Institutional Framework of (In)Action Against Land Degradation

Abstract

While econometric and spatial data are increasingly helpful to quantify and locate the extent and costs of land degradation, there is still little understanding of the contextual factors that determine or influence the land users' practices that aggravate or counteract land degradation. In this chapter, we take an institutional economic approach to analyse the persistence of degrading practices, the low adoption of sustainable land management (SLM), or the eventual organisational reaction to land degradation. The chapter reviews four examples of land degradation in different contexts to reveal the multiple driving forces and contextual factors. We then propose a conceptual framework to better understand the incentive structure and factors determining the land users' decision making. A layered analysis of the social phenomena is applied, following Williamson (2000). The chapter shows how actions at different layers can help improve land management. The chapter concludes with practical recommendations for the institutional economic analysis of land degradation.

Organic Fertilizer Adoption, Household Food Access, and Gender-Based Farm Labor Use: Empirical Insights from Northern Ghana

“…Nonetheless, farmers are aware of the conservational values and the good returns on investment in organic fertilizers, and as a result many are motivated to increase its use (Nkonya et al, 2015;Powell and Williams, 1995). As soil and weather conditions change, the farmers must continue to adapt their traditional practices to prevailing agroecological conditions in order to sustain the quantities of organic matter they require for use (Fairhurst, 2012;Tittonell and Giller, 2013).…”

“…Food insecurity will persist in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) unless the decline in agricultural productivity, caused mainly by soil degradation, is halted and the trend reversed (AfDB, 2006;Nkonya et al, 2015). Soil erosion and related factors, including nutrient mining, loss of organic matter, and declining biodiversity, are responsible for increasing crop productivity gaps in the region (FAO, 2015;Kassie et al, 2013;Martey, 2018).…”

“…Soil erosion and related factors, including nutrient mining, loss of organic matter, and declining biodiversity, are responsible for increasing crop productivity gaps in the region (FAO, 2015;Kassie et al, 2013;Martey, 2018). Erosion has affected more than 22% of the arable lands of many countries, particularly in West Africa, jeopardizing the livelihoods of over 65% of national populations depending on agriculture (FAO, 2015;Nkonya et al, 2015). Meanwhile, the farm household population in the region is rapidly growing, thus exerting more pressure on the lands (FAO, 2015).…”

Farmers’ Perception of Soil Erosion and Degradation and Their Effects on Rural Livelihoods in KwaMaye Community, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

“…Land degradation, which includes various aspects of soil erosion; physical, chemical or biological deterioration; or loss of natural vegetation, affects approximately 30% of total landmass globally (Nkonya et al, 2016). In Africa, 27% of the total landmass is degraded.…”

“…This is against the backdrop of no documented evidence of any intervention put in place to assist farmers in tackling any form of land degradation in KwaMaye. The fact that interventions aimed at alleviating environmental threats to rural farmers’ livelihoods may not be published on a government’s website does not imply that they have not provided assistance in addressing such issues (Nkonya et al, 2016).…”