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        Do small farmers’ achievements contradict the nutrient depletion scenarios for Africa?

        Author
        Mortimore, Michael
        Harris, Frances
        Attention
        2299/16498
        Abstract
        The dominant narrative of soil degradation in sub-Saharan Africa, as expressed in global surveys and policy documents, is compared with long-term data on the productive performance of smallholder farming systems under climatic and demographic stress. Cases at national, district and village/farm scale are considered (Nigeria; Diourbel Region, Senegal; Maradi Department, Niger; the Kano Close-Settled Zone, Nigeria). The dominant narrative is found to fail as a predictor of agricultural performance over the longer term. Instead there is evidence of farmers’ achievements in terms of sustained production, and investments in soil fertility maintenance. However at micro-scale, the constraints affecting farmers’ investments are apparent. The dominant narrative is deficient as a guide to policy, which needs to go beyond the fertiliser debate to take a broader view of soil fertility in relation to rural livelihoods and a need to facilitate private investment in natural resources.
        Publication date
        2005-01-01
        Published in
        Land Use Policy
        Published version
        https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2003.06.003
        Other links
        http://hdl.handle.net/2299/16498
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