Conference Agenda

This study examines the impact of Uzbekistan's agricultural cluster reforms on female labor participation, that relates to quality of life and well-being in rural areas. Using a difference-in-differences (DiD) approach with farm survey data from Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan (2019, 2022), the analysis finds that the reforms increased female employment but with heterogeneous effects. Clustering reforms expanded the share of female labor from farm owner households in permanent, skilled roles in farm management and mechanized operations. Simultaneously, increased seasonal labor demand drew previously unemployed women from outside these households into unskilled, temporary positions, with potential implications for household well-being. For clusters that promote mechanization, it emerged as a complementary factor for skilled, permanent female roles but a substitute for seasonal, unskilled female labor. These findings highlight how agricultural reforms and mechanization can transform rural livelihoods and gender equity, with potential broader implications for social development.

As one of the largest and most influential networks of protected areas worldwide, Biosphere Reserves (BRs), as proposed by the Man and the Biosphere Programme, consistently advocate for the harmonious coexistence of humanity and nature. However, the zonation of core, buffer, and transition areas artificially causes differences in natural resource utilization and livelihood development among residents in different subareas, resulting in potential unfairness. Thus, this research establishes a framework for the livelihood-resource nexus grounded in the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework (SLF) and its 21st-century adaptation (21st SLF). It employs a Biosphere Reserve representing a typical subtropical forest ecosystem in China as a case study to investigate the variations in natural resource utilization and livelihood conditions among residents across different zones, along with their interactive relationships. Based on the findings, this research formulates differentiated livelihood development interventions tailored for the core area, buffer zone, and transition area. The aim is to foster enhanced synergistic development between residents' livelihoods and the utilization of natural resources.

The eminent liberal thinker Friedrich Hayek argued that as economies modernize, small-group logic—anchored in local norms, interpersonal trust, and reciprocity—gives way to formal, large-scale institutions. However, the case of Albania, a post-communist transition economy where formal institutions remain weak, challenges this argument, as informal governance continues to play a crucial role in sustaining cooperation among farmers. Using survey data from 272 orchard farmers in the Korça region, we apply OLS regression and mediation analysis to assess how informal rule enforcement, trust, and reciprocity shape cooperation. Results show that informal governance strengthens trust, which fosters reciprocity and enhances cooperation, while trust in formal institutions has a weaker effect. These findings suggest that formal institutions function best when aligned with informal norms rather than replacing them. By evaluating the relative influence of informal and formal governance mechanisms, we argue that a hybrid governance approach—balancing informal trust networks with formal institutions—is essential for sustaining collective action in transitioning economies.

Land tenure security and land use rights are important for agricultural resilience and wellbeing. In developing countries, perceptions of land rights and tenure security often reflect tenure realities more accurately than formal documents. While previous studies have explored institutional and economic determinants of land tenure security, little is known about the behavioural factors that can explain these perceptions. We examine how risk aversion, loss aversion, and probability distortion relate to perceptions of decision-making autonomy in crop choice, marketing, and land sub-rents, and of tenure security in Uzbekistan, using data from 307 farm managers in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, collected through a lab-in-the-field experiment followed by a survey. The prospect theory parameters were elicited using the using lottery-based experiments. The relationship between prospect theory parameters and land use perceptions was estimated using an ordered probit model. The findings show that risk-seeking managers perceive stronger constraints on crop choice autonomy, while loss-averse managers feel more restricted in land transfer rights. Probability distortion enhances perceptions of autonomy in practicing land use rights, but amplifies concerns about tenure insecurity, driven by overweighting rare adverse events such as land redistribution or confiscation. Institutional factors also play a critical role. Membership in state-led organized value chains limits perceptions of marketing autonomy due to mandatory contractual obligations, while frequent farm size changes reduce perceptions of autonomy in crop choice.