Understanding Post-COVID-19 Social and Cultural Realities: Global Context

This book concentrates on the changing patterns of work and global social order as a result of COVID-19. It scrutinizes these changes in order to point out the possible reasons for these changes following COVID-19. It sheds light on the differences between the condition of underdeveloped and developed countries, focusing on how they struggle to find ways of coping. The pandemic has changed the global social order. It has an impact on every aspect of life around the globe, from individual relationships to institutional operations and international collaborations. Societies are endeavoring to protect themselves despite severe restrictions, while the pandemic continues to upset family relations and overturn governance. COVID-19 has made it clearer than ever before that where many strains on the social sector occur, the current global system, with its interconnectedness and vulnerabilities, is under threat. Due to the changing patterns of economic and societal elements caused by COVID-19, further research is urgently needed to analyze these changing trends. The book portrays what work and the global social order will look like in the future. It is essential reading for anyone interested in these changes and the pst-COVID-19 reality. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2022, corrected publication 2022.

Bringing order to Petra's tourism economy

The popularity of Petra, Jordan, as a tourist destination has surged among international visitors since the 1980s. This has led to the tourism sector's emergence as a major source of income for indigenous communities living adjacent to the ancient city's ruins. Rapidly expanding visitor numbers and business activity-both licensed and unlicensed-exposed the need for government to play an active role in organizing Petra's tourism industry. Drawing upon a thematic analysis of interviews I conducted in three tourism-reliant, tribal communities in Petra's vicinity in 2022, this case study examines relations between the Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority (PDTRA) and indigenous stakeholders in the local economy. Focusing on the period extending from 2019-just before the COVID-19 pandemic's onset-to 2022, I explore local perspectives towards PDTRA policies impacting indigenous work in the tourism sector. I find that legality, size, and internal organization of stakeholder groups affect their capacity to influence political decisions that impact their lives and livelihoods.

Coping Strategies and Livelihood Sustainability for Rural Women in the Face of COVID-19: The Case of Mutoko District, Zimbabwe

This paper examines the coping mechanisms, levels of livelihood sustainability and diversification for rural farmers in Mutoko district, an area in Mashonaland East province, about 148 km from Harare. Despite the rural farmers being well known for being the best fruit and vegetable suppliers to Harare (tomatoes and mangoes), the farmers appear to remain subsistence, living from hand to mouth because of the nature of their farming practices. The normal operations of the farmers were interrupted by the COVID-19 movement restrictions effected by the Zimbabwean Government from March 2020, since their main livelihoods depend on daily or weekly trips to Harare's Mbare Musika to sell fresh fruits and vegetables. The study interviewed 10 women purposively selected, and an additional 20 respondents who participated in 5 focus groups comprising of 4 people each. The respondents indicated that they had challenges during COVID-19 movement restrictions in 2020 and 2021, and these included loss of revenue, reduction in production, lack of storage and preservation strategies for their agricultural produce and inability to provide family needs like online lessons for school children among other things. The paper recommends that processing plants be installed in the district and rural industrialisation be intensified to enable other sources of income, besides agricultural activities. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Female Domestic Workers in an Urban Setting

This paper focuses on the increasing marginalisation and vulnerability of female domestic workers in urban India in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. It analyses the impact of the pandemic on the livelihood and the physical, mental and emotional well-being of women domestic workers through a primary survey conducted in Lucknow city in 2020 and 2021. The paper highlights the effect of lockdown on their livelihoods, savings, food security, family life and mental health. It also analyses the effectiveness of the outreach of government support to this vulnerable segment of the urban informal sector. Given the vulnerability of this group to various forms of exploitation, the authors suggest that policy interventions aimed at providing welfare and social protections will need to be coupled with strong political will and increased social consciousness to have an enduring impact. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2023.

Protecting Health and Livelihoods in an Era of Climatic Extremes: Coastal Habitats in the Final Decade of SDG Action

Coastal areas are a source of critical tangible and intangible resources, and promote social and economic development. The twin impact of escalating anthropogenic and climate-induced extreme events on coastal systems, requires urgent attention due to its dire consequences including on health and livelihoods. In an era of extreme, there is an urgent need to address climate-induced extreme events in vulnerable habitats such as coastal areas. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected all aspects of the global economy and exacerbated already existing vulnerabilities. This comes with implications for realizing the Leave No One Behind Agenda and necessitates novel approaches to effectively and sustainably address the challenges attributed to the pervasive influence of extreme events including environmentally sensitive livelihoods as well as human health and well-being. This study uses qualitative methods involving literature reviews to explore the complex linkages between climate-induced extreme events and coastal habitats in the context health and livelihoods in the SDGs final decade of action. Health, livelihoods, and well-being are co-dependent, and acknowledging this dynamic association is vital for development planning. Food insecurity, pollution, and changing frequencies or intensities of extreme events come with consequences on the health and well-being of coastal populations. Risk-informed development planning that balance Agenda 2030s three pillar model (economic, social, and environmental factors) with trade-offs hold promise. This study sheds light on these complex challenges and charts a pathway for sustainability. Ultimately, as climate projections indicate increased severity on land-based livelihoods, the importance of innovation in building livelihood resilience and safeguarding health cannot be overemphasized. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on vegetable farmers in Bangladesh

The COVID-19 pandemic not only imposed severe health risks but also raised major challenges to the economy, due to widespread and severe measures to control the spread of the disease. Food value chains were disrupted by restrictions of the movement of people and commodities, which had significant impacts on the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. The purpose of this research is to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Bangladeshi vegetable farmers. A total of 320 vegetable farmers were selected from the North-West region of Bangladesh. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected through a digital survey method. Analysis revealed that around 3-5% of the marketed surplus of the farms was reduced during the pandemic due to the disturbances. The majority of the farm households reported that there was a significant reduction in their family income and, as a consequence, around 38% of farm households had cut down on their food consumption during the pandemic. The farmers were found to follow different strategies to cope with the difficulties and respond to government initiatives to mitigate such impacts. Despite all the restrictions and risks, extension services were still available to help the farmers. On the basis of the findings, this study suggests the importance of collaborative participation of the relevant bodies to decrease the effects of COVID-19 on farm households by employing all available mechanisms and focusing more on identifying effective coping strategies that can be supported in the event of future shocks, for more sustainable and resilient food systems.

Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on livelihoods and wild meat use in communities surrounding the Dja Faunal Reserve, South-East Cameroon.

The COVID-19 outbreak has had considerable negative impacts on the livelihoods and living conditions of communities around the world. Although the source of COVID-19 is still unknown, a widely spread hypothesis is that the virus could be of animal origin. Wild meat is used by rural communities as a source of income and food, and it has been hypothesised that the pandemic might alter their perceptions and use of wild meat. McNamara et al. (2020) developed a causal model hypothesising how the impacts of the pandemic could lead to a change in local incentives for wild meat hunting in sub-Saharan African countries. From February 27 to March 19, 2021, we carried out a survey around the Dja Faunal Reserve, Southeast Cameroon, to test McNamara et al.'s model in practice, using semi-structured questionnaires to investigate the impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak on wild meat hunting and consumption. Our results generally agree with the causal pathways suggested by McNamara et al. However, our study highlights additional impact pathways not identified in the model. We provide revisions to McNamara's model to incorporate these pathways and inform strategies to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic.

L'épidémie de COVID­19 a eu des répercussions négatives considérables sur les moyens de subsistance et les conditions de vie des communautés du monde entier. Bien que l'origine de la COVID­19 soit encore inconnue, une hypothèse largement répandue est que le virus pourrait être d'origine animale. La viande de gibier est utilisée par les communautés rurales comme source de revenus et de nourriture et une hypothèse avance que la pandémie pourrait modifier la perception et l'utilisation de ces dernières à l'égard de cette même viande McNamara et al. (2020) ont élaboré un modèle de causalité en émettant l'hypothèse que les répercussions de la pandémie pourraient entraîner une modification des incitations liées à la chasse de gibier au niveau local dans les pays d'Afrique subsaharienne. Entre le 27 février et le 19 mars 2021, nous avons effectué une étude aux alentours de la réserve de faune du Dja, au sud­est du Cameroun, afin de tester le modèle de McNamara et al. dans la pratique, en nous appuyant sur des questionnaires semi­structurés afin d'étudier les répercussions de l'épidémie de COVID­19 sur la chasse de gibier et la consommation de viande de gibier. Nos résultats correspondent globalement au modèle causal suggéré par McNamara et al. Cependant, notre étude met en évidence d'autres schémas de répercussions non identifiés dans ce modèle. Nous souhaitons apporter des modifications au modèle de McNamara afin d'intégrer ces schémas, ainsi que des stratégies visant à atténuer les impacts de la pandémie.

‘If I Don't Sell Food, How Would I Eat?' Negotiating Street Vendor Livelihoods in the Context of COVID-19 Lockdowns in Urban Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos

Street vendor livelihoods have long been a point of negotiation in Southeast Asia, with government policies frequently attempting to erase this informal trade from city streets. Government officials and civil society alike tend to disdain street vending, labelling it a disruption to the economic development and daily operations of Southeast Asian cities. Despite such marginalisation, street vendors have persisted, employing creative tactics and resistance measures to ensure their livelihoods. Since the onset of COVID-19, which hit Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos in early 2020, the pandemic has redefined the challenges that urban street vendors face. Focusing on Chiang Mai in Thailand, Hanoi in Vietnam, and Luang Prabang in Laos, we find that governments have approached the pandemic very differently-from more immediate and stricter lockdowns to slower and less aggressive approaches. Drawing on interviews with 61 street vendors, this chapter analyses how the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic differently affected street vendors in each of these cities. It also focuses on how vendors responded to government lockdowns and staggering declines in their vending incomes, ranging from expected coping mechanisms to more innovative responses. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.

Living on the margins of covid-19: The impact on informal livelihoods in Masvingo, Zimbabwe

The impact of COVID-19 has been particularly hard for those living and working in slums and informality-with inadequate dwelling and destruction of livelihoods undermining their coping capacity. This chapter analyzes the impact of pandemic response measures on slum dwellers' livelihoods in Masvingo, Zimbabwe, and coping mechanisms developed. We analyze four types of impact-informal economic activities, informal markets, cross-border trading, and income and food security. We also highlight coping mechanisms, including individual-based strategies, such as diversifying businesses, and collective advocacy for initiatives such as the Masvingo Urban Poor Fund loan scheme. We acknowledge the need for more detailed, particularly gender-aware, research and provide a series of final recommendations including (1) avoiding closure or planning viable alternatives for informal markets and destruction of stalls as a public health policy, which has negative effects on livelihoods, hinders access to essential items, and increases exposure;(2) finding alternatives to complete border closure as cross-border trading supplies many essential items;and (3) implementing monetary programs in two phases: when crisis hits, to supplement loss of income and ensure food security and after the crisis peaks, accompanying slums and informal economies' recovery process listening to needs, complementing assets, and contributing to development in their own terms. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.

The COVID-19 Pandemic and Coastal Fishery Livelihood Systems: Socio-economic Implications for Small-Scale Fisherfolk in Winneba, Ghana

Globally, the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted livelihood options and systems of people from all walks of life. In this study, we explored the socio-economic impacts of the pandemic on small-scale coastal fisherfolk in the Winneba community of the Central Region of Ghana. The study used quantitative data from a questionnaire survey (n = 50) and qualitative data from in-depth interviews with key stakeholders including chief fishermen, community leaders, and district members (n = 12) to examine the stated objectives. The empirical results showed that the overwhelming majority of fisherfolk are aware of COVID-19 and the risks it poses to their health with their main source of information on the pandemic being the radio. Most of the respondents reported that the COVID-19 pandemic had and continues to adversely transform their livelihood systems. Further analysis showed that their socio-economic vulnerabilities have further been worsened because of the extra financial costs incurred in the purchase of personal protective equipment such as face masks and hand sanitisers in response to COVID-19. The frequency and number of crews per fishing trip have decreased resulting in lower fish landings and decreased income. The volume of fish processing and trading activities has also decreased because of the increase in prices of fish and low patronage. Commonly mentioned local coping strategies against COVID-19 infection include drinking and bathing with seawater as well as the use of seawater as a desired enema solution for general detoxification. In response to declining fish catches, fisherfolk are resorting to illegal fishing activities and engaging in casual work like masonry and carpentry to supplement their income. The study urges relevant stakeholders to evaluate the impacts of COVID-19 on coastal fisheries' livelihoods toward designing and implementing sustainable and practical resilience-enhancing strategies. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.

The precarity of gender, migration, and locations: case studies from Bangladesh and Nepal

While migration debates point to both empowerment and disempowerment in the range of choices that women can experience due to patriarchal norms in the home country and families, migration norms themselves can at the same time be disempowering. This paper explores the idea of precarity as a way through this paradox. By using Key Informant Interviews in case studies from Nepal and Bangladesh, we show how the precarity of migration can change not only due to patriarchal norms at the origin and host country but also events such as COVID-19 can have a profound effect on women's choices and agency.

Resilience in the food sector - environmental, social and economic perspectives in crisis situations. (Special issue: Opportunities and challenges of EU farm-to-fork strategy.)

Environmental, social and economic perspectives, derived from the sustainability approach and present within by the resilience concept, are integral parts of food systems. At the same time they are clearly articulated within the EU farm-to-fork (F2F) strategy referring to building up resilience to possible future crises as diseases and pandemics. The aim of this paper is to investigate resilience in the food sector referring to its selected environmental, social and economic dimensions, which in fact rely on each other and cannot be separated, simply because of the character of food system itself (work with living organisms, soil, within natural environment, etc. done by people for business purposes). The issue of resilience in the food sector must be considered multidimensionally. In this approach, the basic direction of activities should be the one focused on the resilience approach, both in environmental protection and society. For a harmonious combination of these activities, it is also necessary to look at economic perspective of food system and entire rural livelihoods (e.g. income and employment diversification). Considering the last shocks discussed (COVID-19, war in Ukraine, drought, embargo on grain exports from Russia, rising inflation), a difficult situation on the food market can be expected in the nearest future, which makes the concept of resilience in the food sector even more relevant than it has been so far.

Rising Gold Prices but Lower Incomes for Gold Miners: Evidence on Market Imperfections from Burkina Faso during COVID-19

Although artisanal gold mining is known for human rights violations and environmental degradation, it is an increasingly important economic activity in many African countries, with a high potential to alleviate poverty. Due to increased demand for gold investment during the COVID-19 pandemic, the monthly international gold price has increased by 20% from January to May 2020. To understand how the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced gold miners, we analyse a panel survey of about 170 artisanal gold miners interviewed 2 months before the first case of COVID-19 in Burkina Faso. Follow-up surveys were done early in the pandemic and about 1 year after baseline. Various pre-existing local market failures caused local gold prices to decrease by 20%-30% from January to May 2020, when international gold prices noticeably increased. Market failures include oligopsonistic market conditions on the mines, which worsened due to travel restrictions that disrupted trading routes, reduced local traders' liquidity and made it difficult for traders to reach mines. Moreover, we find that miners have very little knowledge of international gold prices, and due to insecurity and credit constraints, they are unable to wait for local prices to recover. Once travel restrictions were lifted, the local gold price recovered close to the global gold price. To make local markets more competitive and ensure that miners benefit from rising international gold prices, governments could broadcast world gold prices on local radio, increase trading opportunities and provide access to credits for miners.

Loss, Recovery and the Long Road Ahead: Tracking India's Informal Workers Through the Pandemic.

Drawing on results from a panel of 2778 workers interviewed during and after the 68-day hard lockdown imposed in India, the following study examines the livelihood impact of the pandemic and the extent of subsequent recovery or lack thereof. Focussing specifically on workers located in the informal economy, the study is a useful addition to the burgeoning body of work on the economic impacts of Covid-19 by providing an insight into the employment and earnings recovery of those located at the margins. These findings are spliced across socio-economic groups to showcase the differential impact of the pandemic on different demographics within the informal sector. Our results show that six months after the hard lockdown, one out five persons were still out of work. Conditioned on being employed prior to the lockdown and having lost work during the lockdown, we find that urban respondents, women, workers above 60 and graduates were significantly less likely to recover from the shock. A similar exercise carried out for women workers showed that middle aged women, never married women and women who were not-literate or educated up until primary and middle school were significantly more likely to recover from job loss. Older women, those located in urban areas and Muslim women were on the other hand significantly less likely to recover from the job loss. Earnings on the whole were half of what they used to be prior to the pandemic. Some better off workers shifted to more precarious types of employment. Given the fall in earnings, poorer worker households were forced to borrow and the amount of loan taken was multiple times their average monthly income. In the context of loss in employment and reverse migration, the survey results show a substantial unmet demand for work under the MGNREGA programme even after the lockdown was lifted. We conclude that despite a partial recovery in the subsequent period, the pandemic-induced lockdown has undermined the material conditions for subsistence for a large segment within the informal economy. Moreover, any attempts made to re-imagine what a social protection programme for the informal economy should look like must take into account the segments most susceptible to an economic shock on their livelihoods.

Bracing for turmoil: temporalities of livelihood adaptation among informal workers in Facatativá, Colombia

This study considers temporal aspects of livelihood adaptation in times of turmoil by drawing on interviews with informal street vendors in Facatativá, Colombia. By engaging a ‘time stories' perspective, this article aims to provide a better understanding of how livelihood responses to shocks emerge from (and are constrained by) individuals' initial and changing assumptions about the continued onset of a crisis. We found that livelihood adaptation to shock, in some cases, involves adopting a new livelihood that appears more durable. In other cases, adaptation is temporary with individuals returning to prior livelihoods when conditions allow. Many individuals had limited livelihood options. In such cases adaptation was more precarious generally, implying drastic consumption cuts or relying on neighborly networks. Also, changing one's livelihood is a high-risk decision for people who are often already struggling to survive in a context of declining overall demand and falling incomes as a crisis hits. © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Climate disasters, altered migration and pandemic shocks: (im)mobilities and interrelated struggles in a border region

Shocks linked to climate disasters are increasingly understood as intertwined with inequities, devastating livelihoods, exacerbating food insecurities and impacting migration economies. Yet there is often a lack of sustained and situated attention to how these – and diverse secondary and tertiary shocks – are experienced in relation to gender and class inequalities, other social differences and underlying forces shaping differentiated mobility-related challenges over time. Divergent experiences and histories of shocks are often simplified, with (im)mobility-related struggles misunderstood or only ly represented. Amid these concerns, this article explores the 'mobilities turn' in climate disaster research, focusing on experiences articulated by people along the Zimbabwe-Mozambique border, examining multiple impacts of climate disasters and changing dynamics of (im)mobility converging with pandemic shocks and interrelated political and socio-economic struggles. In this region, impacted by one of the world's most severe tropical cyclones in recent memory, we explore the embeddedness of shocks in dynamic political-economic landscapes and life trajectories. Part of a multi-method 5-year project, we focus on stories where articulations around mobilities, translocal connections and mobility disruptions, including from COVID-19, call for carefully understanding socio-economic ties and histories, land alienation and access inequities, mutating meanings of borders, and factors intensifying economic insecurities amid increasingly severe and frequent climate shocks. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Mobilities is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Indian Forest Governance during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The unexpected nature of COVID-19 tested the institutional strength and resilience of state agencies across the world. Preliminary evidence is presented on how reduced mobility due to COVID-19 affected the functioning of the Forest Department in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh and triggered changes in forest use by local communities as perceived by forest officials. Our evidence shows mixed outcomes in terms of the effectiveness of the forest bureaucrats in handling the COVID-19 pandemic as assessed through their own perceptions and other forestry records. The positive and negative elements relating to the bureaucratic forest administration during the COVID-19 lockdown are presented, and some possible reasons behind these varying patterns across the state of Himachal Pradesh are suggested. Lessons drawn from the COVID-19 crisis that can help guide forest bureaucracies to deal effectively with unpredictable events in the future are presented. © 2023 Commonwealth Forestry Association. All rights reserved.

Mino Bimaadiziwin Homebuilder Program's Impact on Sustainable Livelihoods Among Youth in Garden Hill and Wasagamack First Nations: An Evaluative Study

The Mino Bimaadiziwin Homebuilders postsecondary education pilot project built Indigenous youth capacity and houses in two remote Anishinini reserves—Garden Hill and Wasagamack. To evaluate this community-led project, a sustainable livelihood assessment holistically measured the impact on 45 of the 70 (64%) Homebuilder students and the community. The community benefited by gaining three culturally appropriate houses built from local lumber and employment opportunities for Anishinini instructors. A longitudinal survey found five of the six livelihood assets improved sta-tistically and significantly, including satisfaction with social relationships, cultural awareness, in-come and ability to pay bills, housing safety, and human development. Students reported better relations with their families and neighbourhood. Most (85%) of the 70 Homebuilder students earned postsecondary certificates either in forestry, homebuilding, or both while obtaining a training sti-pend, which elevated their incomes. These positive outcomes occurred despite project underfunding, COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, climate change events, and inequitable housing policies under the Indian Act. Based on this project's success, we recommend investing in Indigenous-led postsecond-ary education in community homebuilding projects. However, to attain equitable housing and human rights, a plan is needed to overturn the Indian Act keeping Indigenous people "wards of the state” and their land in trust. © 2023 Canadian.

Breaking Barriers

In the advent of the coronavirus pandemic and the push to digital work, this op-ed argues that the emerging digital economy can be vital for enabling refugee women in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) to overcome existing livelihood barriers. Since the outbreak of the Syrian crisis in 2011, over 6.5 million Syrian refugees have been registered by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) globally. Neighbouring countries across the MENA region continue to carry the largest share of the burden. Across the region, refugees live on the margins, in camps, as well as urban and peri-urban communities, and other informal settlements. Existing gender disparities coupled with other social and logistical barriers, as well as restrictive legal and economic structures, exacerbate livelihood challenges for refugee women in MENA. Research demonstrates that the digital economy, particularly crowd and ‘on-demand' work, could provide opportunities that would enable women refugees to overcome these barriers to work. As it stands, however, the digital economy is still in its infancy, especially in host countries in MENA, and it is still fraught with challenges, including barriers to entry, employee protections and the lack of guarantees to decent work, especially for vulnerable and marginalised communities. We therefore argue that there is a need to direct efforts to maximise the benefits that the digital economy could offer, especially to refugee women – a need that has become even more pertinent since the coronavirus pandemic.

Effects of Targeted Poverty Alleviation on the Sustainable Livelihood of Poor Farmers

It is crucial to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the effectiveness of targeted poverty alleviation (TPA) policies in promoting sustainable livelihoods among impoverished populations, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The existing literature, however, predominantly focuses on assessing the policies' effectiveness in terms of income, while neglecting other critical dimensions of sustainable livelihoods. In line with sustainable livelihood theory, we utilized data from the Chinese Household Financial Survey Database from 2017 and 2019 and employed a fuzzy regression discontinuity (FRD) method to systematically examine the implementation outcomes of TPA policies through the lens of "capability-strategy-results”. Our analysis revealed that the implementation of TPA policies had a positive impact on the ability of poor households to cope with unexpected shocks, as evidenced by an increase in the accumulation rates of material, social, and financial capital. Furthermore, we observed an optimization of livelihood strategies among poor households, with a significant increase in the proportion of wage income. These policies also had a positive impact on their livelihood outcomes, such as a reduced likelihood of falling back into poverty and an increased possibility of escaping from marginal poverty without relying on government subsidies;however, some limitations require attention. Notably, our analysis revealed that the policies did not effectively improve the human capital of poor households. To further explore the heterogeneity of policy effects, we categorized poor households into three groups based on their farmer's market participation ability and willingness. Our findings indicate that TPA policies effectively reduced poverty among households lacking labor force through government subsidies and saw an increase in the proportion of medical insurance reimbursement;however, households lacking motivation or capability did not experience positive outcomes in the short term. Therefore, future support policies should prioritize these vulnerable groups and monitor their progress closely. Moreover, our analysis revealed that migrant work is the primary livelihood strategy among the poor, and stabilizing their employment faces significant challenges amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Consequently, additional policies and interventions are needed to address the adverse impact of the pandemic on the employment and livelihoods of low-income households. © 2023 by the authors.