LEC Land use AGF PDF

Course Title: AGF 352 AGROFORESTRY MODULE 4: LAND-USE ANALYSIS & AGROFORESTRY DIAGNOSIS AND DESIGN ❖Several methodologies have been developed for evaluation and analysis of land use systems. ✓Agricultural Census (AC) ✓ Land Evaluation (LE) ✓Farming Systems Research and Ex...

Course Title: AGF 352 AGROFORESTRY MODULE 4: LAND-USE ANALYSIS & AGROFORESTRY DIAGNOSIS AND DESIGN ❖Several methodologies have been developed for evaluation and analysis of land use systems. ✓Agricultural Census (AC) ✓ Land Evaluation (LE) ✓Farming Systems Research and Extension (FSR/E) ✓Farming Systems Analysis ✓Agro ecosystem analysis ✓Rapid Rural Appraisal (RRA) ✓Land Use System Analysis ✓Agroforestry Diagnosis and Design Methodology ❖The most significant among these, which were already in place before D & D was developed  Current methods that can be used (partly) for Land Use Planning (van Duivenbiiden, 1995) Method Description Agricultural Census Collecting, processing and analyzing data from a large number of agricultural holdings to prepare plans (AC) and formulate policies (FAO 1986) Land Evaluation (LE) The assessment of the suitability and potential of land for a specified use, in terms of sustainability, production, and the inputs needed to assure that production and economic return. Farming Systems Research on experimental methods to test adapted technologies relevant to the socio-economic Research and circumstances of small farmers. (Origins – Agric revolution) Extension (FSR/E) Farming Systems Finding insights into the improvements that are possible and necessary in farming systems Analysis Agro ecosystem Assessment of the interactions between people and natural resources often at the community level analysis Aims at analyzing agricultural systems in order to plan and prioritize research and development activities in the fields of agriculture and natural Resource management. It uses a holistic or systems approach to gather bio-physical and socio-economic information and, within the ecosystem, to identify key issues or problems that will be useful for rural development, extension and research programmes. Rapid Rural Appraisal A systematic activity carried out in the field designed to acquire quickly new information and new (RRA) hypotheses about possible interventions in the rural environment (Fresco et al., 1990). Land Use System Aims to cover the successful management of resources to satisfy changing human needs without Analysis degrading the environment or the natural resource base, and to give quantified and clear alternative land use development options on different scales (van Duivenbooden, 1995). Agroforestry D & D is a methodology that has been developed specifically for agroforestry applications, with Diagnosis and emphasis on a comprehensive diagnosis of the problems, followed by design and Design Methodology implementation of appropriate AGF interventions to solve the diagnosed problems. ❖In broad terms, each of these is quite consistent with one another and attempts to accomplish similar tasks; but each was developed for specific objectives and conditions. ❖Basically, they all involve the analysis of agricultural and/ or land use systems in order to plan and prioritize research and development activities in the fields of agriculture and natural resource management. ❖the FSR/E program was developed in response to the failures or inadequacies of the traditional transfer-of-technology extension methods that were initiated to disseminate the researcher-driven green revolution technologies to resource poor, small-scale farmers. ❖FSR/E was designed to be interdisciplinary and holistic (i.e., encompassing the whole farm), as well as demanding farmer involvement from the outset ❖The D & D arose, "out of the demands of the agroforestry situation; it gives a special focus on agroforestry-related constraints and opportunities within existing land-use systems, and highlights agroforestry potentials that might be overlooked by other methodologies. For example, for most FSR/E practitioners, the trees within the farming system tend to be "invisible" ❖D & D is based on the philosophy that knowledge of the existing situation (i.e. diagnosis) is essential to plan and evaluate (i.e. design) meaningful and effective programs in agroforestry research for development. ❖It borrows from other methodologies used by research or development agencies, such as baseline surveys, feasibility studies, rapid rural appraisals, etc. What are the Basic procedures of the Diagnosis and Design (D & D) methodology ? D&D Stages Basic questions to answer Key factors to consider Mode of inquiry Prediagnostic Definition of the land use Distinctive combinations of Seeing and comparing the system and site selection resources, technology and land different land use systems (which system to focus on?) user objectives How does the system work? Production objectives and Analysing and describing (how is it organized, how strategies, arrangement of the system does it function to achieve its components objectives?) Diagnostic How well does the system Problems in meeting system Diagnostic interviews and work? (what are its problems, objectives (production shortfalls, direct field observation limiting constraints, problem - sustainability problems) generating syndromes & *Causal factors, constraints and intervention points?) intervention points Design & How to improve the system? Specifications for problem solving Iterative design and evaluation (what is needed to improve or performance enhancing evaluation of alternatives system performance) interventions Planning What to do to develop and Research and development needs, Research design, project disseminate the improved extension needs planning system? Implementation How to adjust to new Feedback from on-station research, Rediagnosis and redesign in information? on-farm trials and special studies the light of new information ✓D & D is based on the premise that, by incorporating farmers into research and extension activities, subsequent recommendations and interventions will be more readily adopted. NB: ❖ During the prediagnostic and diagnostic stages, a multidisciplinary team of researchers interacts with farmers and other land users either individually or in groups. ❖ These group exercises are used to characterize current agroforestry practices, identify economic, agronomic, social, and other forms of constraints to production, and discuss alternate production and management strategies. ❖ These activities are needed to identify or elicit farmer perceptions of land- use constraints. Special efforts are also made to involve women in the diagnostic interviews; by doing so, problems such as fuelwood shortages, which men may be unaware of or not concerned about, receive deserving attention. ❖ Farmer interviews are also useful in initiating linkages and developing trust between farmers and researchers, which is necessary for future program development.  Levels of the D & D 1. Macro D & D: This is a large-scale analysis of an eco- zone within a country or a group of countries. Macro D&D is important for deciding on national agroforestry research-and extension agenda at-the national level. 2. Micro D & D: Micro D & D in contrast, focuses on one land-use system (LUS) within the larger eco-zone that has special priority for agroforestry intervention. Micro D&D involves a detailed analysis of households and production systems in the LUS. It leads to guidelines for research that will address the constraints of the prioritized LUS.