Purpose: Why do farmers not take better care of their soils? This article aims to give insight into how farmers look at soil quality management. Design/methodology/approach: It analyses diverse land management practices and visions on soils and soil quality of ten agroecological and 14 conventional smallholder farmers in Araponga, Minas Gerais,…

The rural population of semi-arid lands in Kenya face multiple challenges that result from population growth, poor markets, land use and climatic changes. In particular, subsistence oriented farmers face various risks and opportunities in their attempt to secure their livelihoods. This paper presents an analysis on how livelihood assets and…

Examines land tenure alteration in relation to rural development programs in Botswana. Development efforts have had a class differentiated effect, aiding the relatively well-off cattle owners, but ignoring the small crop producers. A rural development strategy that benefits all rural groups must contain measures specifically tailored to each. (DHP)

Community forestry is an approach to forest management that could protect the environment while benefiting the rural poor by restoring local control of natural resources. Three interrelated issues must be addressed: land and resource tenure, development of local organizational and management skills, and adapting technology for sustainable…

Sierra Leone is currently emerging from a brutal civil war that lasted most of the 1990s, and now has the dubious distinction of being ranked among the world's poorest countries. As thousands of displaced people move back to their villages, a large proportion of the predominantly farm-based rural population are growing food crops for the first…

This paper presents the plight of the world's poor, which was discussed at The World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development in July, 1979. Urban bias is attributed to the failure of rural development. More participation of rural people is needed. Progress is being made. Examples of literary programs in Iraq and the Sudan are included.…

A nine-member Study Mission was organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and visited China in 1975 to study Chinese approaches to agricultural and rural development in depth; to analyze the commune experience as an example of integrated rural development; and to try to determine in what ways the Chinese development…

The paper explores how continuously expanding world demand for food, feed, and fuel is generating pressure to restructure agricultural land use. In addition, problems related to transfer of agricultural crop land to energy crops are discussed. The technology of energy crops has developed to the point where large-scale commercial production of…

Education is a wider learning process than actual schooling which may be too long and indirect to generate needed improvements. Creating a group of formally trained people is not sufficient to overcome the inertia of organizational structures which have inherent survival ability. Education is seen as a way to enter other types of occupations and…

Articles collected in this issue of UNICEF News deal with different aspects of the theme of the child and its environment. Specifically, topics covered include (1) awareness of the kind of world our children will inherit; (2) the survival of an urban child; (3) the survival of a Sahelian rural child as a working member of his farming community;…

Many developing nations are engaged in efforts to transform the traditional agricultural sectors of their economies into modern forms that are more closely linked to the national economy and the export market. Almost universally, the traditional rights to land of the indigenous populations are ignored. The 12 essays in this book examine the…

This document, which contains the discussion papers and the conclusions of The Kericho Conference held in September, 1966, focuses on rural problems in Kenya, including the related issues of education and employment. Papers dealing with general issues are: "Education, Employment, and Rural Development: The Problem in East Africa";…

Faced with the need to build new social and economic institutions following the 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, Alaska Natives formed 12 regional non-profit making corporations. One of these, Northwest Arctic Inupiat (NANA), is bringing a human resources development approach to the area in an effort to develop enduring economic and…

This manual, primarily designed to help Peace Corps volunteers develop and strengthen their agricultural skills, deals with traditional field crops. The focus of the manual is on surveying and interpreting local agricultural environment and individual farm units, developing agricultural extension techniques and practices, and providing basic…

Written in French, this manual, which deals with traditional field crops, is primarily designed to help Peace Corps volunteers develop and strengthen their agricultural skills. The focus of the manual is on surveying and interpreting local agricultural environment and individual farm units, developing agricultural extension techniques and…