The aim of this paper, then, is to shift the focus of
discussion away from government policy and development
interventions to the issue of how rural households
sustain, protect and develop their livelihoods during an
era of multiple transitions. We also wish, however, to
make a contribution to the wider discussion concerning
the interplay of farm and non-farm activities, and how
this links to the sustainable livelihoods debate. Finally,
the paper is concerned to pick out the divergent livelihood
trajectories of both villages and households in a
country where rural economy and society are often
presented in simplistic and uniform terms.