Agricultural intensification: The status in six African countries

Binswanger, Hans P.; Savastano, Sara

doi:10.1016/j.foodpol.2016.09.021

Cited by 115 publications

(68 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…Our results also suggest that future research into reservoirs of resistance, including water, crops, soil, food, and other features of the physical environment where gastrointestinal bacteria and their genes are deposited and persist, would be fruitful (36). Similarly, our results suggest that local economic factors may influence patterns of resistance, and this too merits further study, especially as agriculture in Uganda and other African countries intensifies (37). To the extent that our findings can be generalized, they illustrate the environmental ubiquity of resistant bacteria and their genes in the developing world, including how ecological and socioeconomic conditions might influence spread and persistence.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 55%

Antibiotic-Resistant Escherichia coli and Class 1 Integrons in Humans, Domestic Animals, and Wild Primates in Rural Uganda

Weiss

Wallace

Rwego

et al. 2018

Appl Environ Microbiol

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Antibiotic resistance is a global concern, although it has been studied most extensively in developed countries. We studied and class 1 integrons in western Uganda by analyzing 1,685 isolates from people, domestic animals, and wild nonhuman primates near two national parks. Overall, 499 isolates (29.6%) were resistant to at least one of 11 antibiotics tested. The frequency of resistance reached 20.3% of isolates for trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole but was nearly zero for the less commonly available antibiotics ciprofloxacin (0.4%), gentamicin (0.2%), and ceftiofur (0.1%). The frequency of resistance was 57.4% in isolates from people, 19.5% in isolates from domestic animals, and 16.3% in isolates from wild nonhuman primates. Isolates of livestock and primate origin displayed multidrug resistance patterns identical to those of human-origin isolates. The percentage of resistant isolates in people was higher near Kibale National Park (64.3%) than near Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (34.6%), perhaps reflecting local socioeconomic or ecological conditions. Across antibiotics, resistance correlated negatively with the local price of the antibiotic, with the most expensive antibiotics (nalidixic acid and ciprofloxacin) showing near-zero resistance. Among phenotypically resistant isolates, 33.2% harbored class 1 integrons containing 11 common resistance genes arranged into nine distinct gene cassettes, five of which were present in isolates from multiple host species. Overall, these results show that phenotypic resistance and class 1 integrons are distributed broadly among isolates from different host species in this region, where local socioeconomic and ecological conditions may facilitate widespread diffusion of bacteria or resistance-conferring genetic elements. Antibiotic resistance is a global problem. This study, conducted in rural western Uganda, describes antibiotic resistance patterns in bacteria near two forested national parks. Resistance was present not only in people, but also in their livestock and in nearby wild nonhuman primates. Multidrug resistance and class 1 integrons containing genes that confer resistance were common and were similar in people and animals. The percentage of resistant isolates decreased with increasing local price of the antibiotic. Antibiotic resistance in this setting likely reflects environmental diffusion of bacteria or their genes, perhaps facilitated by local ecological and socioeconomic conditions.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 55%

Antibiotic-Resistant Escherichia coli and Class 1 Integrons in Humans, Domestic Animals, and Wild Primates in Rural Uganda

Weiss

Wallace

Rwego

et al. 2018

Appl Environ Microbiol

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“…While population growth can promote more 'intensive' sustainable agricultural practices through technological and organisational innovation [13][14][15] there are many circumstances where fragile land in combination with weak 'institutions' (e.g. local governance) and historically-inappropriate management policies have led to severe damage to soil resources following population growth [16,17]. This is further compounded by socio-cultural lock-ins [18] where decision-making is constrained within often narrow bands of what is perceived as possible.…”

Section: Soil Erosion and Socio-ecological Resiliencementioning

confidence: 99%

Soil erosion in East Africa: an interdisciplinary approach to realising pastoral land management change

Blake

Rabinovich

Wynants

et al. 2018

Environ. Res. Lett.

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Implementation of socially acceptable and environmentally desirable solutions to soil erosion challenges is often limited by (1) fundamental gaps between the evidence bases of different disciplines and (2) an implementation gap between science-based recommendations, policy makers and practitioners. We present an integrated, interdisciplinary approach to support co-design of land management policy tailored to the needs of specific communities and places in degraded pastoral land in the East African Rift System. In a northern Tanzanian case study site, hydrological and sedimentary evidence shows that, over the past two decades, severe drought and increased livestock have reduced grass cover, leading to surface crusting, loss of soil aggregate stability, and lower infiltration capacity. Infiltration excess overland flow has driven (a) sheet wash erosion, (b) incision along convergence pathways and livestock tracks, and (c) gully development, leading to increased hydrological connectivity. Stakeholder interviews in associated sedenterising Maasai communities identified significant barriers to adoption of soil conservation measures, despite local awareness of problems. Barriers were rooted in specific pathways of vulnerability, such as a strong cattle-based cultural identity, weak governance structures, and a lack of resources and motivation for community action to protect shared land. At the same time, opportunities for overcoming such barriers exist, through openness to change and appetite for education and participatory decision-making. Guided by specialist knowledge from natural and social sciences, we used a participatory approach that enabled practitioners to start co-designing potential solutions, increasing their sense of efficacy and willingness to change practice. This approach, tested in East Africa, provides a valuable conceptual model around which other soil erosion challenges in the Global South might be addressed.

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“…Developing C markets that include sequestration in soils has the potential to help offset these costs (Pautsch et al, 2001), but implementation has proven to be difficult and inefficient (Antle and Diagana, 2003;Simone et al, 2017). Public policy to facilitate a transition toward increased cropping intensity/diversity specifically appears to be more realistic, but implementation began only recently worldwide ( Joshi et al, 2004;Alauddin and Quiggin, 2008;Binswanger-Mkhize and Savastano, 2017). Global trends suggest that dryland producers .…”

Section: Policy Considerations To Increase Soil Organic Matter In Drymentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate Change Impacts on Yields and Soil Carbon in Row Crop Dryland Agriculture

Robertson

Zhang²,

Sherrod

et al. 2018

J of Env Quality

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Dryland agroecosystems could be a sizable sink for atmospheric carbon (C) due to their spatial extent and level of degradation, providing climate change mitigation. We examined productivity and soil C dynamics under two climate change scenarios (moderate warming, representative concentration pathway [RCP] 4.5; and high warming, RCP 8.5), using long-term experimental data and the DayCent process-based model for three sites with varying climates and soil conditions in the US High Plains. Each site included a no-till cropping intensity gradient introduced in 1985, with treatments ranging from wheat-fallow (Triticum aestivum L.) to continuous annual cropping and perennial grass. Simulations were extended to 2100 using data from 16 global circulation models to estimate uncertainty. Simulated yields declined for all crops (up to 50% for wheat), with small changes after 2050 under RCP 4.5 and continued losses to 2100 under RCP 8.5. Of the cropped systems, continuous cropping had the highest average productivity and soil C sequestration rates (78

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Agricultural intensification: The status in six African countries

Cited by 115 publications

References 11 publications

Antibiotic-Resistant Escherichia coli and Class 1 Integrons in Humans, Domestic Animals, and Wild Primates in Rural Uganda

Antibiotic-Resistant Escherichia coli and Class 1 Integrons in Humans, Domestic Animals, and Wild Primates in Rural Uganda

Soil erosion in East Africa: an interdisciplinary approach to realising pastoral land management change

Climate Change Impacts on Yields and Soil Carbon in Row Crop Dryland Agriculture

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