community and household-level income & asset status baseline

farmers depending on non-farm activities are less likely to participate in programs and
organizations that focus on agriculture and natural resource management (NRM).
Programs and Organizations
Since NRM technologies are knowledge-intensive (Barrett, et al., 2002), technical
assistance offered by programs and organizations is likely to be an important determinant of
their adoption. Presence of programs and organizations is likely to improve feasibility of
adopting NRM technologies (Swinkels and Franzel, (1997). However, the impacts of
participation in programs and organizations will depend upon their focus. Programs focusing
on agriculture and NRM may help to increase crop production, and consequently increase
income and asset. However, income may be negatively affected (in the short run at least) by
programs that encourage labor-intensive agricultural practices, if those practices do not
increase production significantly in the near-term, because of the opportunity costs of labor.
Program focus may also influence choice of income strategies by facilitating farmers to
pursue strategies that are supported by the program.
Credit
Access to credit may enable farmers to purchase inputs or acquire physical assets,
thus contributing to increased income. Credit may also promote increased production and
marketing of high value crops or intensification of livestock production, and a reduction of
subsistence food crop production. Credit availability may also enable households to invest in
non-farm activities. Hence, the impact of credit availability on income and asset is likely to
be positive, provided households have profitable uses for it. Impact of credit on participation
in programs and organizations is likely to be ambiguous. For example, obtaining credit for
starting up a non-farm business may lead to disinvestments in agriculture, which in turn
would make participation in programs and organizations focusing on agriculture and NRM
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