Land degradation assessment by small scale traditional African farmers and implications for sustainable conservation management

Abstract

The attainment of sustainable agricultural production in most African countries is seriously undermined by increasing land degradation problems. It is argued in this paper that successful adoption of sustainable agriculture in tropical Africa will depend on the concurrent implementation of well articulated sustainable conservation policies to deal with land degradation. Such policies need to recognise and utilize traditional systems of land evaluation and management in the development of appropriate coping mechanisms or adaptive strategies. The study is illustrated with a case study from the community of Nsit in south-eastern Nigeria. One hundred and eight farmers were interviewed and a group discussion with community leaders and a few selected farmers was held. This approach facilitated the exploration of the stock of indigenous knowledge and information about land degradation assessment and management held by small-scale traditional farming communities. The result shows that small-scale farmers in Nsit have an adequate grasp of the physical conditions of their surrounding world and are able to ascertain the major stages of land degradation in their community. The implications for the evolution of sustainable conservation management in Africa are articulated.