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Eliminating deprivation and breaking through dependence: A mechanism to help poor households achieve sustainable livelihoods by targeted poverty alleviation strategy

Author

Listed:
  • Chao Yu
  • Junbo Gao
  • Yong Han
  • Yimin Wang
  • Jianwu Sun

Abstract

Deprivation and dependence are the main signs of poverty, and elimination of both constitutes a major means of poverty alleviation. The foremost goal of China's targeted poverty alleviation strategy (TPAS) and the sustainable livelihood analysis framework (SLAF) was thus the elimination of deprivation and dependence. Together, TPAS and SLAF form a poverty alleviation mechanism that provides an opportunity to conduct a systematic analysis of TPAS implementation that achieved world‐renowned results in poverty alleviation. In this study, we comprehensively compare the changes in households and villages in a poor county before and after the implementation of TPAS; furthermore, we use a multilevel model to analyze the mechanism behind the functioning of the “Household‐Village” multilevel structure in the poverty alleviation process. The TPAS implemented a comprehensive livelihood system for poor households, whereby multidimensional deprivation was eliminated by supplementing livelihood capitals. Acquisition‐oriented assistance policies were offered to different groups to build customized paths of poverty alleviation, which ultimately helped poor households break through poverty and achieve sustainable livelihoods. This study highlights the close connection between the various components of the livelihood system, provides new research ideas for the study of China's TPAS and presents a reference template for the promotion of China's poverty alleviation programs.

Suggested Citation

  • Chao Yu & Junbo Gao & Yong Han & Yimin Wang & Jianwu Sun, 2022. "Eliminating deprivation and breaking through dependence: A mechanism to help poor households achieve sustainable livelihoods by targeted poverty alleviation strategy," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(3), pages 1436-1456, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:growch:v:53:y:2022:i:3:p:1436-1456
    DOI: 10.1111/grow.12634
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Chao Yu & Zhendong Han & Junbo Gao & Qian Zheng & Xinyi Zhang & Haoteng Gao, 2023. "Mechanisms of Rural Sustainable Development Driven by Land Use Restructuring: A Perspective of “Scale-Space” Interactions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(16), pages 1-19, August.
    2. Yao Zhang & Jianjun Huai, 2023. "A Case Study of Farmers’ Behavioral Motivation Mechanisms to Crack the Fractal Multidimensional Relative Poverty Trap in Shaanxi, China," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-22, October.
    3. Xuechao Li & Yaxuan Luo & Huijuan Wang, 2023. "Effects of Targeted Poverty Alleviation on the Sustainable Livelihood of Poor Farmers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-21, April.
    4. Chao Yu & Zhiyuan Zhou & Junbo Gao, 2024. "Rural Network Resilience: A New Tool for Exploring the Mechanisms and Pathways of Rural Sustainable Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(14), pages 1-18, July.

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