Dynamics and Diversity: Soil Fertility and Farming Livelihoods in Africa : Case Studies from Ethiopia, Mali, and ZimbabweIan Scoones Soils are critical to agriculture and, in turn, to food supply and livelihoods. Sustainable management of soils is crucial for a large proportion of the population of Africa. Contrary to many claims, soil fertility is improved and managed successfully by small-scale farmers there. Careful studies from widely different areas reveal how closely bound up soil management is with complex social, cultural and ecological factors - requiring a far more subtly tuned approach to development policy and practice. This work is a study of how the context of livelihood systems has to inform development policy and practice. |
Contents
Transforming Soils The Dynamics of Soilfertility | 1 |
Styles of investigation and sources of evidence | 8 |
some contrasts and comparisons | 15 |
Copyright | |
20 other sections not shown
Other editions - View all
Dynamics and Diversity: Soil Fertility and Farming Livelihoods in Africa Ian Scoones Limited preview - 2010 |
Dynamics and Diversity: Soil Fertility and Farming Livelihoods in Africa Ian Scoones Limited preview - 2010 |
Dynamics and Diversity: Soil Fertility and Farming Livelihoods in Africa Ian Scoones Limited preview - 2010 |
Common terms and phrases
acrisols Addis Ababa Africa agricultural applied approach biomass broader cash cattle cent cereal Chapter Chivi CMDT communal areas compost context cotton crop residues cultivation darkoa decline degradation Dilaba diversity drought dryland dynamics enset environmental Ethiopia example factors farmers farming system fertility inputs fields garden grazing groundnuts Harare highlands homefields impact important improved increasing inorganic fertilizer institutional interventions investment irrigated kraal labour land leaf litter levels limited livelihoods livestock lowlands M'Péresso maize major Mali Mangwende manure Masvingo ment millet mineral fertilizer Niger Niono nutrient balances Office du Niger options organic matter outfields participatory particularly pathways patterns plots plough practices processes production programme rainfall range research and extension resource group result rice rural Scoones shoka Siguiné social socio-economic soil degradation soil erosion soil management soil types soil-fertility management sorghum strategies study sites sustainable tenure tion Tissana village WADU Wolayta yields Zimbabwe zone