Planners or performers? Reflections on indigenous dryland farming in northern Burkina Faso

Indigenous agricultural practices in semiarid West Africa must be seen as dynamic operations that serve different ends. These ends are not only agricultural, but symbolic. By highlighting how farmers in the Central Plateau region of Burkina Faso organize their farming strategies, the “agriculture as performance” arguments developed by Richards (1987, 1993) can be both challenged and extended from the humid forest zone of West Africa. Farmers, it can be argued, are also keen “planners;” in order to meet their goals they invest considerable effort in overcoming ecological constraints, and also spend time forging links with various institutions working for agricultural development. Technologies and ideas from multiple sources—including those from some innovative development institutions — are incorporated in agricultural planning and practices in different ways, by different farmers, and for different reasons. The prospect of locally initiated and managed agricultural change emerging on the Central Plateau will be dependent upon this dialogue between farmer innovation, local organizations, and development projects. Agricultural systems are, in many cases, consciously “constructed” through sustained investment in the land and in natural resource management. Dryland management efforts need to recognize the strategic and planned nature of these activities, if they are to work with farmers who are actively building and improving their own livelihood systems.     

The shifting ground of swidden agriculture on Palawan Island,the Philippines

Recent literature describing the process and pathways of the agrarian transition in Southeast Asia suggests that the rise of agricultural intensification and the growth of commodity markets will lead to the demise of swidden agriculture. This paper offers a longitudinal overview of the conditions that drive the agrarian transition amongst indigenous swidden cultivators and migrant paddy farmers in central Palawan Island, the Philippines. In line with regional agrarian change, we describe how a history of conservation policies has criminalized and pressured swidden farmers to adopt more intensive “modern” agricultural practices. We examine how indigenous swidden cultivators adjust their practice in response to recent changes in policies, security of harvests, and socio-cultural values vis-à-vis intensification. Rather than suggest that this transition will lead to the demise of swidden, results reveal that farmers instead negotiate a shifting ground in which they lean on and value swidden as a means of negotiating agrarian change.     

Participative site-specific agriculture analysis for smallholders

Site-specific agriculture has been adopted in a high-tech context using, for instance, in situ sensors, satellite images for remote sensing analysis, and some other technological devices. However, farmers and smallholders without the economic resources and required knowledge to use and to access the latest technology seem to find an impediment to precision agricultural practices. This article discusses the possibility of adopting precision agriculture (PA) principles for site-specific management but in a low technology context for such farmers. The proposed methodology to support PA combines low technology dependency and a participatory approach by involving smallholders, farmers and experts. The case studies demonstrate how the interplay of low technology and a participative approach may be suitable for smallholders for site-specific agriculture analysis.     

市场经济与社区合作:泰国南奔府有机农业的个案研究

泰国的小农经济在市场化条件下顽强存在的主要原因是当地的社会结构和道德传统依然具有比较强的韧性和稳定性。对泰国南奔府的有机农业进行人类学田野调查发现,小农户在市场化情境中面临销路不稳定、农业劳动力短缺等风险,但是从事有机农业的农民通过有效运用有机农业的种植技术、社区合作网络来缓解这种风险,维护有机农业的价值。在政府政策、市场力量和“互帮互助”“团结协作”道德规范的共同作用下,小农户积极建立社区企业、学习中心等农业合作组织,这既有助于他们在参与市场化的过程中维护生计安全,同时也使这种道德规范开始具有市场经济的特征,焕发出新的生机与活力。此外,小农户的生产实践也有助于维护乡村的社会秩序,传承原有的道德规范。     

A WAY TO SUSTAINABLE CROP PRODUCTION THROUGH SCIENTIST−FARMER ENGAGEMENT

● Farmer–scientist collaboration for improved farming was achieved. ● Wheat and maize yields of STB farmers improved by 13%. ● NUE increased 20% for wheat and maize production. ● GHG emissions and EEF decreased by 23% and 52%, respectively. Feeding a large and growing population with scientifically sustainable food production is a major challenge globally, especially in smallholder-based agricultural production. Scientists have conducted a considerable theoretical research and technological innovation to synergistically achieve increased food production and reduced environmental impact. However, the potential and feasibility of synergistic smallholder-led agricultural production to achieve increased food production and environmental friendliness is not yet clear. Exploring the potential and feasibility of smallholders to synergistically achieve these two goals, this research collected survey data from 162 farmers implementing standard farming practices and 112 farmers engaged in Science and Technology Backyard (STB) in Quzhou County, Hebei Province, China. Grain yield, nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), and emergy ecological footprint (EEF) of the wheat-maize cropping system dominated by smallholders were analyzed. The results showed smallholders in the STB group improved wheat and maize yields by about 13% and NUE by 20%, respectively. Also, a reduction of 23% in GHG emissions and 52% in EEF were simultaneously achieved in the wheat-maize cropping system. Compared with standard farming practices, 75 kg·ha⁻¹ nitrogen-based fertilizer was saved in the STB farmers. In summary, this study shifts the main perspective of research from scientists to smallholder, and uses a combination of greenhouse gas emission calculations, EEF and material flow analyses to demonstrate from multiple perspectives that agricultural systems under the leadership of smallholders can synergistically achieve high crop yields and low resource use and environmental impacts. The results of this study also show that the smallholder-led scientist-farmer collaborative model established by STB can fully exploit the initiative and potential, and that this collaborative model can be a successful strategy for smallholders as operators to achieve food security at low environmental impacts. The results of this study can provide useful evidence for a sustainable shift toward more sustainable agricultural production systems.     

Managing the fallow: Weeding technology and environmental knowledge in the Krobo district of Ghana

The paper explores the relationship between environmental knowledge and farming and fallowing strategies on degraded forest land in the Upper Manya Krobo district of southeastern Ghana. Changes in cropping strategies are related to the expansion and transformation of frontier agrarian settlement, increasing population density, social differentiation, and land hunger. As a consequence land degradation has become a serious problem among the smaller farmers with insufficient land to allow fallow recuperation. Small farmers' awareness and perceptions of the processes of degradation are explored, as are possible innovative contributions to the development of agroforestry research. But labor constraints often prevent the farmer from developing practical systems of fallow management. Local environmental knowledge reveals important insights into the processes of fallow degradation, potentials for fallow management, constraints that farmers face, and some problems that might emerge with the transformation of current agroforestry technology to farmers' fields. It is suggested that this knowledge should not be abstracted from its socio-economic context. The problems that local farmers' knowledge reveal are in this respect as important as questions of its efficacy and potential as a resource.     

加快发展旱作农业,实现黑龙江省农业可持续发展

黑龙江地域广阔,旱地面积大,农业生产主要依赖自然降水,是典型的旱作农业区。系统阐述了旱作农业的基本概念,发展旱作农业的意义和必要性。针对黑龙江省自然条件和生产实际,提出了发展旱作农业的可行性建议。     

日本农业生产主体的演变与现状分析

第二次世界大战后,日本确立了以土地私有为基础、家庭经营为生产主体的农业经营模式。战后经济的高度发展,使日本步入经济强国的行列,但也给日本农业带来了很多负面影响。影响之一就是农业劳动力数量的减少、质量的弱化。这一影响降低了家庭经营的主体地位,同时也促进了新的农业生产主体的成长。村落营农作为一种新型的生产主体,近几年呈现快速发展的势头。该文从组织建立的背景、过程、功能等方面剖析村落营农,通过对这一新型农业生产主体的剖析,指出日本农业和农村面临的现实问题。     

Colonist farmers' perceptions of fertility and the frontier environment in eastern Amazonia

Colonists, unlike indigenous peoples, are often assumed tohave little knowledge of their environment. However, their perceptions of the environment and their knowledgeof natural resource systems have a significant impact on their farming practices. Farmers in the frontier regionof Marabá, Eastern Amazonia, understand nutrient cycling and the links between different components in farmingsystems. Diagrams drawn by farmers show very diversified systems, and farmers' knowledge of soilcharacteristics, including sub-surface features, and distribution in their localities is very detailed in comparison to pedologicalclassifications. However, knowledge about nutrient cycling is very uneven, even between farmers from the same area.Generally, farmers were found to have very detailed knowledge of environmental resources, but very patchyknowledge of processes and functions underlying systems, and this conforms to evolutionary models of ecologicalknowledge. Perceptions of change in soil fertility are related to the length of settlement, and are closelylinked to the presence of forest. Overall, the majority of farmers believe they will not be able to sustain cropping in thefuture, and as forest and fallow become scarce the most feasible option will be for them to move to other areas.Farmers are more optimistic about pasture, which is viewed as a more stable system, with the key to long-termsustainability being weed control. These findings imply that a high degree of information sharing between farmers andscientists is required to establish resource management strategies and social institutions to supportsustainable development strategies at the frontier.     

Conservation agriculture and gendered livelihoods in Northwestern Cambodia: decision-making,space and access

Smallholder farmers in Rattanakmondol District, Battambang Province, Cambodia face challenges related to soil erosion, declining yields, climate change, and unsustainable tillage-based farming practices in their efforts to increase food production within maize-based systems. In 2010, research for development programs began introducing agricultural production systems based on conservation agriculture (CA) to smallholder farmers located in four communities within Rattanakmondol District as a pathway for addressing these issues. Understanding gendered practices and perspectives is integral to adapting CA technologies to the needs of local communities. This research identifies how gender differences regarding farmers’ access to assets, practices, and engagement in intra-household negotiations could constrain or facilitate the dissemination of CA. Our mixed-methods approach includes focus group discussions, semi-structured interviews, famer field visits, and a household survey. Gender differences in access to key productive assets may affect men’s and women’s individual ability to adapt CA. Farmers perceive the practices and technologies of CA as labor-saving, with the potential to reduce men’s and women’s labor burden in land-preparation activities. However, when considered in relation to the full array of productive and reproductive livelihood activities, CA can disproportionately affect men’s and women’s labor. Decisions about agricultural livelihoods were not always made jointly, with socio-cultural norms and responsibilities structuring an individual’s ability to participate in intra-household negotiations. While gender differences in power relations affect intra-household decision-making, men and women household members collectively negotiate the transition to CA-based production systems.     

A climate for commerce: the political agronomy of conservation agriculture in Zambia

The promotion of conservation agriculture (CA) for smallholders in sub-Saharan Africa is subject to ongoing scholarly and public debate regarding the evidence-base and the agenda-setting power of involved stakeholders. We undertake a political analysis of CA in Zambia that combines a qualitative case study of a flagship CA initiative with a quantitative analysis of a nationally representative dataset on agricultural practices. This analysis moves from an investigation of the knowledge politics to a study of how the political agendas of the actors involved are shaping agrarian practices. From its initial focus on CA as soil conservation and sustainable agriculture, the framing of the initiative has evolved to accommodate shifting trends in the policy arena. In tandem with the increased focus on climate adaptation, we see an increased emphasis on private sector-led modernisation. The initiative has shifted its target group from the poorest smallholders to prospective commercial farmers, and has forged connections between its farmer-to-farmer extension network and private input suppliers and service providers. The link between CA and input intensification is reflected in national statistics as a significantly higher usage of herbicides, pesticides and mineral fertilizer on fields under CA tillage compared to other fields. We argue that the environmental and participation agendas are used to buttress CA as an environmentally and socially sustainable agricultural development strategy, while the prevailing practice is the result of a common vision for a private sector-led agricultural development shared between the implementing organisation, the donor and international organisations promoting a new green revolution in Africa.     

Science and Technology Backyard model: implications for sustainable agriculture in Africa

Sustainable food production to feed the growing population in Africa remains a major challenge. Africa has 64% of the global arable land but produces less than 10% of its food locally due to its inherently low soil nutrient concentrations. Poor soil fertility and a lack of fertilizer use are the major constraints to increasing crop yields in Africa. On average only about 8.8 kg NPK fertilizer is applied per hectare by African smallholder farmers. There is therefore considerable potential for increasing food production through sustainable intensification of the cropping systems. The low crop yields in Africa are also partly due to limited farmer access to modern agronomic techniques, including improved crop varieties, a lack of financial resources, and the absence of mechanisms for dissemination of information to smallholders. This study analyzed the Science and Technology Backyards (STBs) model and investigated its use for the transformation of agriculture in Africa. Some key lessons for sustainable crop intensification in Africa can be found from analysis of the STB model which is well established in China. These include (1) scientist-farmer engagement to develop adaptive and innovative technology for sustainable crop production, (2) dissemination of technology by empowering smallholders, especially leading farmers, and (3) the development of an open platform for multiple resource involvement rather than relying on a single mechanism. This review evaluates the benefits of the STB model used in China for adoption to increase agricultural productivity in Africa, with a perspective on sustainable crop intensification on the continent.     

湖南稻田现代农作制特征及发展对策

研究湖南省农作制度的类型及其发展演变过程,对于指导该区域农作制度的发展具有十分重要的意义。利用近60多年来的年鉴统计数据,对湖南省稻田现代农作制特征、主体模式及布局、面临的问题和挑战进行分析,探讨其发展对策。首先,介绍了湖南省自然条件和气候资源、农作物种类、人均耕地等方面的基本情况;近60多年来农作制度的变化过程。湖南稻田现代农作制的特征主要体现为:种植业总产值占农业总产值的比重逐渐减少,林、牧、渔业所占的比例逐渐增加;粮食作物种植面积占农作物播种面积的比例下降,非粮作物和经济作物面积比重快速上升;水稻单产呈逐年上升的趋势。基于湖南省农作制特点,可划分为湘北商品型、湘中湘东城郊型、湘南外向型和湘西特色型现代农作制发展区。其次,阐明了湖南省发展稻田现代农作制所面临的问题,如人多地少、后备耕地资源不足,全省人均耕地仅为0.06 hm2;冬闲田面积增加,冬闲田面积在133万hm2以上,和经济发展与生态环境不协调、区域发展不平衡等一系列的挑战。最后,提出了从强化科技投入和政策支持、协调经济发展与农业生态环境、发展稻田多熟制、提升稻田现代农作制科学技术体系等发展对策。通过提出稻田现代农作制的战略调整,建立科学的现代农作制度技术体系,可为提升湖南省耕地综合生产能力、农业可持续发展提供科学理论依据。     

Reconciling food production and biodiversity conservation: land sharing and land sparing compared

The question of how to meet rising food demand at the least cost to biodiversity requires the evaluation of two contrasting alternatives: land sharing, which integrates both objectives on the same land; and land sparing, in which high-yield farming is combined with protecting natural habitats from conversion to agriculture. To test these alternatives, we compared crop yields and densities of bird and tree species across gradients of agricultural intensity in southwest Ghana and northern India. More species were negatively affected by agriculture than benefited from it, particularly among species with small global ranges. For both taxa in both countries, land sparing is a more promising strategy for minimizing negative impacts of food production, at both current and anticipated future levels of production.     

Increasing food sovereignty with urban agriculture in Cuba

Urban agriculture in Cuba has played an important role for citizens’ food supply since the collapse of the Eastern Block. Through the land reform of 2008 and the Lineamientos of 2011, the Cuban government has aimed to support agriculture in order to increase national food production and reduce imports. However, the implementation of the designed measures faced obstacles. Therefore, the research objective was to display how the government’s measures aiming to support domestic food production influenced urban agriculture. The qualitative research comprised semi-structured interviews with 15 urban farmers in Havana and revealed the respondents’ experiences with the land reform and the Lineamientos and the potential of the reforms to implement food sovereignty. Findings show that the land reform has facilitated access to land for newcomer and existing farmers. However, availability of agricultural inputs has been limited and they were often expensive. Thus, urban farmers frequently produced farm inputs at their plots and applied sustainable farming practices to minimize their dependence on external inputs. The reforms have generated private marketing opportunities and have stimulated urban farmers to increase production. At the same time, subsidies have been reduced and consumers have faced increasing food prices. In conclusion, the land reform and the Lineamientos have created framework conditions for food sovereignty. However, the challenge is to increase the coherence of the theoretic aim and the practical implementation of the reforms.     

黄土丘陵区不同退耕模式对土壤物理性状影响研究—以甘肃定西市为例

甘肃定西全面实施退耕还林近10年来,取得了显著的成效。本文以退耕还林重点地区定西市安定区为例,通过采集、实地调查取样和实验室分析,对比研究了不同退耕植被类型地与对照地（农田和天然草地）的土壤物理性状的变化情况。包括土壤的含水量、容重、土壤孔隙度、土壤水稳性团聚体结构。研究结果表明：天然草地和柽柳的含水量最高,分别为13.44%和13.52%。农田和山杏的含水量最低为8.01%和8.2%。0～60cm不同土层中柠条的容重最小且变化不大,农田的上下变化最大。在20～60cm退耕还林地的孔隙度均高于天然草地和农田,天然草地和农田非毛管孔隙度小且上下变化大,不利于土壤入渗。刺槐、柠条、柽柳的水稳性团聚体的含量最多,分别是农田的3.4、2.8和2.4倍。退耕还林以后,林地的土壤物理性状得到明显的改善,与农田和天然草地相比,刺槐,柠条的改良效果最好。因此对退耕还林地区进行植被恢复过程中,要深入了解当地的土壤环境特征,做到因地制宜,适地适树。     

退耕还林（草）对农业产业结构调整影响研究——以陕西省吴起县为例

选取吴起县为研究对象,着重研究了退耕还林前后吴起县农业产业结构的变动,分析了农、林、牧、渔各产业的特点,同时针对如何优化吴起县农业产业结构提出建议及对策。     

我国农业集约化规模经营的瓶颈、根源及对策

本文认为：农业集约化规模经营的瓶颈是农业生产力水平不高,农民就业和保障单一,小农意识浓厚;根源是农地产权不清晰。为了解决小农经济对接大市场的困难,缓解农村人地高度紧张矛盾。文章提出：在目前政府实行一系列惠农、利农政策的有利形势下,农业完全可以适时提出集约化规模经营;政府需要特别关注的是农地承包经营权方面的法律体系建设,加快农村土地承包经营权转让的市场建设,加大农村富余劳动力的培养力度,真正实现农民自觉参与农业集约化规模经营中来,彻底解决当前小农户、大市场的矛盾。     

对我国农业生态环境安全的认识与思考

阐述了我国农业生态环境和现状,分析了保护农业生态环境、实现农业可持续发展的必要性,并提出了实现农业生态安全与可持续发展的对策。     

Agronomist–farmer knowledge encounters: an analysis of knowledge exchange in the context of best management practices in England

This paper explores how knowledge is exchanged between agricultural advisors and farmers in the context of sustainable farming practices in England. Specifically the paper examines the nature of the knowledge exchange at the encounters between one group of advisors, agronomists, and farmers. The promotion of best management practices, which are central to the implementation of sustainable agricultural policies in England, provide the empirical context for this study. The paper uses the notion of expert and facilitative approaches as a conceptual framework for analyzing knowledge exchange encounters between agronomists and farmers. Data were derived from semi-structured interviews with 31 agronomists and 17 farmers, in the context of three initiatives promoting a range of best management practices including (a) targeted use of nitrogen (N), (b) use of nutrients within manure, and (c) management practices to improve soil structure. The interviews revealed that, although many agronomist–farmer knowledge exchange encounters are characterized by an imbalance of power, distrust, and the divergence of knowledge, other encounters provide a platform for the facilitation of farmer learning in their transition to more sustainable practices.