A person's livelihood refers to "means of securing the necessities of life". [1] For instance a fisherman's livelihood depends on the availability and accessibility of fish.
In social sciences the concept of livelihood extends to include social and cultural means, i.e. "the command an individual, family, or other social group has over an income and/or bundles of resources that can be used or exchanged to satisfy its needs. This may involve information, cultural knowledge, social networks and legal rights as well as tools, land and other physical resources." [2]
The concept of livelihood is used in fields such as political ecology to put analytical focus on sustainability and human rights.