IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/ags/ilrirr/182897.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Technology And Policy Impacts On Economic Performance, Nutrient Flows And Soil Erosion At Watershed Level:The Case Of Ginchi In Ethiopia

Author

Listed:
  • Okumu, B N
  • Jabbar, Mohammad A.
  • Colman, D
  • Russel, N
  • Mohamed saleem, M A
  • Pender, J

Abstract

A dynamic bio-economic model is used to examine natural resource use, the resulting nutrient balances and economic outcomes in a poor country under a range of technological and policy intervention scenarios. With limited technological intervention over a twelve year planning period, incomes rise by 50% from a very low base and average per ha nutrient balances stand at –58kgs for nitrogen, -32kgs for phosphorous and –114kgs for potassium. Associated soil losses are 31 tons per ha. With a set of new technologies involving use of new high yielding crop varieties, agro-forestry, animal manure and inorganic fertilizers, construction of a communal drain to reduce water logging and some limited land user rights, results show a tenfold increase in incomes, 20% decline in aggregate erosion levels and an increase in the dependence on livestock for dung manure, oxen draft, milk and ready cash over time. Moreover, a minimum daily calorie intake of 2000 per adult equivalent is met from on-farm outputs and per ha nutrient balances after intervention are as low as –25kgsN, -14kgsP and –68kgsK on the average. There is hence an obvious reduction in nutrient losses despite the higher reliance on the watershed for subsistence food requirements. The bias towards replenishment of nitrogen and phosphorous nutrients at the expense of potassium may, however, not be resolved. Emissions (leaching, gaseous losses, and erosion) could be higher than immissions (atmospheric deposition, nitrogen fixation) in both situations. From a policy perspective, these results imply an increasing need for a more secure land tenure policy than currently prevailing and provision of credit to ensure uptake of the above land management technology packages. They also imply a shift from a general approach to land management to a relatively more site specific approach that emphasizes spatial and inter-temporal variability in input use based on land quality. Such variable rate technology may be an efficient nutrient management strategy as it enables farmers to apply optimal rates of fertilizer for each field and in each period. Moreover, residual nutrient loading is simultaneously reduced. Implementation of such a strategy may be difficult in a developing country situation but an attempt to do so may yield results that are significantly better than at present.

Suggested Citation

  • Okumu, B N & Jabbar, Mohammad A. & Colman, D & Russel, N & Mohamed saleem, M A & Pender, J, 2000. "Technology And Policy Impacts On Economic Performance, Nutrient Flows And Soil Erosion At Watershed Level:The Case Of Ginchi In Ethiopia," Research Reports 182897, International Livestock Research Institute.
  • Handle: RePEc:ags:ilrirr:182897
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.182897
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/182897/files/2000-Ginchi%20sustainability-Ben-GDN.pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.22004/ag.econ.182897?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ehui, S. K. & Kang, B. T. & Spencer, D. S. C., 1990. "Economic analysis of soil erosion effects in alley cropping, no-till and bush fallow systems in South Western Nigeria," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 34(4), pages 349-368.
    2. Okumu, B N & Jabbar, Mohammad A. & Colman, D & Russel, N, 1999. "Bio-Economic Modeling Of Watershed Resources In Ethiopia," Research Reports 182899, International Livestock Research Institute.
    3. Shiferaw, Bekele & Holden, Stein, 1998. "A Farm Household Analysis of Land Use and Soil Conservation Decisions of Smallholder Farmers in the Ethiopian Highlands," 1998 Fourth AFMA Congress, January 26-30, 1998, Stellenbosch, South Africa 187624, African Farm Management Association (AFMA).
    4. A. P. Moxey & B. White & R. A. Sanderson & S. P. Rushton, 1995. "An Approach To Linking An Ecological Vegetation Model To An Agricultural Economic Model," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(3), pages 381-397, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Holden, Stein & Shiferaw, Bekele, 2004. "Land degradation, drought and food security in a less-favoured area in the Ethiopian highlands: a bio-economic model with market imperfections," Agricultural Economics, Blackwell, vol. 30(1), pages 31-49, January.
    2. S. Nedumaran & Beleke Shiferaw & M. Bantilan & K. Palanisami & Suhas Wani, 2014. "Bioeconomic modeling of farm household decisions for ex-ante impact assessment of integrated watershed development programs in semi-arid India," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 16(2), pages 257-286, April.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Okumu, B N & Russel, N & Jabbar, Mohammad A. & Colman, D & Mohamed Saleem, M A & Pender, J, 2004. "Technology, Policy And Population Growth Impacts On Economic Performance,Nutrient Flows And Soil Erosion At Watershed Level: The Case Of Ginchi In Ethiopia," Research Reports 182994, International Livestock Research Institute.
    2. Chandra Babu, Suresh & Hallam, Arne & Rajasekaran, B., 1995. "Dynamic modelling of agroforestry and soil fertility interactions: implications for multi-disciplinary research policy," Agricultural Economics, Blackwell, vol. 13(2), pages 125-135, November.
    3. Topp, C. F. E. & Mitchell, M., 2003. "Forecasting the environmental and socio-economic consequences of changes in the Common Agricultural Policy," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 76(1), pages 227-252, April.
    4. Schilizzi, Steven & Breustedt, Gunnar & Latacz-Lohmann, Uwe, 2011. "Does tendering conservation contracts with performance payments generate additional benefits?," Working Papers 100883, University of Western Australia, School of Agricultural and Resource Economics.
    5. Latacz-Lohmann, U. & Schilizzi, S. & Breustedt, G., 2012. "Auctioning outcome-based conservation contracts," Proceedings “Schriften der Gesellschaft für Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften des Landbaues e.V.”, German Association of Agricultural Economists (GEWISOLA), vol. 47, March.
    6. Latacz-Lohmann, Uwe & Schilizzi, Steven & Breustedt, Gunnar, 2011. "Auctioning Outcome-Based Conservation Contracts," 51st Annual Conference, Halle, Germany, September 28-30, 2011 114523, German Association of Agricultural Economists (GEWISOLA).
    7. Menale Kassie, 2011. "Economic and Environmental Benefits of Forage Legume Intercropping in the Mixed System: A Case Study in West Gojam, Ethiopia," Working Papers 005, Policy Studies Institute.
    8. Subhrendu Pattanayak & D. Evan Mercer, 1998. "Valuing soil conservation benefits of agroforestry: contour hedgerows in the Eastern Visayas, Philippines," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 18(1), pages 31-46, January.
    9. John Mclnerney, 1996. "Old Economics For New Problems ‐Livestock Disease: Presidential Address," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(1‐4), pages 295-314, January.
    10. Evans, Elizabeth M. & Lee, David R. & Boisvert, Richard N., 2002. "Achieving Efficiency And Equity In Irrigation Management: An Optimization Model Of The El Angel Watershed, Carchi, Ecuador," 2002 Annual meeting, July 28-31, Long Beach, CA 19742, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    11. Bob Crabtree & Neil Chalmers & Nicola‐Jo Barron, 1998. "Information for Policy Design: Modelling Participation in a Farm Woodland Incentive Scheme," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 49(3), pages 306-320, September.
    12. Hean, Robyn L. & Cacho, Oscar J. & Signor, Anthony & Mullen, John D., 2000. "The Potential Role of Farm Forestry in the Wheat-Sheep Zone of NSW," 2000 Conference (44th), January 23-25, 2000, Sydney, Australia 123659, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society.
    13. Evans, Elizabeth M. & Lee, David R. & Boisvert, Richard N. & Arce, Blanca & Steenhuis, Tammo S. & Prano, Mauricio & Poats, Susan V., 2003. "Achieving efficiency and equity in irrigation management: an optimization model of the El Angel watershed, Carchi, Ecuador," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 77(1), pages 1-22, July.
    14. Eaton, Derek J.F., 1996. "The Economics of Soil Erosion: A Model of Farm Decision-Making," Discussion Papers 24134, International Institute for Environment and Development, Environmental Economics Programme.
    15. B.N. Okumu & N. Russell & M.A. Jabbar & D. Colman & M A Mohamed Saleem & J. Pender, 2004. "Economic Impacts of Technology, Population Growth And Soil Erosion At Watershed Level: The Case Of the Ginchi in Ethiopia," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 55(3), pages 503-523, November.
    16. Wondwossen Tsegaye & Roberto LaRovere & Germano Mwabu & Girma T. Kassie, 2017. "Adoption and farm-level impact of conservation agriculture in Central Ethiopia," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 19(6), pages 2517-2533, December.
    17. Adesina, Akinwumi A. & Coulibaly, Ousmane N., 1998. "Policy and competitiveness of agroforestry-based technologies for maize production in Cameroon: An application of policy analysis matrix," Agricultural Economics, Blackwell, vol. 19(1-2), pages 1-13, September.
    18. Dent, J. B. & Edwards-Jones, G. & McGregor, M. J., 1995. "Simulation of ecological, social and economic factors in agricultural systems," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 49(4), pages 337-351.
    19. Tre, J.-P. & Lowenberg-Deboer, J., 2005. "Ex-ante economic analysis of alternative mulch-based management systems for sustainable plantain production in Southeastern Nigeria," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 86(1), pages 52-75, October.
    20. Reynolds, Len & Jabbar, Mohammad A., 1994. "The Role of Alley Farming in African Livestock Production," Research Reports 183017, International Livestock Research Institute.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:ags:ilrirr:182897. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: AgEcon Search (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/ilrinke.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.