IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/pid/journl/v57y2018i2p203-221.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Do Non-farm Enterprises Offer Pathways for Upward Mobility in Rural Pakistan? Evidence from Panel Dataset

Author

Listed:
  • Shujaat Farooq

    (Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), Islamabad.)

  • Zunaira Younais

    (Research Fellow, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, Islamabad.)

Abstract

This study has analysed the dynamics of rural non-farm enterprises and their role in employment provision, equity enhancement and poverty alleviation in Pakistan. Multiple data sources have been used including cross-sectional and panel datasets. The results show that majority of the rural non-farm enterprises in Pakistan are micro-enterprises with only a limited share in manufacturing. They are informal and have poor forward and backward linkages and high closure rate. Despite the poor asset base, they are providing jobs to more than half of the rural population, contributing to reduction in poverty and equity enhancement among the rural masses. Rich households own enterprises and poor households gain employment from non-farm enterprises. Non-farm economy has a significant impact in reducing multiple deprivations and also has a significant positive impact in pulling households out of poverty with the passage of time. Pakistan, being a country where most of the population is still residing in rural areas and where rural land is not equitably distributed; such non-farm activities are highly important not only to tackle the ongoing food security challenges but also for resource diversification of households.

Suggested Citation

  • Shujaat Farooq & Zunaira Younais, 2018. "Do Non-farm Enterprises Offer Pathways for Upward Mobility in Rural Pakistan? Evidence from Panel Dataset," The Pakistan Development Review, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, vol. 57(2), pages 203-221.
    • Handle: RePEc:pid:journl:v:57:y:2018:i:2:p:203-221
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.pide.org.pk/pdf/PDR/2018/Volume2/203-221.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Stifel, David, 2010. "The rural non-farm economy, livelihood strategies and household welfare," African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, African Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 4(1), pages 1-28, March.
    2. Frank Ellis & H Ade Freeman, 2004. "Rural Livelihoods and Poverty Reduction Strategies in Four African Countries," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 40(4), pages 1-30.
    3. G. M. Arif & Hina Nazli & Rashida Haq, 2000. "Rural Non-agriculture Employment and Poverty in Pakistan," The Pakistan Development Review, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, vol. 39(4), pages 1089-1110.
    4. Weersink, Alfons & Nicholson, Charles & Weerhewa, Jeeveka, 1998. "Multiple job holdings among dairy farm families in New York and Ontario," Agricultural Economics, Blackwell, vol. 18(2), pages 127-143, March.
    5. Stifel, David, 2010. "The rural non-farm economy, livelihood strategies and household welfare," African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, African Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 4(1), March.
    6. G. M. Arif & Shujaat Farooq, 2014. "Rural Poverty Dynamics in Pakistan: Evidence from Three Waves of the Panel Survey," The Pakistan Development Review, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, vol. 53(2), pages 71-98.
    7. Russell L. Lamb, 2003. "Fertilizer Use, Risk, and Off-Farm Labor Markets in the Semi-Arid Tropics of India," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 85(2), pages 359-371.
    8. Haggblade, Steven & Hazell, Peter B. R. & Reardon, Thomas Anthony (ed.), 2007. "Transforming the rural nonfarm economy: Opportunities and threats in the developing world," IFPRI books, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), number 978-0-8018-8664-5.
    9. Jolliffe, Dean, 2004. "The impact of education in rural Ghana: examining household labor allocation and returns on and off the farm," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(1), pages 287-314, February.
    10. World Bank, 2007. "Pakistan : Promoting Rural Growth and Poverty Reduction," World Bank Publications - Reports 7984, The World Bank Group.
    11. Zafar Mueen Nasir, 2001. "Poverty and Labour Market Linkages in Pakistan," MIMAP Technical Paper Series 2001:07, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics.
    12. Hymer, Stephen H & Resnick, Stephen, 1969. "A Model of an Agrarian Economy with Nonagricultural Activities," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 59(4), pages 493-506, Part I Se.
    13. Mona Sur & Jian Zhang & Kevin Chen, 2014. "The investment climate and enterprise performance in rural Pakistan: implications for rural non-farm employment generation," Journal of the Asia Pacific Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(3), pages 488-505, July.
    14. Lanjouw, Jean O. & Lanjouw, Peter, 2001. "The rural non-farm sector: issues and evidence from developing countries," Agricultural Economics, Blackwell, vol. 26(1), pages 1-23, October.
    15. Sur, Mona & Zhang, Jian, 2006. "The Investment Climate and Enterprise Performance in Rural Pakistan: Implications for Rural Non-farm Employment Generation and Poverty Reduction," 2006 Annual meeting, July 23-26, Long Beach, CA 21386, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Laura Barasa & Bethuel K. Kinuthia & Abdelkrim Araar & Stephene Maende & Faith Mariera, 2023. "Nonfarm entrepreneurship, crop output, and household welfare in Tanzania: An exploration of transmission channels," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 39(3), pages 762-792, July.
    2. Koomson, Isaac & Orkoh, Emmanuel & Ahmad, Shabbir, 2023. "Non-farm entrepreneurship, caste, and energy poverty in rural India," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 127(PA).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Almeida, Alexandre N. & Bravo-Ureta, Boris E., 2019. "Agricultural productivity, shadow wages and off-farm labor decisions in Nicaragua," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 43(1), pages 99-110.
    2. Muhammad Amjed Iqbal & Muhammad Rizwan & Azhar Abbas & Muhammad Sohail Amjad Makhdum & Rakhshanda Kousar & Muhammad Nazam & Abdus Samie & Nasir Nadeem, 2021. "A Quest for Livelihood Sustainability? Patterns, Motives and Determinants of Non-Farm Income Diversification among Agricultural Households in Punjab, Pakistan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-14, August.
    3. Bhaumik, Sumon Kumar & Dimova, Ralitza & Nugent, Jeffrey B., 2011. "Off-farm labor supply and labor markets in rapidly changing circumstances: Bulgaria during transition," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 35(3), pages 378-389, September.
    4. Paul Winters & Timothy Essam & Alberto Zezza & Benjamin Davis & Calogero Carletto, 2010. "Patterns of Rural Development: A Cross‐Country Comparison using Microeconomic Data," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 61(3), pages 628-651, September.
    5. Jehovaness Aikaeli & Martin Julius Chegere & John Rand, 2023. "Complementarity and substitutability between farm and nonfarm activities: Evidence from agricultural households in Tanzania," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(1), pages 89-111, February.
    6. Bhaumik, Sumon K. & Dimova, Ralitza & Nugent, Jeffrey B., 2006. "Pulls, Pushes and Entitlement Failures in Labor Markets: Does the State of Development Matter?," IZA Discussion Papers 2258, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    7. Fred Mawunyo Dzanku, 2018. "Rational But Poor? An Explanation for Rural Economic Livelihood Strategy," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 69(2), pages 365-381, June.
    8. Briones, M.R., 2018. "IFAD RESEARCH SERIES 20 - Transformation and diversification of the rural economy in Asia," IFAD Research Series 280069, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
    9. Benjamin Davis & Paul Winters & Thomas Reardon & Kostas Stamoulis, 2009. "Rural nonfarm employment and farming: household‐level linkages," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 40(2), pages 119-123, March.
    10. Haggblade, Steven & Hazell, Peter & Reardon, Thomas, 2010. "The Rural Non-farm Economy: Prospects for Growth and Poverty Reduction," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 38(10), pages 1429-1441, October.
    11. Bachewe, Fantu Nisrane & Berhane, Guush & Minten, Bart & Taffesse, Alemayehu Seyoum, 2016. "Non-farm income and labor markets in rural Ethiopia," ESSP working papers 90, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    12. Benjamin Tetteh Anang, 2017. "Effect of non-farm work on agricultural productivity: Empirical evidence from northern Ghana," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2017-38, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    13. Benjamin Tetteh Anang, 2017. "Effect of non-farm work on agricultural productivity: Empirical evidence from northern Ghana," WIDER Working Paper Series 038, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    14. Jan Fałkowski & Maciej Jakubowski & Paweł Strawiński, 2014. "Returns from income strategies in rural Poland," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 22(1), pages 139-178, January.
    15. Maja Micevska & Dil Bahadur Rahut, 2008. "Rural Nonfarm Employment and Incomes in the Himalayas," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 57(1), pages 163-193, October.
    16. Nguyen, Huy, 2014. "The effect of land fragmentation on labor allocation and the economic diversity of farm households: The case of Vietnam," MPRA Paper 57521, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    17. Marwan Benali & Bernhard Brümmer & Victor Afari‐Sefa, 2018. "Smallholder participation in vegetable exports and age‐disaggregated labor allocation in Northern Tanzania," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 49(5), pages 549-562, September.
    18. Koomson, Isaac & Orkoh, Emmanuel & Ahmad, Shabbir, 2023. "Non-farm entrepreneurship, caste, and energy poverty in rural India," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 127(PA).
    19. Rashid Amjad & Musleh Ud Din & Idrees Khawaja & Nasir Iqbal & Ahmad Waqar Qasim, 2012. "The 7th Nfc Award: An Evaluation," PIDE Monograph Series 2012:5, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics.
    20. Emran, M. Shahe & Shilpi, Forhad, 2018. "Beyond dualism: Agricultural productivity, small towns, and structural change in Bangladesh," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 264-276.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Rural Development; Non-farm Sector; Employment; Poverty; Multidimensional Poverty;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I32 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Measurement and Analysis of Poverty
    • J21 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure
    • J43 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Agricultural Labor Markets
    • O14 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Industrialization; Manufacturing and Service Industries; Choice of Technology
    • Q10 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - General
    • R11 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, Environmental Issues, and Changes

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:pid:journl:v:57:y:2018:i:2:p:203-221. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Khurram Iqbal (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/pideipk.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.