Traditional agricultural strategies in the hill lands of tropical america
Traditional farm systems have evolved a complex set of strategies to cope with natural hazards which place agriculture at risk. These strategies rely on reducing the human disruption of hill land environments by such techniques as long fallows, and by utilizing very wide varieties of crop genetic resources adapted to different microenvironments. These strategies succeed by replicating mature plant communities. External subsidies of energy and nutrients are minimized, energy is evenly distributed through out the human population, and net energy yields are positive. Socio-economic stresses have also been met by the evolution of adaptive mechanisms, especially the reliance on local resources, communal land control, and social and economic organization that emphasizes reciprocity. The result of this adaptive process is an agriculture characterized by low productivity, high labor intensity, low energy use, and great crop and animal diversity. The durability of these traditional farm systems over wide areas is evidence of their adaptive success. The late 20th Century, however, is fundamentally different from the environment which generated these systems. Three interrelated changes are identified which call into question the suitability of traditional adaptations: 1) population increase, 2) expansion of roads, markets, and other links to national and international economies, and 3) rising expectations concerning living standards. Traditional farm systems have responded to rising populations by exporting population, by shortening fallow and subdividing parcels, by raising levels of labor intensity, and by applying external subsidies, especially fertilizers and pesticides. New land is rarely available. Although pre-Hispnaic population in parts of the highlands may have equalled or surpassed current levels, it seems doubtful that traditional land use patterns will remain viable under mounting population pressure. This already bears clear responsibility for serious land degradation in the highlands. The expansion of roads and markets are followed by urban demand that pressures traditional farm systems to raise production above local subsistence needs. Most of these systems have succeded in providing adequate nutrition for the local population (Fleuret and Fleuret, n.d., Ferroni, 1980). The commercialization of traditional agriculture depends on higher productivity per unit of land and labor than under subsistence conditions. Higher productivity is customarily achieved by intensifying labor, shortening fallows, applying imported subsidies of energy, nutrients, and pest control, and by using new crops and crop varieties. These methods, however, raise the same problems as increasing population. Increase of farm income as an important objective in the household economies of marginal areas accompanies of marginal areas accompanies population increase and commercialization, providing a means to purchase farm and food supplies. Beyond this, however, income is desired to meet rising expectations of the purchase of services and manufactured goods. Hill land agriculture is disadvantaged for income earning by limited arable space, thin soils, liability of erosion, low tamperatures, and high transportation costs. Moreover, the status of Mesoamerica and the Andes as centers of crop domestication may disadvantage them for profitable production of their most important staples (Jansen, 1979).
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| Format: | biblioteca |
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1983
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| Subjects: | AGRICULTURA TRADICIONAL, AGRICULTURA DE SUBSISTENCIA, SISTEMAS DE CULTIVO, MANEJO DEL SUELO, ENTORNO SOCIOECONOMICO, EXPLOTACION EN PEQUEÑA ESCALA, TERRENO EN DECLIVE, ZONA DE MONTAÑA, AMERICA TROPICAL, |
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