Sustainable poverty alleviation? The impact and mechanisms of forestry training on the economic welfare of rural households over time in Southern China

Abstract

Investigating the transformation of farmers' forestry income and household economic vulnerability is crucial for enriching the forest-poverty dynamic relationship, especially in understanding the role of forest intervention policies in supporting sustainable poverty alleviation for nearly 250 million extremely poor farmers dependent on forest resources. This paper develops an economic model to examine the relationship between forestry training and the growth of forestry income, where such training may provide technical skills and information to support sustainable poverty alleviation. Using survey data from 305 rural households in designated assistance counties from the National Forestry and Grassland Administration (NFGA) of China in 2023, it analyzes the impact of forestry training on the forestry income and economic vulnerability of rural households who have moved out of poverty through the China's “Sustainable Poverty Alleviation Policy” (SPAP). The study also explores the policy heterogeneity among different groups and identifies potential transmission mechanisms. The findings indicate that forestry training significantly increases income and reduces poverty for these farmers. Heterogeneity tests reveal that the income-increasing effect is more pronounced among households with low to moderate forestry income, while the preventing returning to poverty effect follows an “inverted U-shaped” pattern. Additionally, forestry training is particularly beneficial for vulnerable farmers with small landholdings. Mechanism analysis suggests that the training encourages greater labor force participation in the forestry sector, thereby activating the forest land assets of rural poverty-alleviated households. Finally, the study offers policy recommendations to strengthen the long-term impact of forestry training on the livelihoods of the rural poor population.