The Impact of Livelihood Capital Endowment on Household Poverty Alleviation: The Mediating Effect of Land Transfer

Abstract

(1) Background: Poverty eradication is the common goal and challenge of human development. Livelihood capital is the basis for poor families to escape poverty and is also the key to enhancing the ability for sustainable development. (2) Methods: Using data from the 2018 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), this paper empirically examines the impact of livelihood capital on poverty alleviation. In addition, the mediating effect of land transfer is explored. (3) Results: The results show that human, physical, financial, and social capital all have a significant positive impact on poverty alleviation, while natural capital has a significant negative impact on poverty alleviation. Moreover, land transfer plays a partial mediating role in the relationship between livelihood capital and poverty alleviation. (4) Conclusions: Based on the above findings, we suggest that the government formulate targeted poverty alleviation policies according to rural households’ livelihood capital endowment characteristics, reasonably guide the land flow, and achieve sustainable poverty reduction.