Rural people in developing countries usually produce their own food. In addition to food, households also need money, to pay for clothes or school fees for the children, for example. Many households have set up other activities on the side, in addition to basic food production, to earn money. These activities vary from cultivating cash crops to making handicrafts or selling corn cakes at the local market.
Income from secondary activities is very important for many households, because it can help them achieve a considerably higher standard of living. Of course, these activities do have to be profitable in order to help the family’s income.
Version 2, 2004