover, environmental perception played a negative moderating role in the relationship between herdsmen’s livelihood capital and livelihood strategies. Therefore, it is expected to introduce policies ensuring the development of herdsmen’s livelihood capital and improve their environmental cognition, which can help realize the coordinated economic and ecological development of grassland.

Keywords: livelihood capital; livelihood strategies; environmental perception; herdsman (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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