Piecework (Ganyu) as an indicator of household vulnerability in rural Zambia

Abstract

Piecework (ganyu) is short-term, casual labor common in rural Zambia and neighboring countries. Reliance on piecework as a strategy to cope during food shortages in the rainy/cultivation season can restrict own-farm production, and thus, is regarded as an indicator of a household's vulnerability to food insecurity. Based on a household's level of participation in piecework, we explore this claim in rural Zambia using survey data collected during the rainy and dry seasons in 2009. We argue that seasonal assessments are essential if such dependence on piecework is used as a robust measure of a household's vulnerability to food insecurity.