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Determinants of farmers' indigenous soil and water conservation investments in India's semi-arid tropics:

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  • Pender, John L.
  • Kerr, John M.

Abstract

This paper explores the determinants of farmers' investments in indigenous soil and water conservation measures in the semi-arid tropics of India. Many types of indigenous conservation measures are observed in three study villages, including investments in terracing, levelling, gully checks, field boundary bunds, grass strips, drainage, and other measures. A simple theoretical model is used to develop hypotheses about the determinants of such investments in the context of possibly imperfect factor markets, and these hypotheses are tested using data from the three study villages. Across the three study villages, we find that conservation investment is significantly greater on steep plots, on plots of higher quality, on plats that have incomplete conservation structures, and on plots that are owner-operated. The latter finding confirms that land markets have important impacts on investment incentives. We also find strong evidence that credit and labor market imperfections are affecting conservation investments in one of the study villages, where investment is greater among households having more education and debt, a higher percentage of off-farm income, more adult males, fewer adult females, who farm less land, or who are of low caste. We interpret these results as reflecting transaction costs of participation in credit and labor markets, which may be high relative to the small size of investments in the village where these effects are most notable.

Suggested Citation

  • Pender, John L. & Kerr, John M., 1996. "Determinants of farmers' indigenous soil and water conservation investments in India's semi-arid tropics:," EPTD discussion papers 17, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    • Handle: RePEc:fpr:eptddp:17
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    Cited by:

    1. Pender, John L. & Jagger, Pamela & Nkonya, Ephraim M. & Sserunkuuma, Dick, 2001. "Development pathways and land management in Uganda: causes and implications," EPTD discussion papers 85, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    2. Awulachew, Seleshi Bekele & Erkossa, Teklu & Smakhtin, Vladimir & Fernando, Ashra, 2009. "Improved water and land management in the Ethiopian highlands: its impact on downstream stakeholders dependent on the Blue Nile. Intermediate Results Dissemination Workshop held at the International L," Conference Proceedings h042503, International Water Management Institute.
    3. John L. Pender & John M. Kerr, 1998. "Determinants of farmers' indigenous soil and water conservation investments in semi‐arid India," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 19(1-2), pages 113-125, September.
    4. Pender, John & Ssewanyana, Sarah & Edward, Kato & Nkonya, Ephraim M., 2004. "Linkages between poverty and land management in rural Uganda: evidence from the Uganda National Household Survey, 1999/00," EPTD discussion papers 122, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    5. Awulachew, Seleshi Bekele & Erkossa, Teklu & Smakhtin, Vladimir U. & Fernando, Ashra, 2009. "Improved water and land management in the Ethiopian highlands: its impact on downstream stakeholders dependent on the Blue Nile; Intermediate Results Dissemination Workshop February 5-6, 2009, Addis A," IWMI Conference Proceedings 118388, International Water Management Institute.
    6. Nkonya, Ephraim M. & Pender, John & Kato, Edward & Mugarura, Samuel & Muwonge, James, 2005. "Who knows, who cares?: determinants of enactment, awareness and compliance with community natural resource management," CAPRi working papers 41, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    7. Jagger, Pamela & Pender, John L., 2003. "Impacts of programs and organizations on the adoption of sustainable land management technologies in Uganda," EPTD discussion papers 101, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    8. Kerr, John M., 1996. "Sustainable development of rainfed agriculture in India:," EPTD discussion papers 20, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    9. Alston, Julian M. & Pardey, Philip G. & Smith, Vincent H., 1997. "Financing agricultural research and development in rich countries: what's happening and why," EPTD discussion papers 29, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    10. Savath, Vivien & Fletschner, Diana & Peterman, Amber & Santos, Florence, 2014. "Land, assets, and livelihoods: Gendered analysis of evidence from Odisha State in India:," IFPRI discussion papers 1323, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    11. De Janvry, Alain & Sadoulet, Elisabeth & Murgai, Rinku, 2002. "Rural development and rural policy," Handbook of Agricultural Economics, in: B. L. Gardner & G. C. Rausser (ed.), Handbook of Agricultural Economics, edition 1, volume 2, chapter 31, pages 1593-1658, Elsevier.
    12. Sylvain Perret & Joe Stevens, 2006. "Socio-economic reasons for the low adoption of water conservation technologies by smallholder farmers in southern Africa: a review of the literature," Development Southern Africa, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(4), pages 461-476.
    13. Bhalla, G. S. & Hazell, P. B. R. & Kerr, John M., 1999. "Prospects for India's cereal supply and demand to 2020:," 2020 vision discussion papers 29, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    14. Pender, John L., 1999. "Rural population growth, agricultural change and natural resource management in developing countries: a review of hypotheses and some evidence from Honduras," EPTD discussion papers 48, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    15. Alemayehu, B. & Hagos, Fitsum & Haileslassie, A. & Mapedza, Everisto & Awulachew, Seleshi Bekele & Peden, D. & Tafesse, T., 2009. "Prospect of payments for environmental services in the Blue Nile Basin: examples from Koga and Gumera watersheds, Ethiopia," Conference Papers h042521, International Water Management Institute.

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