Showing papers on "Marginal land published in 2005"

A concept for simultaneous wasteland reclamation, fuel production, and socio-economic development in degraded areas in India: need, potential and perspectives of Jatropha plantations.

Abstract: The concept of substituting bio-diesel produced from plantations on eroded soils for conventional diesel fuel has gained wide-spread attention in India. In recent months, the Indian central Government as well as some state governments have expressed their support for bringing marginal lands, which cannot be used for food production, under cultivation for this purpose. Jatropha curcas is a well established plant in India. It produces oil-rich seeds, is known to thrive on eroded lands, and to require only limited amounts of water, nutrients and capital inputs. This plant offers the option both to cultivate wastelands and to produce vegetable oil suitable for conversion to bio-diesel. More versatile than hydrogen and new propulsion systems such as fuel cell technology, bio-diesel can be used in today's vehicle fleets worldwide and may also offer a viable path to sustainable transportation, i.e., lower greenhouse gas emissions and enhanced mobility, even in remote areas. Mitigation of global warming and the creation of new regional employment opportunities can be important cornerstones of any forward looking transportation system for emerging economies.

Cutting, bundling and chipping short-rotation willow

Abstract: Willow is a fast-growing plant with large potential to produce biomass and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It can yield between 10 and 20 tonnes of dry matter per year, per hectare, depending on soil, fertilization and climate in several cultivated areas of Canada. It can provide an alternate cropping system with minimal maintenance to marginal land that has been left fallow or has been underutilized for traditional agricultural crops. It is estimated that out of a total of 65 million ha of agricultural land in Canada, 1 to 2% of the land could be used over the next 20 years to produce dedicated biomass crops such as willow to complement traditional wood feedstock for pulp and paper and particle board or oriented strand board. Moreover, willow could also become a significant source of energy either by combustion or by chemical conversion. The technology to cut and harvest short-rotation willow is still in development, with most previous work coming from Europe. The paper reviews current technology to cut, bundle and chip short-rotation woody crops such as willow. It presents current knowledge and areas that require innovative work, notably in willow mechanical properties, cutting mechanisms and bundling systems for long stems. The paper proposes future research directions that are needed to develop appropriate technology as this potential market develops.

The Character and Diagnostic Criterion for Marginisation of the Arable Land

Abstract: The concept and essence of marginalisation of arable land and marginal land were defined first, then the character of the marginalisation of arable land use was discussed, and finally, the diagnostic criterion was set up in this paper The most commonly accepted definition of a marginal agricultural situation is one at the margin of economic viability Agricultural marginalisation could be considered to be a process, driven by a combination of social, economic, political and environmental factors, by which certain areas of farmland cease to be viable under an existing land use and socio-economic structure A process of agricultural marginalisation with areas of farmland which cease to be viable may produce a number of different responses from farmers For example, some may attempt to improve viability and combat marginalisation, whereas others may run down or abandon agriculture altogether These responses will result in some important changes of arable land use in terms of the degree of intensity, the planting area, the conversion of land use, the management system of arable land use and the abandonment of cultivated land The marginal return, the degree of intensity and the area of planted crops are three main indexes to diagnose the marginalisation of arable land use Generally speaking, if the marginal income is negative in the progress of arable land use with such characters as “decline in the degree of intensity and in the planted area, or even the abandonment of arable land”, we can judge that there are marginalisation phenomena in the progress in the land use However, different kinds of marginalistion of arable land use have different diagnostic criteria

Agricultural performance on marginal land in Eastern Inner Mongolia, China - : Development in the pre- and post-1978 reform periods

Abstract: Rapid economic development in the aftermath of the Chinese post-1978 reforms has resulted in a shrinking of grain grown area in the southern and eastern regions of the country which in turn is believed to have put the marginal northern regions under increased pressure. This paper examines key indicators of agricultural performance as well as cultivated land area development of the pre- and post-1978 reform periods focusing on the agro-pastoral Tongliao City Prefecture, eastern Inner Mongolia. The results are related to the village level development through a case study as well as to the provincial level. Average annual grain per capita production increased from about 400 kg in the late 1970s to more then 1000 kg in the late 1990s. This was achieved through a combination of intensification and reclamation of cropland, with the latter restricted to pastoral classified counties. Production variability, in particular for the low producing counties, has also increased possibly as an effect of the substitution of traditional mixed pattern of crops with HYV monocultures. Average living standards have improved but have been accompanied by widening income gaps. Poor farmers' livelihoods continue to be insecure, particularly during dry years. Concern is raised regarding the sustainability of the rapid agricultural development; an increased use of costly fertilisers constrains poorer farmer's economy and may lead to deteriorating water quality while increasing irrigation depletes water resources. (Less)

Oil palm planting in marginal soils: selected cases.

Abstract: Marginal soils were usually discounted in the past for planting of oil palm. Currently, the encroachment into these areas is phenomenal as there is no more prime land for oil palm planting in the country. Innovations to counter such limitations have been successful for the cultivation of oil palm but the cost can be high. Nevertheless, on the part of the investors, the higher cost can be offset by the higher returns from oil palm compared to those from other crops. This paper evaluates the potential of selected marginal soils, namely deep peat, tin tailings and steep lands, for the cultivation of oil palm. Specifically, the study assesses the establishment cost of an estate and to a lesser extent the investment viability.

Exploring Spillover Effect of Public Investments in Conservation Programs onto Agritourism

Abstract: Public investment in farmland-based conservation, such as the Conservation Reserve and Wetlands Reserve Programs (CRP and WRP, respectively), have improved the environmental state of many lands. While doing so, they also place constraints on the use of lands agriculturally, in return limiting the potential rents to land owners. CRP and WRP were initiated to remove fragile, marginal land from crop production by requiring enrolled producers to convert marginal acreages to perennial vegetation or restore wetlands for a specified period. In short, these programs offer landowners incentives to establish long-term conservation covers and wildlife habitat, and meanwhile, serve supply control objectives of US farm policy. Between 1985 and 2002, over 32.7 million acres of land had been enrolled in both programs combined (www.nass.usda.gov/census/census02). In the 11 years from 1985 to 1996, government expenditures on CRP alone equaled $19 billion (Hoag, 1999). These programs create an institutionalized means of supporting farm income while garnering environmental benefits. There is a rich literature on many production and environmental aspects of CRP and WRP. In summary, CRP and WRP decrease the productivity of enrolled acreage. But, the long-term implications for producers’ financial performance, and in a broader context, the economic activity of communities these farms operate in, receive less attention and scrutiny. We posit that CRP and WRP may contribute to a new farm income stream based on the enhanced recreational opportunities perceived by tourists on farmland that has

Energy policies and their impact on establishing nature areas in Poland - an AGE analysis

Abstract: Biomass as a source of energy has several advantages over fossil fuels It delivers energy at low net CO2 emission levels and it contributes to sustaining future energy supplies However, an often-heard concern is that large-scale biomass plantations might increase pressure on the productive land and might cause a substantial increase of food prices Johansson and Azar (2004) predict that due to rigid CO2 policy the price of agricultural goods increase substantially McCarl and Schneider (2001) analyses the impact of carbon price on food and biomass production and they conclude that with a carbon price of 500$/MTCE, US crop prices almost triple If we can exploit the multi functionality properties of biomass plantation, such as bioremediation, they can contribute to environmental policy by reducing the competition between biomass and agricultural production In this paper we deal with the trade-off between agricultural and biomass production when such synergies are explicitly taken into account To assess the impact of environmental policies on greenhouse gas emissions, land use allocation, sectoral production and consumption levels and prices of land, food, electricity and other commodities we present an applied general equilibrium (AGE) model with special attention to biomass and multi-product crops The model describes the entire economy, with explicit detail in the representation of production of traditional agricultural and biomass crops The model is an extended version of the model described in Ignaciuk et al (2004) The model distinguishes 35 sectors, including 6 agricultural and biomass sectors Moreover, the bioelectricity sector is explicitly described We include three primary production factors: labor, capital and land Three land classes are identified to capture differences in productivity from different land types A representative consumer maximizes utility under the condition that expenditures on consumption goods do not exceed income Utility is represented by a nested constant elasticity of substitution (CES) function, in order to allow for substitution possibilities between different consumption goods, such as between conventional electricity and bioelectricity Producers maximize profits subject to the available production technologies Production technologies are represented by six-level nested CES functions, where also emissions (emission permits) from production processes are incooperated The emissions of major greenhouse gases are calculated; namely CO2, N2O and CH4 A government sector collects taxes, distributes subsidies and consumes public goods; environmental policy is implemented by reducing the number of emission permits the government auctions This way of modeling environmental policy ensures that a cost-effective allocation is achieved The interactions between the various production sectors are relevant, as the agricultural and energy sectors have strong links with the rest of the economy An economy-wide model, such as the AGE-framework provides, allows us to take these interlinkages fully into account Moreover, the indirect impacts of environmental policies, that are often ignored but can be highly relevant (cf Dellink 2005) are incorporated in this way, ensuring a consistent assessment of the economic costs of environmental policy We calibrate the AGE model using data for Poland for 1997 Poland provides a relevant case as it has a high potential for biomass production, and has a large agricultural sector (Ignaciuk et al2005) In the empirical application, we focus on bioremediation characteristics of willow plantations and on biodiversity support of forestry Data are taken from Statistics Poland (GUS 2002) and the GTAP database (Rutherford & Paltsev 2000) The preliminary results show that bioremediation characteristics of willow can substantially increase the potential for bioenergy, thanks to its potential of growing on marginal land Thus, the costs of climate policy can be substantially reduced and the policy goals set for bioenergy use can be achieved with less effort However, at current prices, willow and forestry are not economically interesting, and hence stringent environmental policies are needed to ensure that these opportunities are reaped

An Economic Valuation of Sago Forest Harvesting Regimes

Abstract: The perception that peat swamp land is a marginal land and sago is a marginal crop is an understatement. It is an understatement that omits the environmental costs and benefits associated with sago peat swamp forest management. Sago peat swamp forest serves important ecological and environmental functions and provides perpetual benefits, if managed in a sustainable manner. One of the measures for sustainability is the valuation of the resource. This study uses the disciplines of economics in order to generate the set of values. Hence the total economic valuation (TEV) approach is adopted. In order to demonstrate the TEV, the components of sago peat swamp forest to be estimated and quantified are the stumpage value, fish, domestic water, carbon sequestration and wildlife. The methods adopted in valuation of these benefits are market price, damage cost avoided and contingent valuation. The objective of the study is to estimate the TEV of sago harvesting regimes that are most efficient both financially and environmentally. The samples are the heads of the households from the villages that surround the study site. This is to ensure the samples are familiar with the study site. iii The analysis is conducted in three parts. The first part is the willingness-to-pay (WTP) for the benefits provided by the Mukah Sago peat swamp forest. The analysis reveals that the determination of WTP is the income earned from the benefits. The second part is the quantification of each component of TEV used in the study. The analysis shows that the economic value is higher under sustainable option when compared with unsustainable option. The final part is the financial analysis. The financial and economic internal rates of return are calculated. The financial internal rate of return highlights only the income derived from the sago logs, the tangible asset. However, the economic rate of return aggregates all the values of the other benefits, both tangible and intangible into the income calculation. The results are significant at both local and state levels. At the local level, the sago peat swamp forest plays an important role in income contribution to the farmers. However, their attitudes towards the conservation and maintenance of the sago peat swamp forest have to change towards sustainability for perpetual benefits. At the state level, sustainability needs proactive management to make the sago peat swamp forest more productive by implementing environmentally friendly projects that generate income for the benefit of the stakeholders.