University of Hertfordshire

From the same journal

By the same authors

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

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Standard

Do small farmers’ achievements contradict the nutrient depletion scenarios for Africa? / Mortimore, Michael; Harris, Frances.

In: Land Use Policy, Vol. 22, No. 1, 01.01.2005, p. 43-56.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Harvard

Mortimore, M & Harris, F 2005, 'Do small farmers’ achievements contradict the nutrient depletion scenarios for Africa?', Land Use Policy, vol. 22, no. 1, pp. 43-56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2003.06.003

APA

Mortimore, M., & Harris, F. (2005). Do small farmers’ achievements contradict the nutrient depletion scenarios for Africa? Land Use Policy, 22(1), 43-56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2003.06.003

Vancouver

Mortimore M, Harris F. Do small farmers’ achievements contradict the nutrient depletion scenarios for Africa? Land Use Policy. 2005 Jan 1;22(1):43-56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2003.06.003

Author

Mortimore, Michael ; Harris, Frances. / Do small farmers’ achievements contradict the nutrient depletion scenarios for Africa?. In: Land Use Policy. 2005 ; Vol. 22, No. 1. pp. 43-56.

Bibtex

@article{3a3d1e5ff87640e982dd2d6d9c449e36,
title = "Do small farmers{\textquoteright} achievements contradict the nutrient depletion scenarios for Africa?",
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{\textquoteright} achievements in terms of sustained production, and investments in soil fertility maintenance. However at micro-scale, the constraints affecting farmers{\textquoteright} 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.",
keywords = "Africa, soil fertility, productivity, nutrient management, small farmers, degradation, long-term change",
author = "Michael Mortimore and Frances Harris",
note = "Michael Mortimore & Frances Harris, 'Do small farmers' achievements contradict the nutrient depletion scenarios for Africa?', Land Use Policy, Vol. 22 (1): 43-56, first published online 5 March 2004. The final, published version is available at doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2003.06.003 Copyright {\textcopyright} 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. ",
year = "2005",
month = jan,
day = "1",
doi = "10.1016/j.landusepol.2003.06.003",
language = "English",
volume = "22",
pages = "43--56",
journal = "Land Use Policy",
issn = "0264-8377",
publisher = "Elsevier Limited",
number = "1",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Do small farmers’ achievements contradict the nutrient depletion scenarios for Africa?

AU - Mortimore, Michael

AU - Harris, Frances

N1 - Michael Mortimore & Frances Harris, 'Do small farmers' achievements contradict the nutrient depletion scenarios for Africa?', Land Use Policy, Vol. 22 (1): 43-56, first published online 5 March 2004. The final, published version is available at doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2003.06.003 Copyright © 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

PY - 2005/1/1

Y1 - 2005/1/1

N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

KW - Africa

KW - soil fertility

KW - productivity

KW - nutrient management

KW - small farmers

KW - degradation

KW - long-term change

U2 - 10.1016/j.landusepol.2003.06.003

DO - 10.1016/j.landusepol.2003.06.003

M3 - Article

VL - 22

SP - 43

EP - 56

JO - Land Use Policy

JF - Land Use Policy

SN - 0264-8377

IS - 1

ER -