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The lives of rural households are predominantly based on agriculture and its allied activities. However, there are signs of an agricultural crisis resulting in dependence on alternative sources of income. This paper analyzes the factors that influence the decision of farm households to participate in non-farm activities for alternative income. The official data for two years on the Situation Assessment Survey of Agricultural Households are explored and a pooled probit regression model is run to examine the determinants of income diversification. Our findings reveal that farm income and irrigated land negatively influence diversification. However, diversification of those having lower access to farm holdings, socioeconomic deprivation, and improved access to education, informal credit, and crop insurance point out positive participation in non-farm enterprises. In addition, the population belonging to hilly and coastal plain regions and the age group 30–64 years are more likely to diversify. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper attempts to examine the factors that influence climate-smart adaptation (CSA) strategies. The study used binary logit and multivariate probit models to understand the dynamics and factors of agricultural households' behavioural decisions on CSA strategies. Based on the results of the binary logit model, the study indicated that factors such as access to extension services and training, gender, educational level, land ownership, access to irrigation, access to credit and crop damage level positively and significantly influenced farmers' decisions to use CSA strategies. Similarly, the results of the multivariate probit model reveal that factors such as educational level, access to extension services and training, and land ownership had significant impacts on the adoption of the majority of CSA strategies. To improve the intensity of CSA strategies, the study recommends expanding training and extension services to farming masses, the expansion of irrigation facilities and weather information at the farm level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Why has the share of non-institutional finance sources for agricultural households not come down between 2002 and 2012? Is the dependency on non-institutional sources the same across farm size classes? Who are the major beneficiaries of the revival in agricultural credit in the 2000s? Are larger farmers becoming more productive and commercial thus requiring higher levels of credit? Are small farms becoming unviable, making it difficult for banks to finance them? This paper examines these issues empirically based on data from the Situation Assessment Survey (SAS) of Agricultural households and the All India Debt and Investment Survey (AIDIS) conducted by the National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO) in its 59th (i.e. 2003) and 70th round (i.e. 2013) and various publications from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the food insecurity level and coping strategies of two particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTGs) in India. It finds that despite the availability of resources, limited income always becomes a proxy for their food vulnerability because they cannot purchase food items outside state programmes. These groups traditionally adopt various coping strategies to overcome food insecurity at household level and these have become a structure and behaviour for ensuring food security [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]