Access to Rural Non-Farm Livelihoods - Natural Resources Institute

5.5.6 Enabling factors
At the end of the community meeting enabling factors were also identified. The first enabling
factor identified was the formation of groups, particularly women’s groups. Following this,
as in Byakabanda, there was a was a feeling that there is a strong agricultural base, the
current failure of the rains notwithstanding, and enough land, which provides income and
allows for diversification into other IGAs. Strength and health, and hence the capacity for
hard work, were also cited as important factors.
This group was less positive than the one at Byakabanda, but after some probing by the
facilitators, it was further agreed that other enabling factors included possession of relevant
skills, for example handicraft skills, the relative proximity to a good main road, and the
presence of NGOs in the general area.
Other factors identified at other times included further ideas of social capital, networking,
and familial support 136 .
5.6 Conclusions
The economy of the village remains very heavily based on agriculture, and most of most
households’ income derives from the sale of food and cash crops as well as small livestock
and cattle, and/or paid farm labour. However, just over half of the households visited were
involved in at least one non-farm IGA in addition to farming, and of those which were
currently farming only, almost half had been involved in non-farm IGAs in the past. Most of
the non-farm IGAs undertaken in the village are traditional in nature, with those involved in
less traditional IGAs moving to trading centres, such as Lwentulege. Trading in agricultural
produce and shopkeeping were reported to be the most profitable non-farm IGAs, and
typically bring in more income than farming, while the other non-farm IGAs recorded tend to
be low profit, low barrier activities which supplement basic farming incomes, often of
households under stress. In contrast to Byakabanda, a strong farming base was perceived as a
very important prerequisite for entry into a lucrative non-farm IGA. However, most of those
interviewed choose or would choose to invest any extra money in trading, shopkeeping, or
other retail activities, with only about a quarter electing to invest in livestock or crop growing
activities as a first priority. Female household heads aspired to non-farm IGAs because they
found doing farm work on their own too hard and too tiring, or were unable to do it due to
poor health.
Most of the non-farm IGAs recorded depend on adding value to primary production, or
exploiting natural resources in some way, for example trading in agricultural produce,
brewing local beers, or pottery and basket and mat weaving, while others are based on
providing services.
The more vibrant parts of the non-farm economy of the area are not in the village, but in
trading centres, such as Lwentulege, which has developed very rapidly from almost nothing
in the past few years. The non-farm economy of the village, in contrast, is characterised by
136 For example:
“Traders get help from other traders.”
Participant in the group meeting to define wealth/wellbeing groups and rank IGAs. 13/10/2000
See also Boxes 12 and 18.
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