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Livelihoods Connect
Livelihoods Connect aims to provide researchers, policy-makers and development practitioners with up-to-date, diverse and credible information on the application of livelihoods approaches to development, research, policy and practice. These information resources cover a range of frameworks, principles and methodologies covered by the term ‘livelihoods approaches’ – principally multi-disciplinary, multi-level, people-centred, asset-based approaches to development. Resources are grouped under
- What are livelihoods approaches?: This section provides an introduction to livelihoods approaches, including: a short history of their evolution; sections unpacking elements and principles; introductory training and learning materials, including DFID SLA guidance sheets and a distance learning guide.
- Application of livelihoods approaches: The themes section highlights how livelihoods approaches have been applied to a range of development issues from agriculture to water & sanitation. Each theme includes an introduction, links to recommended reading and a regularly updated list of the latest online resources for that theme.
FAO Livelihoods Support Programme
FAO's Livelihood Support Programme (LSP), designed by FAO staff, evolved from the belief that FAO could have a greater impact on reducing poverty and food insecurity by using a more flexible and demand-responsive approach, and by integrating a sustainable livelihoods perspective. A people-centred, "livelihoods" approach puts people, and especially poor people, at the centre, identifying and building on people's strengths, skills, assets and potentials in order to achieve sustainability in how they make a living and subsequent development actions. Livelihoods approaches are evolutionary not revolutionary, drawing as they do on past experience and on existing best development principles and practices from different cultural contexts. Especially important is an understanding of what makes rural people resilient or vulnerable, considered essential for a comprehensive understanding of the system and development context within which rural producers operate. The work of the LSP has been carried out by eight inter-disciplinary thematic working groups, each focussing on a different livelihoods-related issue. The outputs of this programme are available at: http://www.fao.org/es/esw/lsp/index.html
Overseas Development Institute Resources on Livelihoods
ODI has been closely involved in the development of livelihoods approaches over the last decade, linking together work on a number of themes including humanitarian response, conflict and security, forests, tourism, agriculture, food, health, migration, social protection and urban issues. Key publications and resources by issue include
- Livelihoods approaches and frameworks
- Empirical studies based on primary research
- Direct policy instruments to improve livelihoods
- Livelihoods in conflict
To access these resources, please visit: http://www.odi.org.uk/themes/livelihoods
