A Systematic Review of Choice of Livelihood Strategies and Associated Factors among Rural Households in Ethiopia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25159/2708-9355/17281Keywords:
livelihood strategy, livelihood choices, rural households, sustainable livelihoodAbstract
Households are exposed to different natural and man-made risks and vulnerabilities. Choosing effective livelihood strategies is a crucial step in overcoming these obstacles. This review aimed to assess the factors influencing households’ choice of livelihood strategies in Ethiopia, using the preferred reporting items systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. This systematic review was carried out by using various published articles from academic databases. We performed a keyword search, centred around the theory of sustainable livelihood, in several online academic databases. A total of 725 research articles were sourced; 12 of these were duplicates and eliminated. A total of 682 irrelevant papers were removed following the initial screening stage. Of the 31 remaining articles, 24 were eliminated, as they did not address the aim of our study, were not full-text articles, or they had methodological issues. Finally, seven English articles investigating the factors that hinder the choice of livelihood of households in Ethiopia, published during in the last 10 years, were selected for review. Our systematic analysis led to the conclusion that households use various livelihood activities, namely agriculture, non-agriculture, and off-farm livelihoods, to sustain them. In Ethiopia livelihood alternatives were impacted by physical, financial, social, human, and natural capital. The way of living of rural households in Ethiopia is mostly affected by education and access to credit.
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