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Abstract

Vol. 63, No. 4, pp. 305-317 (2012)

“Garden plots as an informal safety net in rural Russia: Recovering from an income shock”
Yuka Takeda (Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University)

Using micro data from the Russian Household Budget Survey of 2004 and 2009, this study analyzes whether food production on garden plots, a traditional activity in rural Russia, functions as a safety net for rural households in the event of an income shock. The empirical result reveals that poor rural households are more active in carrying out the food security function of their garden plots in the event of an income shock. This shows that production on garden plots could help rural households recover from an income shock and help poor rural households in particular escape poverty.