IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/endesu/v24y2022i5d10.1007_s10668-021-01744-y.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

No-till alley cropping using leguminous trees biomass: a farmer- and eco-friendly sustainable alternative to shifting cultivation in the Amazonian periphery?

Author

Listed:
  • Emanoel G. Moura

    (Agroecology Program, State University of Maranhão)

  • Sacha J. Mooney

    (University of Nottingham)

  • Lorena S. Campos

    (Agroecology Program, State University of Maranhão)

  • Keila D. O. Bastos

    (Agroecology Program, State University of Maranhão)

  • Alana C. F. Aguiar

    (Federal University of Maranhão)

  • Sarah Jewitt

    (University of Nottingham, University Park)

Abstract

Agricultural growth is essential for both alleviating poverty and feeding the population of the Brazilian Amazonian periphery, where slash-and-burn agriculture continues to support the livelihoods of between 3.5 and 4 million people. We developed a new integrated-crop-livestock-system named “​no-till in alley cropping using leguminous tree mulch​” in partnership with local communities, to replace shifting cultivation in the region. Although such technologies have proven their agronomic efficiency, they must also meet farmers’ needs. Therefore, this study aimed to capture farmers’ perceptions about how the new technology compares with conventional agricultural systems with a view to identifying barriers to the adoption of the new system. Our results indicated low levels of resistance by farmers to the new integrated-crop-livestock-system although we identified a lack of knowledge about sustainable soil management approaches like no-till systems. From an adoption point of view, this might indicate that farmers found the new technology rather complex compared to slash-and-burn and did not fully understand that it contributed to sustainable soil management. In addition, the cost of deploying the new technology was found to be a critical barrier, mainly because agricultural activity is closely linked to family-based food consumption, rather than quality improvement and value-added for sale. We concluded that there is an opportunity to replace shifting cultivation by sustainable agricultural intensification in the humid tropics. This new approach may help to overcome weaknesses which have prevented farmers from taking advantage of available ecosystem services in regions dominated by shifting cultivation such as the Brazilian Amazonian periphery.

Suggested Citation

  • Emanoel G. Moura & Sacha J. Mooney & Lorena S. Campos & Keila D. O. Bastos & Alana C. F. Aguiar & Sarah Jewitt, 2022. "No-till alley cropping using leguminous trees biomass: a farmer- and eco-friendly sustainable alternative to shifting cultivation in the Amazonian periphery?," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(5), pages 7195-7212, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:endesu:v:24:y:2022:i:5:d:10.1007_s10668-021-01744-y
    DOI: 10.1007/s10668-021-01744-y
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10668-021-01744-y
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10668-021-01744-y?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Weyland, Federico & Mastrangelo, Matías Enrique & Auer, Alejandra Denise & Barral, María Paula & Nahuelhual, Laura & Larrazábal, Alejandra & Parera, Aníbal Francisco & Berrouet Cadavid, Lina María & L, 2019. "Ecosystem services approach in Latin America: From theoretical promises to real applications," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 280-293.
    2. Emanoel Gomes De Moura & Stefanny Barros Portela & Vinicius Ribamar Alencar Macedo & Virley Gardeny Lima Sena & Carlos Cesar Martin Sousa & Alana Das Chagas Ferreira Aguiar, 2018. "Gypsum and Legume Residue as a Strategy to Improve Soil Conditions in Sustainability of Agrosystems of the Humid Tropics," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-12, March.
    3. Mendola, Mariapia, 2007. "Agricultural technology adoption and poverty reduction: A propensity-score matching analysis for rural Bangladesh," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 32(3), pages 372-393, June.
    4. Gustavo Anríquez & Kostas Stamoulis, 2007. "Rural development and poverty reduction: is agriculture still the key?," The Electronic Journal of Agricultural and Development Economics, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, vol. 4(1), pages 5-46.
    5. Pinho, Patricia Fernanda & Patenaude, Genevieve & Ometto, Jean P & Meir, Patrick & Toledo, Peter M & Coelho, Andrea & Young, Carlos Eduardo Frickmann, 2014. "Ecosystem protection and poverty alleviation in the tropics: Perspective from a historical evolution of policy-making in the Brazilian Amazon," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 8(C), pages 97-109.
    6. Bina Agarwal, 1997. "Environmental Action, Gender Equity and Women's Participation," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 28(1), pages 1-44, January.
    7. Emanoel Gomes de Moura & Christoph Gehring & Heder Braun & Altamiro De Souza Lima Ferraz Junior & Fabricio De Oliveira Reis & Alana Das Chagas Ferreira Aguiar, 2016. "Improving Farming Practices for Sustainable Soil Use in the Humid Tropics and Rainforest Ecosystem Health," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(9), pages 1-21, August.
    8. Ben White, 2012. "Agriculture and the Generation Problem: Rural Youth, Employment and the Future of Farming," IDS Bulletin, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 43(6), pages 9-19, November.
    9. Snapp, S. S. & Blackie, M. J. & Donovan, C., 2003. "Realigning research and extension to focus on farmers' constraints and opportunities," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 28(4), pages 349-363, August.
    10. Kariyasa, Ketut & Dewi, Yovita Anggita, 2013. "Analysis Of Factors Affecting Adoption Of Integrated Crop Management Farmer Field School (Icm-Ffs) In Swampy Areas," International Journal of Food and Agricultural Economics (IJFAEC), Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University, Department of Economics and Finance, vol. 1(2), pages 1-10, October.
    11. Talip Kilic & Calogero Carletto & Juna Miluka & Sara Savastano, 2009. "Rural nonfarm income and its impact on agriculture: evidence from Albania," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 40(2), pages 139-160, March.
    12. Lourens Poorter & Frans Bongers & T. Mitchell Aide & Angélica M. Almeyda Zambrano & Patricia Balvanera & Justin M. Becknell & Vanessa Boukili & Pedro H. S. Brancalion & Eben N. Broadbent & Robin L. Ch, 2016. "Biomass resilience of Neotropical secondary forests," Nature, Nature, vol. 530(7589), pages 211-214, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kalibwani, R., 2018. "The Relationship between Technical Efficiency In Food Crop Production And Household Wealth In Uganda: Evidence From Maize Farming Households between 2005- 2010," 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia 275889, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    2. Wanjala, Bernadette M. & Muradian, Roldan, 2013. "Can Big Push Interventions Take Small-Scale Farmers out of Poverty? Insights from the Sauri Millennium Village in Kenya," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 147-160.
    3. Amarendra Sharma, 2019. "Indira Awas Yojana and Housing Adequacy: An Evaluation using Propensity Score Matching," ASARC Working Papers 2019-05, The Australian National University, Australia South Asia Research Centre.
    4. Zeeshan & Geetilaxmi Mohapatra & Arun Kumar Giri, 2022. "How Farm Household Spends Their Non-farm Incomes in Rural India? Evidence from Longitudinal Data," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 34(4), pages 1967-1996, August.
    5. Fujin Yi & Richard T. Gudaj & Valeria Arefieva & Renata Yanbykh & Svetlana Mishchuk & Tatiana A. Potenko & Jiayi Zhou & Ivan Zuenko, 2020. "Chinese Technology Transfer to Local Farmers in the Russian Far East," American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 79(5), pages 1483-1509, November.
    6. Alexis Zickafoose & Gary Wingenbach & Matt Baker & Edwin Price, 2023. "Developing Youth Agricultural Entrepreneurship in Latin America and the Caribbean," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(22), pages 1-19, November.
    7. Klerkx, Laurens & Leeuwis, Cees, 2008. "Institutionalizing end-user demand steering in agricultural R&D: Farmer levy funding of R&D in The Netherlands," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(3), pages 460-472, April.
    8. Luca Tiberti & Marco Tiberti, 2015. "Rural Policies, Price Change and Poverty in Tanzania: An Agricultural Household Model-Based Assessment," Journal of African Economies, Centre for the Study of African Economies, vol. 24(2), pages 193-229.
    9. Maren Radeny & Elizaphan J. O. Rao & Maurice Juma Ogada & John W. Recha & Dawit Solomon, 2022. "Impacts of climate-smart crop varieties and livestock breeds on the food security of smallholder farmers in Kenya," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 14(6), pages 1511-1535, December.
    10. Edilegnaw, Wale, 2006. "What do Farmers financially lose if they fail to use improved Seeds? Some Econometric Results for Wheat and Implications for Agricultural Extension Policy in Ethiopia," Ethiopian Journal of Economics, Ethiopian Economics Association, vol. 12(2), pages 1-81, November.
    11. Joseph I. Uduji & Elda N. Okolo-Obasi, 2021. "Empowerment of Rural Young People in Informal Farm Entrepreneurship: The Role of Corporate Social Responsibility in Nigeria’s Oil Producing Communities," Working Papers of the African Governance and Development Institute. 21/033, African Governance and Development Institute..
    12. Mulugeta, Tsegaye & Hundie, Bekele, 2012. "Impacts of Adoption of Improved Wheat Technologies on Households' Food Consumption in Southeastern Ethiopia," 2012 Conference, August 18-24, 2012, Foz do Iguacu, Brazil 126766, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    13. Purnamita Dasgupta & Kavitha Srikanth, 2021. "Achieving the climate goal with intergovernmental transfers to the forestry sector: insights from the Indian experience," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 164(3), pages 1-24, February.
    14. Gitonga, Zachary M. & De Groote, Hugo & Kassie, Menale & Tefera, Tadele, 2013. "Impact of metal silos on households’ maize storage, storage losses and food security: An application of a propensity score matching," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 44-55.
    15. Barbara Quimby & Arielle Levine, 2018. "Participation, Power, and Equity: Examining Three Key Social Dimensions of Fisheries Comanagement," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-20, September.
    16. Laura Barasa & Bethuel K. Kinuthia & Abdelkrim Araar & Stephene Maende & Faith Mariera, 2023. "Nonfarm entrepreneurship, crop output, and household welfare in Tanzania: An exploration of transmission channels," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 39(3), pages 762-792, July.
    17. Yuewen Huo & Songlin Ye & Zhou Wu & Fusuo Zhang & Guohua Mi, 2022. "Barriers to the Development of Agricultural Mechanization in the North and Northeast China Plains: A Farmer Survey," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-14, February.
    18. Marina Temudo & Manuel Abrantes, 2015. "The Pen and the Plough: Balanta Young Men in Guinea-Bissau," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 46(3), pages 464-485, May.
    19. Drall, Anviksha & Mandal, Sabuj Kumar, 2021. "Investigating the existence of entry barriers in rural non-farm sector (RNFS) employment in India: A theoretical modelling and an empirical analysis," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    20. Ashok K. Mishra & Anjani Kumar & Pramod K. Joshi & Alwin D'Souza, 2018. "Cooperatives, contract farming, and farm size: The case of tomato producers in Nepal," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 34(4), pages 865-886, October.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:endesu:v:24:y:2022:i:5:d:10.1007_s10668-021-01744-y. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.