A review on the link between nonfarm activities, land and rural livelihoods in Vietnam and developing countries

Although there has been much empirical evidence on the link between nonfarm employment, land and rural livelihoods, few studies have reviewed this relationship, given the context of land shrinking due to urbanisation and industrialisation in developing countries and Vietnam. Thus, this paper reviewed recently empirical evidence on this link in the context of increasing land loss to urbanisation and industrialisation in some developing countries and Vietnam. It was found that while land is of great importance to a number of countries, it seems to be less important to others. Land shortage can be a positive factor encouraging rural households' participation in nonfarm activities and improving their welfare in countries in which non-farm job opportunities are available to a large part of the population. Nevertheless, this can negatively affect rural household livelihoods in countries lacking such non-farm jobs. In the case of Vietnam, both farmland and nonfarm activities provided vital sources of livelihoods for rural households. In addition, in Vietnam's peri-urban areas where more and more farmland has been lost to rapid urbanisation and industrialisation, nonfarm employment was found to help households reduce their livelihood dependence on farmland and improve their welfare.