While a snap shot survey such as this one can only
tentatively comment upon livelihood transitions, there
would seem to an important change underway in the
means by which poverty and prosperity are reproduced
in the study areas. Formerly, access to land (in terms
of quantity and quality) was the key determinant in
understanding both patterns of poverty and the reproduction
of poverty. Land, in that sense, was a strategic
resource. We do not deny that land remains an important
ingredient in the local economy but its role and
place are being compromised by the gradual evolution
of the rural household economy away from farming only
to a mix of farm and non-farm activities. We can
speculate that over time the reproduction of poverty will
become slowly de-linked from land and systems of land
inheritance. The ability of households to access opportunities
outside agriculture, and for families to bestow
on their children the skills and connections to exploit
these opportunities, particularly if they are high-return
activities, will become increasingly important.