The role of indigenous soil knowledge in agricultural development

Excerpt

DECADES of attempting to promote agricultural development in countries in which the majority of farmers are rural small-holders have produced few results at a considerable cost. In many cases, the simple transfer of technology and information to farmers with unique socio-cultural and environmental circumstances has contributed to the degradation of agricultural resources and often to a decline in the economic and social well-being of the intended beneficiaries.

Critical reflection on these efforts by people in many disciplines has revealed the inappropriateness of relying on an agricultural model conceived of solely in the context of the industrialized world. Some insightful conclusions concerning areas of needed improvement include strategies that are genuinely sensitive to the problems faced by poor farmers (4), that invite farmer participation and therefore enhance the capacity of local people to solve their own problems (28), that require resources within the scope of those available, and that are based on a thorough understanding of the local environment and ecology (2). In general, all of these strategies reflect the need for a greater awareness on the part of development planners of the situations they hope to improve.

One might begin by understanding that subsistence production is intimately related to culture. A culture develops in part as a response to the natural environment, and people therefore use the environment in culturally prescribed ways (3, 23). Although it may seem more clear now that greater cultural and ecological sensitivity are necessary for development programs to be successful, realistically incorporating this perspective remains a difficult problem. Understanding the knowledge systems behind traditional peoples' management of natural resources is a worthwhile approach with promising implications for the shortcomings outlined above. More specifically, tapping into indigenous soil knowledge is a useful methodology on both a practical and theoretical level for fostering sustainable agricultural development. …