FRINK Linked Data Fragments server

Matches in SemOpenAlex for { <https://semopenalex.org/work/W170025803> ?p ?o ?g. }

• W170025803 abstract "In the highlands of Ethiopia, soil erosion is a bottleneck to maintain land productivity. In order to mitigate the problem of land degradation, the Soil Conservation Research Project (SCRP) developed and disseminated a number of soil conservation techniques. The studies done so far dealt with the impact of these techniques on yield and profitability of farming. However, poor farmers take not only yield and profitability into consideration but also many other factors. This study was initiated to assess the future impact of adoption of bund construction on family income, external labour requirement, cash balance, credit need, and dependence on purchased food. The study was conducted using survey data collected in 1999 from 111 farm families in the Ankober district in Ethiopia. The study area was sub-divided into four sub-regions before carrying out the survey based on intensity of agriculture, the main emphasis of the farming system (crop and/or livestock), type of major crop and the altitude, which is one of the main agro-ecological factors. A multi-periodical linear programming model was applied to each of the sub-regions to assess the future impact of the strategy at household level. The model results indicated that adoption of a soil conservation strategy has positive impact on family income and the cash balance of the family in the long term. However, except in one of the sub-regions, credit must be available to make adoption of the conservation measure feasible. Adoption of the technique has mixed effect on the dependence of farm families on purchased grain. 1 Ethiopian Agricultural Research Organization, Debre Zeit Agricultural Research Center, P.o.Box 32, Debre Zeit, Tel. 00 251 1 33 85 55. Email: regassas@telecom.net.et 2 Department of Agricultural Economics and Social Sciences in the Tropics and Subtropics University of Hohenheim, Institute 490c, 70593 Stuttgart, Germany Tel: 0049-711-4593632 Fax: 0049-711-4592828 INTRODUCTION The Ethiopian highlands include approximately 85-90 percent of Ethiopia’s farmers, over 95 percent of the cropped area, around 66 percent of its livestock, almost 50 percent its land area and over 90 percent of the national economic activity. Soil erosion is a severe problem in sloping areas, especially in the northern and central highlands where vegetation cover is very low and soils are already very shallow (JABBAR et al., 2000). Moreover, the population is growing at an unprecedented rate. Consequently, food production has fallen short of the demand for it leading to a very low and unsustainable standard of living of farm families. The Soil Conservation Research Project (SCRP), was initiated in Ethiopia in 1981 with main development objectives of providing the Ethiopian soil conservation efforts with necessary basic data for the proper implementation of soil conservation measures, testing the applied and planning adapted measures, and training local as well as international personnel in this field of study (SCRP, 1984). The SCRP has developed a number of soil conservation techniques and several studies have been conducted on the adoption and profitability of these techniques. The studies done so far dealt with the impact of these techniques on yield and profitability of farming. However, subsistent farmers take not only yield and profitability into consideration in making decisions but also many other factors. This study was initiated to assess the future impact of adoption of stone/soil bund construction on family income, external labour requirement, cash balance, credit need, and dependence on purchased food. THE STUDY AREA A study area was selected in the Ankober district in the Ethiopian highlands based on the criteria that the area is prone to soil erosion and that land is scarce. The other criterion for selecting and defining the study area was the fact that natural, man-made, and socio-economic gradients are manifested from top mountain to valley bottom and that the transect across a watershed reflects land of different levels of degradation. Before starting with the family survey the study area was sub-divided in to four regions based on level of agricultural intensification, importance of the livestock component and the emphasis given to soil conservation practices. The high mountain area has a relatively extensive type of agriculture with a high livestock component (Sub-region one: Kundi). The next watershed is a highly degraded and a highly overused area (Sub-region two: Lay Gorebela). The next zone is characterised by moderately intensive agriculture without a clear indication of over utilisation of land in comparison to the area located to the north of it (Sub-region three: Chefa & Kulife). At the bottom of the valley agriculture is more stable with an intensive construction of terraces and intensive production system (Sub-region four: Aliyu Amba area). Total size of the study area is about 70 sq. km out of which settled area constitutes about 35 sq. km and there are about 1200 farm families out of which 111 farm families were randomly selected for interview. SOIL CONSERVATION STRATEGY The type of soil conservation strategy, whose impact was tested, is the construction of soil and stone bunds based on the specifications provided by Keddeman, 1992. According to Keddeman (Table 1), assuming no intervention to combat soil erosion, yield would decline by about one percent per year. However, if bunds were constructed, grain yield would increase by about 7.5 percent after five years (average of the “Best estimate”). This would need labour input of 150 Wd/ha in the first year (the year in which bunds would be constructed) and the area lost to bund construction would be ten percent of the land. In testing this strategy, other factors determining the decision making process were assumed to remain constant. Table 1: Specifications for the construction of soil and stone bunds Item Minimum Maximum Best estimate Km of bund/ha 0.8 1.4 1.0 Investment: Wd/ha 94 535 150 Area lost 5 percent 14 percent 10 percent Base year yield, Kg/ha 600 750 750 P.a. Yield loss without 1 percent 5 percent 1 percent Yield increase after five years 5 percent 70 percent 5-10 percent Source: Willem Keddeman, 1992 MULTIPERIODICAL MODELLING OF FARM-HOUSEHOLD For the purpose of simulating the farming systems, multi-periodical (dynamic) linear mathematical programming models were developed for each of the four sub-regions. The basic models, built to simulate the existing farming systems were used to assess the impact of construction of soil or stone bunds on family income, external labour requirement, cash balance, credit need, and dependence on purchased food. The impact of this strategy is given by the difference between the situation with soil conservation and the situation without soil conservation. A dynamic linear programming model has the following mathematical form. Max Z = ( ) ∑∑ = = − y" @default.
• W170025803 created "2016-06-24" @default.
• W170025803 creator A5003096097 @default.
• W170025803 creator A5053703298 @default.
• W170025803 date "2003-01-01" @default.
• W170025803 modified "2023-09-27" @default.
• W170025803 title "The Future Impact of Adoption of Soil Conservation Strategy at Family level in the Highlands of Ethiopia" @default.
• W170025803 cites W2041085293 @default.
• W170025803 cites W2340937238 @default.
• W170025803 hasPublicationYear "2003" @default.
• W170025803 type Work @default.
• W170025803 sameAs 170025803 @default.
• W170025803 citedByCount "0" @default.
• W170025803 crossrefType "journal-article" @default.
• W170025803 hasAuthorship W170025803A5003096097 @default.
• W170025803 hasAuthorship W170025803A5053703298 @default.
• W170025803 hasConcept C107826830 @default.
• W170025803 hasConcept C109162521 @default.
• W170025803 hasConcept C118518473 @default.
• W170025803 hasConcept C144133560 @default.
• W170025803 hasConcept C166957645 @default.
• W170025803 hasConcept C205649164 @default.
• W170025803 hasConcept C39432304 @default.
• W170025803 hasConcept C91375879 @default.
• W170025803 hasConceptScore W170025803C107826830 @default.
• W170025803 hasConceptScore W170025803C109162521 @default.
• W170025803 hasConceptScore W170025803C118518473 @default.
• W170025803 hasConceptScore W170025803C144133560 @default.
• W170025803 hasConceptScore W170025803C166957645 @default.
• W170025803 hasConceptScore W170025803C205649164 @default.
• W170025803 hasConceptScore W170025803C39432304 @default.
• W170025803 hasConceptScore W170025803C91375879 @default.
• W170025803 hasLocation W1700258031 @default.
• W170025803 hasOpenAccess W170025803 @default.
• W170025803 hasPrimaryLocation W1700258031 @default.
• W170025803 hasRelatedWork W1481555362 @default.
• W170025803 hasRelatedWork W1837510148 @default.
• W170025803 hasRelatedWork W2017315670 @default.
• W170025803 hasRelatedWork W2042254421 @default.
• W170025803 hasRelatedWork W2116562305 @default.
• W170025803 hasRelatedWork W2158159150 @default.
• W170025803 hasRelatedWork W2351710946 @default.
• W170025803 hasRelatedWork W2528346469 @default.
• W170025803 hasRelatedWork W2592385119 @default.
• W170025803 hasRelatedWork W2944478065 @default.
• W170025803 hasRelatedWork W2947152771 @default.
• W170025803 hasRelatedWork W3002077739 @default.
• W170025803 hasRelatedWork W3033874832 @default.
• W170025803 hasRelatedWork W3164309791 @default.
• W170025803 hasRelatedWork W697598 @default.
• W170025803 hasRelatedWork W88019407 @default.
• W170025803 hasRelatedWork W1582102520 @default.
• W170025803 hasRelatedWork W2114480825 @default.
• W170025803 hasRelatedWork W2182597188 @default.
• W170025803 hasRelatedWork W2185573297 @default.
• W170025803 isParatext "false" @default.
• W170025803 isRetracted "false" @default.
• W170025803 magId "170025803" @default.
• W170025803 workType "article" @default.