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More market less poverty, but also more sustainable land use?
February 16, 2006During empirical research in Benin, Dutch-sponsored researcher EsaÃ-e Gandonou demonstrated that farmers in underdeveloped parts of developing countries make little extra effort to control soil erosion if the market to which they sell their products becomes more accessible. Although the incomes of the farmers improve, this does not lead to substantial increase in erosion control measures.
Benin is one of the poorest countries in the world. Sustainable land use is therefore even more important so that, for example, soil erosion does not lead to further poverty. Therefore the main question in Gandonou's doctoral research was to what extent would agriculture on fragile slopes become more sustainable if the farmers were given more possibilities for selling their products and acquiring production resources. The study is based on empirical data collected in 1998 and 1999 in Boukombé in the northwest of Benin.
The results show that in a remote area such as Boukombé, the effects of a closer market on erosion control are marginal. This is partly because many efforts to conserve the soil are already being undertaken, and partly because incomes of farmers in this area remain very low, even if the market is nearby. Gandonou's research has made it clear that reducing the distance to the market has slight, but positive, effects on the yields of grains and therefore on the attractiveness of soil conservation. Artificial fertilisers plays a key role in this: these can only be used successfully if the subsoil has not been eroded too much and the water runoff is not too strong. This means that a farmer who wants to use artificial fertilisers will also have to take soil conservation measures. To date this study is the clearest example of how soil conservation contributes to an increased yield.
A more accessible market also provides households with more opportunities to grow other, more commercial crops or to undertake other profitable activities. Investments in an improved infrastructure can therefore contribute to improved agricultural returns, and these higher returns induce farmers to invest more in the sustainable use of slopes.
Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research
A more accessible market also provides households with more opportunities to grow other, more commercial crops or to undertake other profitable activities. Investments in an improved infrastructure can therefore contribute to improved agricultural returns, and these higher returns induce farmers to invest more in the sustainable use of slopes.
Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research
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Investing in poor people in less-favoured areas
Joint policy seminar of Wageningen University & IFPRI: In preparation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) , Wageningen University and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI, Washington D.C.) celebrate a joint seminar to analyze the policy options for `investing in poor people in less-favoured areas`. In the developing world, 40% of the rural poor live in such less-favoured areas that face major problems in terms of poverty, land degradation, population pressure and geographical isolation. The seminar is sceduled on July 12th and 13th in Doorwerth, The Netherlands. This seminar brings together key experts to discuss different policy approaches for favouring
Invitation to the media - BIODIVERSITY, CLIMATE CHANGE AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT - THE CASE FOR A FREE MARKET SOLUTION -Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A Vol. 360, No. 1797
Science vs. ideology This themed issue of Transactions A, a Royal Society journal, presents the first comprehensive and detailed analysis of a market-driven approach to biodiversity conservation, carbon sequestration management, emissions trading, social capital, environmental issues and sustainable development. Twenty contributed papers have been written by diverse authors including leading conservation biologists, ecologists, economists, lawyers, tribal specialists, financial experts, climatologists and corporate fund managers. "This volume makes the case for sustainable systems that can pay for themselves, and can give greater benefit and equality to those people who depend on wild resour
Royal Society welcomes Government report on crops of the future
The potential benefits of NFCs, and the myriad of uses to which they could be put, were explored in the Society's submission to the Select Committee, the main points of which were:
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