Tropentag, September 16 - 18, 2015 in Berlin, Germany "Management of land use systems for enhanced food security – conflicts, controversies and resolutions"

Socio-economic and Environmental Vulnerability in Rural Area: the Case of Eskisehir-keskin/turkey

Anadolu University, Sociology, Turkey

Abstract

Vulnerability has been defined as “a human condition or process resulting from physical, social, economic and environmental factors, which determine the likelihood and scale of damage from the impact of a given hazard” (UNDP, 2004). here are many factors affecting vulnerability. These factors act to undermine the capacity to sustain the livelihood and the production in rural areas. Poverty, poor health, low levels of education, gender inequality, lack of access to knowledge and technological means are the factors which influence social vulnerability. For example, economic vulnerability concerns national economy, prices of commodities and inputs, production and consumption patterns. Environmental vulnerability is related with land degradation, water scarcity, deforestation, etc. The main aim of this presentation is to discuss social-economic and environmental vulnerability of the households for their livelihood and food production in rural areas of Eskisehir province. This discussion depends on the data which were collected through field research held among 75 households in Keskin-Eskisehir/Turkey. Quantitative and qualitative methods are utilised for data collection. The results indicate that the socio-economic structures of the households who make their living from agriculture and stock breeding are highly affected by the risk of desertification which limits both sustainable livelihood and food production. Possible solutions for an enhanced food security will be discussed. This discussion take into considerations sociological dimensions of enhanced food security. In order to reduce the food insecurity, both micro and macro socio-economic dimensions have to be taken into consideration, such as market conditions, households conditions and gender dimension of production.

Keywords: Desertification, food security, livelihood, socio- economic vulnerability, Turkey

Contact Address: Fatime Gunes, Anadolu University, Sociology, Yunus Emre Kampusu, 26470 Eskisehir, Turkey, e-mail: fgunesanadolu.edu.tr