Sustainability

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22 pages, 332 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Non-Farm Activities and Impacts beyond the Economy of Rural Households in Vietnam: A Review and Link to Policies

by Rachmat Mulia, Elisabeth Simelton, Tan Quang Nguyen and Magnus Jirström

Sustainability 2021, 13(18), 10182; https://doi.org/10.3390/su131810182 - 12 Sep 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 5457

Rural households in Asian developing countries such as Vietnam have been participating in non-farm activities for decades, yet impacts beyond the economy of these households are little understood. Using evidence from available literature and two case studies from rural Vietnam, this paper exposes [...] Read more.

Rural households in Asian developing countries such as Vietnam have been participating in non-farm activities for decades, yet impacts beyond the economy of these households are little understood. Using evidence from available literature and two case studies from rural Vietnam, this paper exposes a range of socio-cultural impacts of non-farm activities. An increased social tension driven by a widening economic gap between poor and better-off households or ethnic majority and minority groups was the most frequently reported impact in the literature. The case studies reveal additional impacts, notably those associated with public security, preservation of local culture, and safety of farm households with migrants during and following climate-related disasters. An increasing number of young migrants who exited family farms to access non-farm jobs partially led to the latter two impacts. The rural development and poverty reduction policies of Vietnam enacted in the past two decades (2000–2020) that promoted livelihood diversification had limited measures addressing socio-cultural impacts of non-farm activities. An amendment of these two categories of policies for the implementation beyond 2020 or a strengthened synergy in implementation with other categories of policy such as social policies is necessary to ensure sustainable rural development in Vietnam. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Rural Transformation and Development through the Lens of Human (Im)mobilities)

18 pages, 314 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Conditions under Which Rural-to-Urban Migration Enhances Social and Economic Sustainability of Home Communities: A Case Study in Vietnam

by Thi Huyen Le, Yoshinori Nakagawa and Yutaka Kobayashi

Sustainability 2021, 13(15), 8326; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13158326 - 26 Jul 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3332

Abstract

Rural-to-urban migration contributes to the economic and social sustainability of sending communities. The aim of this study was to obtain quantitative evidence supporting the theoretical argument that (i) rural-to-urban migrants contribute to the sustainability of their sending communities, and (ii) once they return, [...] Read more.

Rural-to-urban migration contributes to the economic and social sustainability of sending communities. The aim of this study was to obtain quantitative evidence supporting the theoretical argument that (i) rural-to-urban migrants contribute to the sustainability of their sending communities, and (ii) once they return, they are likely to behave prosocially as return migrants because they feel a responsibility to apply the knowledge and skills they acquired during migration for the sake of others in their sending communities. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Hanoi, Vietnam, a typical destination city of domestic rural-to-urban migrants. Three hundred rural-to-urban migrants participated in this survey. The ultivariate regression analysis results indicate that rural-to-urban migrants contribute more to the social and economic sustainability of their rural home communities when they have spent longer in their migration destinations and have accumulated skills and knowledge because their experiences foster a sense of responsibility toward their home communities. This is the first quantitative investigation of the relationship between rural-to-urban migrants’ characteristics representing their accumulation of skills and knowledge in their destination cities and their supportive attitudes toward their home communities. This investigation seemed important because it was expected to clarify the conditions under which rural-to-urban migration stimulates migrants’ sense of responsibility and thus their contributions to the social and economic sustainability of their sending communities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Rural Transformation and Development through the Lens of Human (Im)mobilities)

30 pages, 1203 KiB

Open AccessArticle

When the “Strong Arms” Leave the Farms—Migration, Gender Roles and Risk Reduction in Vietnam

by Elisabeth Simelton, Tuan Minh Duong and Ella Houzer

Sustainability 2021, 13(7), 4081; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13074081 - 6 Apr 2021

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 4913

Abstract

For many family farms, migration is one strategy for reducing poverty and vulnerability to both natural hazards and economic risk. While more men typically migrate to work, the implications of this on the household are inconclusive, especially for the women who remain on [...] Read more.

For many family farms, migration is one strategy for reducing poverty and vulnerability to both natural hazards and economic risk. While more men typically migrate to work, the implications of this on the household are inconclusive, especially for the women who remain on the farms. This study employs a gender lens to examine the effects of economically driven migration on household decision-making, farm labor and disaster risk reduction, focusing on two disaster-prone regions with high poverty rates in Vietnam: Dien Bien (Northwest) and Ha Tinh (North Central Coast) provinces. Surveys of 228 households with at least one migrant worker showed a new generation of young male and female migrants, and that men over 30 years of age migrated for longer periods and more frequently than their spouses. Intrahousehold impacts differed according to risk strategies. In areas with a lower-risk coping strategy (Dien Bien), seasonal jobs coincided with periods of less intense farming activities. During the absence of male family members, women temporarily made more domestic decisions. In areas with a higher-risk adaptation strategy (Ha Tinh), farming was planned for longer absences; thus decisions remained largely unchanged. Remittances invested into agriculture contributed to shortening the recovery period after disasters and, in some cases, diversifying farming systems. The migrant’s absence was offset by relatives and neighbors as essential labor reserves. New resilient farming systems need to be disaster proof, gender-sensitive and free up labor. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Rural Transformation and Development through the Lens of Human (Im)mobilities)

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20 pages, 5376 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Rural Housing Vacancy in Metropolitan Suburbs and Its Influencing Factors: A Case Study of Nanjing, China

by Liyuan Zhao and Xingping Wang

Sustainability 2021, 13(7), 3783; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13073783 - 29 Mar 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2677

Abstract

With the rapid development of industrialization and urbanization, rural housing vacancy (RHV) has become an increasingly universal phenomenon in China, causing many economic and social problems. Despite many studies on RHV, relatively little attention has been paid to distinguishing the types of vacant [...] Read more.

With the rapid development of industrialization and urbanization, rural housing vacancy (RHV) has become an increasingly universal phenomenon in China, causing many economic and social problems. Despite many studies on RHV, relatively little attention has been paid to distinguishing the types of vacant rural houses as well as RHV in metropolitan suburbs. Drawing upon survey data from 23 sampled villages of the Nanjing metropolitan area in China, this paper differentiates RHV into permanent vacancy and temporary vacancy and analyzes the influences of location, government interventions, and the villages’ characteristics on the two types of RHV. The empirical results show that villages located in inner suburbs and with medium travel time to city centers have higher permanent RHV rates, while those located further away from city centers usually have higher temporary RHV rates. The local government’s restrictive plans and housing construction restrictions do not increase the permanent RHV rate nor temporary RHV rate, whereas supportive plans and financial investment reduce the permanent RHV rate and increase the temporary RHV rate. Permanent RHV rates are relatively lower in villages that are less reliant on agricultural development. Those villages usually have higher sublet rates of farmland, a lower proportion of agriculture laborers, and better development of manufacturing or tourism. However, temporary RHV rates do not differ significantly between agricultural villages and non-agricultural villages. The paper finds an unusual “middle bump” phenomenon of permanent RHV rate and explains it with the law of commuting circles. Some policy implications are put forward to promote the transformation and sustainable development of rural areas in China’s metropolitan suburbs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Rural Transformation and Development through the Lens of Human (Im)mobilities)

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20 pages, 1516 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainable Mobility and the Institutional Lock-In: The Example of Rural France

by Aurore Flipo, Madeleine Sallustio, Nathalie Ortar and Nicolas Senil

Sustainability 2021, 13(4), 2189; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13042189 - 18 Feb 2021

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 4302

Abstract

Sustainable mobility issues in rural areas, compared with urban mobility issues, have so far been poorly covered in the French and European public debate. However, local mobility issues are determining factors in territorial inequalities, regional development and ecological transition. This paper is based [...] Read more.

Sustainable mobility issues in rural areas, compared with urban mobility issues, have so far been poorly covered in the French and European public debate. However, local mobility issues are determining factors in territorial inequalities, regional development and ecological transition. This paper is based on preliminary findings of qualitative socio-anthropological fieldwork carried out in two rural departments of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region: Drôme and Ardèche. Our objective is to highlight how the question of sustainable local mobility is linked to governance issues and multiple overlapping institutions. We argue that analyzing stakeholders’ strategies and territorial governance is key to understanding the contemporary dynamics surrounding a transition towards a more sustainable mobility in rural areas. In order to do so, we show how the debates surrounding the adoption of a law allowing for the transfer of responsibility to local authorities for the organization of mobility services reveals the complexity of local mobility governance in rural areas and provides material for the analysis of the logics of stakeholder engagement, cooperation and conflict within the field of sustainable mobility. Through the case study of the organization of a local public transport service in a rural area, we shed light on the action of multiple stakeholders and their potentially antagonistic objectives. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Rural Transformation and Development through the Lens of Human (Im)mobilities)

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17 pages, 1017 KiB

Open AccessArticle

On the Social Sustainability of Industrial Agriculture Dependent on Migrant Workers. Romanian Workers in Spain’s Seasonal Agriculture

by Yoan Molinero-Gerbeau, Ana López-Sala and Monica Șerban

Sustainability 2021, 13(3), 1062; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13031062 - 20 Jan 2021

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 4122

Abstract

Since the beginning of the 21st century, Romanian migrants have become one of the most significant national groups doing agricultural work in Spain, initially coming via a temporary migration program and later under several different modalities. However, despite their critical importance for the [...] Read more.

Since the beginning of the 21st century, Romanian migrants have become one of the most significant national groups doing agricultural work in Spain, initially coming via a temporary migration program and later under several different modalities. However, despite their critical importance for the functioning of Europe’s largest agro-industry, the study of this long-term circular mobility is still underdeveloped in migration and agriculture literature. Thanks to extensive fieldwork carried out in the provinces of Huelva and Lleida in Spain and in the counties of Teleorman and Buzău in Romania, this paper has two main objectives: first, to identify some of the most common forms of mobility of these migrants; and second, to discuss whether this industrial agriculture, hugely dependent on migrant work, is socially sustainable. The case of Romanian migrants in Spanish agriculture will serve to show how a critical sector for the EU and for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of the United Nations, operates on an unsustainable model based on precariousness and exploitation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Rural Transformation and Development through the Lens of Human (Im)mobilities)

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26 pages, 2913 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Socio-Economic Impact of Migration on the Labor Market in the Romanian Danube Region

by Bogdan-Cristian Chiripuci, Marius Constantin, Maria-Floriana Popescu and Albert Scrieciu

Sustainability 2020, 12(20), 8654; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12208654 - 19 Oct 2020

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3185

Abstract

The dynamics of the labor market have been significantly influenced and impacted in recent decades by the scale of globalization, not only from a socio-economic standpoint, but also from the perspective of generating the premises of destroying boundaries. Taking this into consideration, our [...] Read more.

The dynamics of the labor market have been significantly influenced and impacted in recent decades by the scale of globalization, not only from a socio-economic standpoint, but also from the perspective of generating the premises of destroying boundaries. Taking this into consideration, our research is aimed at highlighting the socio-economic impact of migration on the labor market in the Romanian Danube Region in order to create a framework which can be used when elaborating a solid action plan meant to increase the socio-economic attractivity in the analyzed region. This research was carried out by resorting to the multicriterial analysis, aimed at quantifying the state of development of the analyzed counties from the perspective of clearly defined socio-economic indicators. Additionally, the linear regression research method was applied in order to ensure a more in-depth analysis of the relationship between local employment and the departure from domicile. The main finding was that Mehedinţi County has greater potential for socio-economic development than the neighboring county, even though the population is not encouraged to remain in the rural areas, one of the reasons being the lack of attractiveness of the local labor market. The designed econometric model confirms (66.17%) this result in the case of the localities part of Mehedinţi County. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Rural Transformation and Development through the Lens of Human (Im)mobilities)

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20 pages, 3771 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Improving Rural Accessibility: A Multilayer Approach

by Elisabetta Vitale Brovarone and Giancarlo Cotella

Sustainability 2020, 12(7), 2876; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12072876 - 4 Apr 2020

Cited by 88 | Viewed by 11321

Abstract

Rural territories are worse equipped than urban ones in terms of accessibility to services and opportunities, due to their scattered development and peripheral character. Increasing cuts to loss-making services in traditional public transport contributed to increased social inequality and marginality, in so doing [...] Read more.

Rural territories are worse equipped than urban ones in terms of accessibility to services and opportunities, due to their scattered development and peripheral character. Increasing cuts to loss-making services in traditional public transport contributed to increased social inequality and marginality, in so doing undermining the livability of rural communities. In this light, improving accessibility is an essential prerequisite for the sustainable development of rural areas. Whereas demand responsive transport solutions are often seen as a panacea in circumstances where traditional services are not viable, their implementation is more challenging than it may seem, due to the potential barriers intrinsically related to the differential socioeconomic, cultural, and institutional features of places. Furthermore, enhancing transport offer is only one side of the multifaceted prism of rural accessibility, and the institution of effective multi-level and multi-sector governance mechanisms is a precondition to approach the mentioned challenges under a more comprehensive perspective. Drawing on the results of the European Territorial Observatory Network (ESPON) Urban-Rural Connectivity in Non-Metropolitan Areas (URRUC) project, the paper sheds light on this issue, exploring the accessibility challenges of rural areas and proposing a multilayer policy approach aimed at supporting decision-makers in improving rural accessibility across Europe. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Rural Transformation and Development through the Lens of Human (Im)mobilities)

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