Livelihood dynamics through rapid globalization in mountain villages in northern Laos

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K12474
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 80010:Area studies-related
• Research Institution: Gifu University
• Principal Investigator: Hirota Isao 岐阜大学, 応用生物科学部, 准教授 (50572814)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 生業の多様化 / 生業多様性 / NTFPs / Pavie Mission

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study aims to determine what livelihood strategies residents are applying to stabilize their livelihoods as a result of the direct impact of globalization with the arrival of roads to subsistence farming villages in northern Laos. It has been suggested that livelihood stabilization involves diversification of livelihood activities, but in the study area, forest product extraction, which has been considered a typical activity of “distress diversification,” was found to be contributing to the improvement of the village economy. The importance of forest resource diversification in meeting the diverse demands of the market has become clear. It was also found that there are measures to protect the resources so that they will not be depleted, and that there are mechanisms for their sustainable use.

Free Research Field

地域研究

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究により、これまで生業の多様化に関する理解が深まった。特に、これまで比較的外部から孤立してきた農村が外部社会とつながりグローバル社会に適応する過程で、自給的部分を残しつつも多様な森林資源と連動した形の生業戦略がとられることがわかった。この成果は、東南アジア大陸部の農村において、市場経済化が進行していく過程で自然資源が初期の適応に重要であることを示しており、今後の農村の持続的な発展を考えていくうえで重要な知見であると考えられる。