Farming and environmental degradation in Zambia: the human dimension |
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| Authors: | Michael Stocking |
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| Institution: | School of Development Studies, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, England |
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| Abstract: | Farming and environmental degradation are inextricably linked through a complex of political, social, economic and physical forces. A connection is drawn between the initiation and maintenance of distinct farming systems (commercial, emergent and subsistence) by largely human influences, and the effect these farming systems have in turn on the environment. There are important implications for the environment through indirect effects on plant cover, cultivation methods and systems of bush fallowing. In many respects subsistence cultivation is probably the safest.A case study from Mkushi District, Central Province exemplifies the influence of external factors on environmental degradation in general, and soil erosion in particular. In the survey, traditional practices show fewer signs of soil erosion than commercial farming because of rational decisions taken by each group of farmers. The implication for conservation strategies is briefly reviewed. |
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