Showing papers on "Subsistence agriculture published in 2003"

Wild meat: the bigger picture

Abstract: Massive overhunting of wildlife for meat across the humid tropics is now causing local extinctions of numerous species. Rural people often rely heavily on wild meat, but, in many areas, this important source of food and income is either already lost or is being rapidly depleted. The problem can only be tackled by looking at the wider economic and institutional context within which such hunting occurs, from household economics to global terms of trade. Conservation efforts must be placed within a landscape context; a mosaic of hunted and no-take areas might balance conservation with continued subsistence use. Successful conservation of hunted wildlife requires collaboration at all scales, involving local people, resource extraction companies, governments and scientists.

A scenario‐based holistic approach to environmental flow assessments for rivers

Abstract: Sustainable use of river ecosystems requires that they be managed holistically. This paper describes an holistic methodology, DRIFT (Downstream Response to Imposed Flow Transformation), for advising on environmental flowsfor rivers targetted for water-management activities. DRIFT's basic philosophy is that all major abiotic and biotic components constitute the ecosystem to be managed; and within that, the full spectrum of flows, and their temporal and spatial variability, constitute the flows to be managed. The methodology employs experienced scientists from the following biophysical disciplines: hydrology, hydraulics, fluvial geomorphology, sedimentology, chemistry, botany and zoology. Where there are subsistence users of the river, the following socio-economic disciplines are also employed: sociology, anthropology, water supply, public health, livestock health and resource economics. DRIFT is a structured process for combining data and knowledge from all the disciplines to produce flow-related scenarios for water managers to consider. It consists of four modules. In the first, or biophysical module, the river ecosystem is described and predictive capacity developed on how it would change with flow changes. In the second, or socio-economic module, links are described between riparian people who are subsistence users of river resources, the resources they use, and their health. The objective is to develop predictive capacity of how river changes would impact their lives. In the third module, scenarios are built of potential future flows and the impacts of these on the river and the riparian people. The fourth, or economic module, lists compensation and mitigation costs. DRIFT should run in parallel with two other exercises which are external to it: a macro-economic assessment of the wider implications of each scenario, and a Public Participation Process whereby people other than subsistence users can indicate the level of acceptability of each scenario. DRIFT has been developed in a semi-arid, developing region, where water-supply problems are pressing, and uncertainties about river-linked ecological and social processes high. The use of DRIFT in this context is discussed.

Tropical Soils and Food Security: The Next 50 Years

Abstract: An appreciation of the dynamism of the links between soil resources and society provides a platform for examining food security over the next 50 years. Interventions to reverse declining trends in food security must recognize the variable resilience and sensitivity of major tropical soil types. In most agro-ecosystems, declining crop yield is exponentially related to loss of soil quality. For the majority smallholder (subsistence) farmers, investments to reverse degradation are primarily driven by private benefit, socially or financially. "Tragedy of the commons" scenarios can be averted by pragmatic local solutions that help farmers to help themselves.

Interrelations between mangrove ecosystem, local economy and social sustainability in Caeté Estuary, North Brazil

Abstract: Various types of subsistence and commercialextraction of mangrove products areidentified on the North Braziliancoast. Of 2500 households in 21 ruralcommunities (about 13.000 people) near theCaete estuary, 83% derive subsistenceincome, and 68% cash income through use ofmangrove resources. The mangrove crab (Ucides cordatus) is collected and sold by42% of households, and constitutes a mainincome source for 38%. Includingprocessing and trading occupations, overhalf of the investigated population dependon the mangrove crab for financialincome. Mangrove fishery occupies the lowerrural income groups in the fisheriessector. About 30% of householdsengage in commercial fishing in or near themangrove. Illegal commercial andsubsistence use of mangrove wood and barkmaintains a considerable number of ruralhouseholds. In the context ofwidespread rural poverty in coastal NorthBrazil, it is important for mangrovemanagement to take into account subsistenceproduction, which has a centralsocio-economic function for the rural poorwho live close to the mangroves.Socio-economic priorities in mangrovevillages were, in order of importance,educational quality, occupational options,medical care, the low level of mangroveproduct prices, access to electricity andlocal leadership quality.

Shifting cultivation in the mountains of South and Southeast Asia: regional patterns and factors influencing the change

Abstract: Shifting cultivation, which long provided the subsistence requirements of a large number of people in the mountains of South and Southeast Asia under a situation of low population, has been shown to be an environmentally and economically unsuitable practice. Efforts have been made throughout the region to replace it with more productive and sustainable land-use systems. Experiences have been mixed. Shifting cultivation has been almost entirely replaced by sedentary agriculture in Nepal, a considerable change has taken place in Thailand, and moderate changes have taken place in Indonesia and Malaysia. However, shifting cultivation is still being widely practised in the mountains of Bangladesh and Laos, and northeastern India. Such interregional variations are explained by several socio-economic, institutional and policy factors, including population growth, government control of common property resources, the land tenure system, physical infrastructure, technology and necessary support services. This paper concludes that the change from shifting to permanent cultivation does not take place automatically with increasing population pressure as postulated by Boserup (1965). It takes place when the favourable condition created by population growth is reinforced by other appropriate measures, including ownership rights to land, development of infrastructure and provision of necessary support services and facilities. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Aflatoxin and food safety: Recent African perspectives

Abstract: The issue of food safety in Africa is one which interacts with and is frequently subjugate to issues of food security, especially in geographic areas where food shortages are caused by recurrent natural weather phenomena such as drought. In addition, many subsistence farming communities in Africa are reliant on the consumption of home‐grown crops, irrespective of the quality considerations normally applied in the developed world. Nevertheless, some African governments have instituted food safety regulations to control mycotoxin, especially aflatoxin, contamination of the national food supply and research into natural occurrence of aflatoxins in a range of local foods is widely conducted. This review summarises the work published in this field through the previous decade. It emphasizes that much of the research effort has been performed in South Africa, Egypt and in various countries in west Africa including Ghana, Nigeria and The Gambia. Although much of the published research deals with levels of aflatox...

Domesticated Landscapes: The Subsistence Ecology of Plant and Animal Domestication

Abstract: Harvesting different species as foods or raw materials calls for differing skills depending on the species being harvested and the circumstances under which they are being taken. In some situations and for some species, the tactics used are mainly behavioral—that is, people adjust, or adapt, their own actions to fit the behavior and circumstances of the species they are taking. Under other circumstances and for other species, the skills and tactics used may call for greater environmental preparation or manipulation. Therefore, instead of trying to distinguish people today and in the past as either “foragers” or “farmers,” it makes sense to define human subsistence behavior as an interactive matrix of species and harvesting tactics, that is, as a provisions spreadsheet.

Towards an integrated approach for reducing the conflict between elephants and people: a review of current research

Abstract: Managers attempting to reduce crop damage used to reduce crop damage, and suggests that an integrated, community-based, low-tech approach will be by elephants encounter a range of complex technical and social issues. Subsistence farmers bear the costs associated the most sustainable solution to this conflict. with maintaining wild elephant populations and this can confound interventions designed to improve the Keywords Africa, crop raiding, elephants, farmers, human-animal conflict. livelihood security of farmers. We present a review of the issues that influence the success and failure of methods

DIVERSIFICATION ECONOMIES AND SPECIALISATION EFFICIENCIES IN A MIXED FOOD AND COFFEE SMALLHOLDER FARMING SYSTEM IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA / доклад на 25 конференции IAAE, Reshaping Agriculture’s Contribution to Society, International Convention Centre, Durban, South Africa, 16-23 August 2003

Abstract: Smallholder farming systems in Papua New Guinea are characterised by an integrated set of cash cropping and subsistence food cropping activities. In the Highlands provinces, the subsistence food crop sub-system is dominated by sweet potato production. Coffee dominates the cash cropping sub-system, but a limited number of food crops are also grown for cash sale. The dynamics between sub-systems can influence the scope for complementarity between, and technical efficiency of, their operations, especially in light of the seasonality of demand for household labour and management inputs within the farming system. A crucial element of these dynamic processes is diversification into commercial agricultural production, which can influence factor productivity and the efficiency of crop production where smallholders maintain a strong production base in subsistence foods. Data are used on coffee and food crop production for 18 households in the Benabena district of Eastern Highlands Province to derive technical efficiency indices for each household over two years. A stochastic input distance function approach is used to establish whether diversification economies exist and whether specialisation in coffee, subsistence food or cash food production significantly influences technical efficiency on the sampled smallholdings. Diversification economies are weakly evident between subsistence food production and both coffee and cash food production, but diseconomies of diversification are discerned between coffee and cash food production. A number of factors are tested for their effects on technical efficiency. Significant technical efficiency gains are made from diversification among broad cropping activities.

Specialization and Diversification in Agricultural Transformation: The Case of West Punjab, 1903–92

Abstract: In this article, the role of crop specialization and diversification in agricultural transformation is investigated empirically. Changes in aggregate land productivity are associated structurally with inter-crop and inter-district reallocation of land use. Results from a region with the oldest history of agricultural commercialization in developing countries show that cropping patterns of subsistence agriculture changed substantially, with rising concentration of crop acreage in districts with higher and growing productivity. Rapid specialization in crop production was observed at the district level recently, after a phase with sporadic specialization. These changes reflected comparative advantage and contributed to the improvement in aggregate land productivity.

The African-American family in slavery and emancipation

Abstract: Introduction 1. Slave trading and forced labor migrations 2. Family diasporas and parenthood lost 3. Malnutrition, ecological risks, and slave mortality 4. Reproductive exploitation and child mortality 5. Slave household subsistence and women's work 6. The impacts of Civil War on slave families 7. The risks of emancipation for black families 8. Reconstruction threats to black family survival Theoretical reprise.

Assessing the impact of high-yielding varieties of maize in resettlement areas of Zimbabwe

Abstract: "This study is part of a larger effort to explore the impact of agricultural research on poverty reduction. It examines the diffusion and impact of hybrid maize in selected resettlement areas of rural Zimbabwe, paying particular attention to varieties made widely available from the mid-1990s onwards. While "Zimbabwe's Green Revolution" of the early 1980s was characterized by the widespread adoption of hybrid maize varieties and significant increases in yields, the subsequent diffusion of newer varieties occurred more slowly and had a more modest impact. Several factors account for this. Government now plays a much-reduced role and one that increasingly focuses on "better farmers." Private-sector institutions that have entered the maize sector operate mainly in areas of high agricultural potential. Consequently, "adoption" partly reflects "choice" but also the (sometimes) limited physical availability of varieties. A further factor is the nature of the technology being introduced. Newer varieties are bred to meet the evolving needs of commercial farmers, but these new needs most notably improved diseaseresistance are not shared by the farmers in our survey and are not associated with significantly higher yields where use of fertilizers is limited. A further consideration is that information is disseminated via multiple channels and in a fragmentary fashion in an environment where tolerance of dissent is limited, the behavior of neighbors is viewed suspiciously and some actors involved in dissemination (such as extension workers) are increasingly viewed with mistrust. The presumption that farmers "learn from each other" is less applicable in circumstances such as these. Our case studies indicate links between the production of maize in excess of subsistence needs, the accumulation of assets such as livestock and tools, payment of school fees, and the acquisition of inputs such as fertilizer and labor for the subsequent cropping season. This coincides with the views of farmers who see high-yielding varieties of maize as an influential factor in raising livelihood above the level of poverty that prevailed when they first moved into the area. However, new varieties appear to have increased incomes only marginally. When we control for farmer characteristics and the endogeneity of adoption, use of these new varieties increases crop incomes only by about 10 percent; a 10-percent increase in maize income is associated with an increase in livestock holdings ranging from 4 to 12 percent. However, these modest impacts result in an improved ability to deal with vulnerability. Hybrids do raise productivity in maize production. Higher income from maize, and from other crops, leads to investment in livestock. And livestock holdings are an important means through which child health is protected when drought occurs. All such changes are associated with an improvement in well-being and a reduction in poverty. " Authors' Abstract

A mulher como a principal provedora do sustento econômico familiar

Abstract: This study aims at understanding at how the family represents its structure when woman is the principal responsible for the economic home support. A Case Study (Stake, 2000) with three families was performed with families consisting of a couple with a minimum of one child. As for data collection, the FAST (Family System Test) and Family Design was applied. The results showed that women represent their families following a classical model, while men carry their figure in an idealized form. Family economic condition is essential for the well-being. The maintenance of subsistence seems to be more important in these cases than the determination of who provides the support.

Science for African Food Security

Abstract: Most Africans farm small plots of land that have the potential to feed one family and generate income but, until recently, seldom do. Low soil fertility and crop losses from pests and droughts have reduced harvests to below subsistence levels, and many families have remained in poverty, unable to pay for education or health care. Fortunately, their lives are now improving because of a science-based "Doubly Green Revolution" taking place in parts of Africa. It combines elements of ecological agriculture with crop varieties designed to perform well under low-input and stress conditions, uses inorganic inputs very judiciously, and engages farmers themselves in analyzing their needs and adapting new varieties and agronomic practices to their own conditions. Greater commitments and new partnerships are needed to sustain and expand this revolution in agriculture to small-scale farming families all across Africa.

Non-Traditional Agricultural Exports in Highland Guatemala: Understandings of Risk and Perceptions of Change

Abstract: Through a case study of small-scale Kaqchikel Maya farmers involved in non-traditional export agriculture (NTAX) in the Central Guatemalan highlands, this article examines the tensions between the mostly positive perceptions of farmers and the negative assessments of many who study NTAX production. In a context of severe political-economic structural inequalities and potentially high social and cultural costs, quantitative household survey results demonstrate a modest decrease in concentration of land in favour of Maya smallholders; more gender-egalitarian relations of production than expected; and largely positive local perceptions of economic and social change. Qualitative analysis interprets these findings in light of Maya-affective ties to land, preferences for continuity in traditional labor organization and subsistence maize production, perceptions of risk, and the transfer of traditional marketing skills. We find that Kaqchikeles are shaping alternative modernities as they deal with new sets of political-economic and social constraints.

Economic Constraints on Production and Consumption of Animal Source Foods for Nutrition in Developing Countries

Abstract: Livestock ownership currently supports and sustains the livelihoods of an estimated 675 million rural poor, who depend partially or fully on livestock for their income and/or subsistence. Human population growth, increasing urbanization and rising incomes are predicted to double the demand for, and production of, livestock and livestock products in the developing countries over the next 20 y. Land availability limits the expansion of livestock numbers in extensive production systems in most regions, and the bulk of the increase in livestock production will come from increased productivity through intensification and a wider adoption of existing and new production and marketing technologies. The significant changes in the global consumption and demand for animal source foods, along with increasing pressures on resources, are having some important implications for the principal production systems. Production at the smallholder level is constrained by a number of barriers, lack of competitiveness and risk factors. The future holds both opportunities as well as serious pitfalls for animal production in developing countries. There is a danger that livestock production and processing will become dominated by integrated large-scale commercial operations, displacing small-scale livestock farmers and thus exacerbating rural poverty and malnutrition. Conversely, correctly managed, a dynamic livestock sector could prove to be a catalyst for stimulating rural economies. However, the livestock sector will not take on this role on its own, but requires proactive policies on behalf of the private and public sectors.

The Emergence and Dispersion of the Eastern Mediterranean Fishing Village: Evidence from Submerged Neolithic Settlements off the Carmel Coast, Israel

Abstract: In this paper, we propose a model which predicts the timing, location and form of early eastern Mediterranean fishing villages. A submerged late 9th-7th millennium BP settlement off the Carmel coast of Israel is described and presented as a case study to consider the initial development of Mediterranean fishing villages which would have been based upon a combined agro-pastoral-marine economy. The unique development of water-well technology enabled late 9th millennium BP populations to occupy previously unsettled territories near the coastline and to exploit marine and terrestrial resources simultaneously. This complex economy enabled year-round occupation of settlements and a relatively secure subsistence, based on agriculture, animal husbandry and fishing, supplemented by hunting and foraging. During the subsequent Pottery Neolithic (PN) period, olive oil was added to the Mediterranean subsistence base, and on the verge of historical times the production of wine completed the formation of the traditional Mediterranean economy as it is known today.

Colonisation and coastal subsistence in Australia and Papua New Guinea: different timing, different modes

Abstract: The prehistoric colonisation of Australia and New Guinea involved the earliest voyages by modern humans beyond the sea horizon. Recent dating of critical sites in both northern and southern Australia indicates that this occurred before 50,000 and possibly as early as 60,000 years ago (Roberts et nl. 1990; 1994; Thorne et n/. 1999; Turney et nl. 200 l; but see also Bowler et nl. 2003). While the new dating adds up to 15,000 years to the pre\'ious chronology for human arrival in Australia and has been extensively debated, there has been little attempt to assess the prehistoric implications of this longer chronology for migration to, or colonisation palterns and rate of spread of populations following entry into Sahul (the expanded Pleistocene landmass consisting of Australia and New Guinea).

Free Movement of Persons within the European Community: Cross-Border Access to Public Benefits

Abstract: 1. Introduction 2. Free Movement of Persons within the European Community and the United States: History,Legal Framework and Basic Principles 3. Minimum Subsistence Benefits 4. Health Care 5. Education 6. Conclusions Bibliography Index

Economics of Soil and Water Conservation Theory and Empirical Application to Subsistence Farming in the Eastern Ethiopian Highlands

Abstract: Wagayehu Bekele, 2003. Economics of Soil and Water Conservation: Theory and Empirical Application to Subsistence Farming in the Eastern Ethiopian Highlands. Doctoral Thesis. ISSN 1401-6249, ISBN 91-576-6433-1 The Ethiopian highlands, inhabited by the vast majority of the Ethiopian human and livestock populations, are under continuous threat from soil erosion. Land degradation induced by soil erosion is considered to be among the major factors responsible for the recurrent malnutrition and famine problems in Ethiopia. Conservation efforts during recent decades have succeeded neither in triggering voluntary adoption of conservation practices nor in mitigating soil erosion problems. The purpose of this thesis is, therefore, to understand the socio-economic aspects underlying soil and water conservation decisions in the context of subsistence farmers in the Eastern Highlands of Ethiopia. In articles I, III, and IV, the farmers’ decision problem is modeled as a utility maximization problem, and econometric models are used to link the statistical model of observed data and the economic model. Stochastic dominance criteria are used, in article I, to determine whether adoption of a conservation practice results in higher expected grain yield and income and/or reduced variability. Limited dependent variable econometric models are used in articles III and IV in order to determine factors that influence farmers’ decisions on soil and water conservation, and their preference for types of development intervention. In article II, the decision problem is modeled as an intertemporal net benefit maximization problem, and a dynamic programming optimization model is applied to determine the optimal path of investment in soil and water conservation. Findings in article I suggest that conservation results in higher expected grain yield and income, but does not support the hypothesis that conservation unambiguously results in less variability than no-conservation. In article II, it is shown that the optimal path of investment in soil and water conservation depends on the discount rate and grain prices. The results also suggest that erosive agricultural practices yield higher return in the short-term, whereas conservation yields a higher and sustainable return in the long-term. The need to design incentive mechanisms that encourage farmers to have a longer planning horizon are among important suggestions proposed in articles I and II. Results, in article III, suggest that specific physical conditions of plots and socioeconomic characteristics of farm households influence the soil and water conservation decision behavior of farmers. Article IV suggests that the perceived priority of farmers with regard to agricultural problems and socio-economic characteristics, determines their preference for the type of development intervention. The results also suggest that there exists a complementarity between different interventions and hence a need to address them simultaneously to ensure a higher return from interventions. An important lesson to be drawn from articles III and IV is that differences in farming conditions and complementarities between policy programs need to be noted in any intervention program.

What do subsistence farmers know about indigenous crops and organic farming? Preliminary experience in KwaZulu-Natal

Abstract: The lack of published information on indigenous agricultural knowledge in South Africa frustrates the efforts of scientists who seek to enhance the creativity of subsistence farmers, and thus help their delivery from the cycle of poverty to commercialised farming The term ‘indigenous crop’ is not clearly defined in the literature, and confusion about what is a traditional or an indigenous crop often arises even in conversations with local people Perhaps the confusion stems from the generally accepted norm that a crop is associated with conventional production practices and commercialisation Indigenous crop production and use of indigenous plants for food are generally not associated with conventional agriculture Many subsistence farmers in South Africa have known only organic farming until recently, when they were introduced to ‘new seeds’ and agricultural chemicals On-farm opinion surveys and physical farm appraisals were undertaken at the Msinga and Embo tribal areas in KwaZulu-Natal, in an attempt

Plant Resources Used for Subsistence in Tsehlanyane and Bokong in Lesotho

Abstract: The communities of Tsehlanyane and Bokong depend on subsistence agriculture and harvesting natural resources for a variety of needs, mainly firewood, handcrafts, medicine, food, construction, and socio-cultural amenities. They have done so since time immemorial and are singularly responsible for the good conservation value that the area represents. The area has the longest history of conservation championed by a local traditional authority in Lesotho. From December 1999 to March 2000 we conducted a survey that was aimed at making an inventory of resources, on which people rely, that will be affected by the establishment of a biosphere reserve linking the Tsehlanyane National Park and the Bokong Nature Reserve. In the survey, 149 households were sampled representing a sampling intensity of 19% in both communities. One hundred forty-seven species of plants were mentioned, falling into 51 families with the most commonly used families being Asteraceae, Liliaceae sens. lat. and Poaceae. The study also...