Research Reports
A Study on the Introduction of Livelihood Stabilization Programs for elderly Retired Farmers
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AuthorKim, Jeongho
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Publication Date2007.08.01
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Original
The purpose of this study is to develop and introduce the livelihood stabilization programs for elderly retired farmers in order to change agricultural structure in a favorable way and promote the stabilization of the livelihood of elderly retired farmers. In particular, this study is aimed at expecting problems that might be caused by the introduction of such programs and providing appropriate policy measures to resolve the problems.
Many elderly farmers do small scaled-farming with living either alone or together with their spouse. Insufficiency of social safety net such as the government's welfare services makes them engage in farming for earning a living although, otherwise, they might be retired. A sample survey shows that the national pension ratio of elderly farmers is no more than 2.6% and the percentage of the farmers who benefit from the national basic livelihood security system is nothing but 5.9%. 82 percent of elderly farmers cannot prepare for their retirement properly.
To improve agricultural structure, agricultural policies have to be transformed to the cafeteria-style programs selected directly by policy demanders. That is, farmers themselves select suitable policy programs according to their development levels. For elderly farmers, the programs creating jobs suitable to them and strengthening welfare services for their retirement should be developed and provided. In particular, the government should make elderly farmers retire from farming without any anxiety about earning a living. The government support relating to farming should phase down so as to change agricultural structure in a suitable way.
The examination of the following policy measures for stabilizing the livelihood of elderly farmers and helping them retire from farming is necessary. First, welfare services increasing the quality of elderly retired farmers' living should be strengthened. The creation of jobs suitable to physical abilities of elderly retired farmers, national pension support, labor support for vulnerable farm households, residential home care service should be expanded. Second, a policy measure, such as the livelihood stabilization fund for elderly retired farmers living in rural areas, to compensate for the decrease in income caused by retiring from farming is examined. Third, rural-typed reverse mortgage loan is necessary to transform assets such as lands to income. Fourth, policy measures and systems to prevent elderly farmers from retiring of their own initiative have to be reappraised.
Researcher: Jeong-Ho Kim, Kyeong-Hwan Choi, Yong-Ho Lee
e-mail Address: jhkim@krei.re.kr
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