Crop Biodiversity: Potential of Sustainability Indicators and Poverty Reduction in Farming Systems in Sudan

Abstract

This paper presents a theoretical and empirical analysis of the impact of crop biodiversity on poverty reduction and to evaluate the biodiversity of cropping system and its effects on ecological sustainability in rural Sudan. It is based mainly on primary data collected from the household survey. The study focuses on the problem of rural farmers from a broader perspective, among agricultural farming systems in rural Sudan, named as traditional rainfed, irrigated and mechanized rainfed farming system. Poverty line and indicators were analyzed using the Foster Greer and Thorbecke method. The results of the study reveal that the poverty in rural Sudan had been more wide spread and deep in traditional and mechanized farms in contrast with the irrigated farms. In the irrigated farms the farm size is small and the framers are governed by government towards cropping systems and types of crops cultivated. In the mechanized and traditional farms the land size was large, so no rule of what types of crop cultivated. Biodiversity of the three farming systems is differed and concentrated in crop and livestock practices, no aquatic fisheries was practices in farms. The crop diversity is more practices by the non- poor farmers. Results also proved a significant correlation between crop biodiversity indicators with ecological sustainability in the cropping systems. The cultivation of the forage legume is a highly significantly affecting the sustainability in farms. Crop residues management has significantly a positive effect on the water use in the farms. Efficiency and sustainability of crops production would help poor farmers rise out of poverty.