The Social Construction of Land Degradation among Farmers in Rural Kano, Nigeria: Implications for Development Policy
Keywords:
Land Degradation, Social Construction, Rainfall, Vegetation, Soil Fertility, Kano
Abstract
Land degradation is one of the main drivers of natural resource degradation, and can lead to loss of agricultural livelihoods, and food insecurity. This paper analyses smallholder farmers’ experience of land degradation in rural areas of Kano Nigeria, using a social constructivist perspective. The study used semi structured interviews with 44 farmers and 6 focus group discussions to examine these perceptions. The findings show that farmers’ main conception of land degradation is a loss in soil fertility, a decline in productivity and crop yield, and in some cases, a change in vegetation. The study finds that farmers’ conceptualization of land degradation is contextual and shaped by a variety of factors, including social and physical factors. The three most important drivers that shape farmers’ construction of changes in land are their socioeconomic conditions, the Islamic belief about rainfall and climate, and the local ecology and context. Given the recognition of land degradation as a driver of rural poverty, and the importance of smallholder farmers to food security in Africa, farmers’ experience of land degradation need to be taken into account in the design of policies to redress, and restore degraded land.
References
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Mortimore, M., & Harris, F., 2005. Do small farmers’ achievements contradict the nutrient depletion scenarios for Africa? Land Use Policy, 22, 43-56.
Odendo, M., Obare, G., & Salasya, B. (2010). Farmers' perceptions and knowledge of soil fertility degradation in two contrasting sites in western Kenya. Land Degradation & Development, 21(6), 557-564.
Paudel, B., Zhang, Y., Yan, J., Rai, R., & Li, L. (2019). Farmers' perceptions of agricultural land use changes in Nepal and their major drivers. Journal of environmental management, 235, 432-441.
Sánchez, P.A. (2010). Tripling crop yields in tropical Africa. Nature Geoscience, 3(5), 299-300.
Scoones, I. (2010). Dynamics and diversity: soil fertility and farming livelihoods in Africa. Routledge.
Serdeczny, O., Adams, S., Baarsch, F., Coumou, D., Robinson, A., Hare, W., ... & Reinhardt, J. (2017). Climate change impacts in Sub-Saharan Africa: from physical changes to their social repercussions. Regional Environmental Change, 17(6), 1585-1600.
Slegers, M. F. (2008). If only it would rain: Farmers’ perceptions of rainfall and drought in semi-arid central Tanzania. Journal of Arid Environments, 72(11), 2106-2123.
Stocking, M. A., & Murnaghan, N. (2013). A handbook for the field assessment of land degradation. Routledge.
Touré, I., Larjavaara, M., Savadogo, P., Bayala, J., Yirdaw, E., & Diakite, A. (2020). Land degradation along a climatic gradient in Mali: Farmers' perceptions of causes and impacts. Land Degradation & Development, 31(18), 2804-2818.
Usman, S., Morton, J., Koko, I. S., Aminu, A., Makai, A. A., & Adamu, A. (2013). Climate Change & Soil Degradation Impact: Farmers viewpoint in Kebbi State Nigeria. International Journal of Current Research and Review, 5(5), 63.
Usman, M., & Nichol, J.E. (2018). Remarkable increase in tree density and fuelwood production in the croplands of northern Nigeria. Land use policy, 78, 410-419.
Vanlauwe, B. & Giller, K. E. (2006). Popular myths around soil fertility management in sub-Saharan Africa. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 116, 34-46.
Warren, A. (2002). Land degradation is contextual. Land Degradation & Development, 13(6), 449-459.
Yageta, Y., Osbahr, H., Morimoto, Y., & Clark, J. (2019). Comparing farmers' qualitative evaluation of soil fertility with quantitative soil fertility indicators in Kitui County, Kenya. Geoderma, 344, 153-163.
Adimassu, Z., Kessler, A., & Stroosnijder, L. (2014). Farmers׳ strategies to perceived trends of rainfall and crop productivity in the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia. Environmental Development, 11, 123-140.
Akinnagbe, O. M., & Umukoro, E. (2011). Farmers’ perception of the effects of land degradation on agricultural activities in Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria. Agriculturae Conspectus Scientificus, 76(2), 135-141.
Bado, V. B., & Bationo, A. (2018). Integrated management of soil fertility and land resources in Sub-Saharan Africa: involving local communities. Advances in Agronomy, 150, 1-33.
Behnke, R., & Mortimore, M. (2016). Introduction: The End of Desertification? In: R., Behnke, & M., Mortimore (eds.) The end of desertification? Springer Earth System Sciences. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg.
Burningham, K., & Cooper, G. (1999). Being constructive: Social constructionism and the environment. Sociology, 33(2), 296-316.
Burr, V., & Dick, P. (2017). Social constructionism. In: The Palgrave Handbook of Critical Social Psychology. Palgrave Macmillan, London, UK. ISBN 9781137510174
Crossland, M., Winowiecki, L. A., Pagella, T., Hadgu, K., & Sinclair, F. (2018). Implications of variation in local perception of degradation and restoration processes for implementing land degradation neutrality. Environmental development, 28, 42-54.
Chappell, M.J., & LaValle, L.A. (2011). Food security and biodiversity: Can we have both? An agroecological analysis. Agriculture and Human Values, 28, 3-26.
Food & Agricultural Organisation (2016). The State of Food & Agriculture. Climate Change, Agriculture & Food Security. Food & Agricultural Organisation (FAO) Rome, 2016.
Galbin, A. (2014). An introduction to social constructionism. Social research reports, 6(26), 82-92.
Golo, B. W. K., & Yaro, J. A. (2013). Reclaiming stewardship in Ghana: religion and climate change. Nature and Culture, 8(3), 282-300.
Gray, L.C., & Morant, P. (2003). Reconciling indigenous knowledge with scientific assessment of soil fertility changes in southwestern Burkina Faso. Geoderma, 111, 425-437.
Harris, F., & Yusuf, M.A. (2001). Manure management by smallholder farmers in the Kano close-settled zone, Nigeria. Experimental Agriculture, 37(3), 319-332.
Haq, Z. A., Imran, M., Ahmad, S., & Farooq, U. (2020). Environment, Islam, and women: A study of eco-feminist environmental activism in Pakistan. Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education, 23(3), 275-291.
Herrmann, S., Diouf, A.A., & Sall, I. (2020). Beyond bioproductivity: Engaging local perspectives in land degradation monitoring and assessment. Journal of Arid Environments, 173, 104002.
Hoffmann, I., Gerling, D., Kyiogwom, U.B., & Mané-Bielfeldt, A. (2001). Farmers’ management strategies to maintain soil fertility in a remote area in northwest Nigeria. Agriculture, Ecosystems; Environment, 86, 263-275.
Ibrahim, Y.Z., Balzter, H., Kaduk, J., & Tucker, C.J. (2015). Land degradation assessment using residual trend analysis of GIMMS NDVI3g, soil moisture and rainfall in Sub-Saharan West Africa from 1982 to 2012. Remote Sensing, 7(5), 5471-5494.
Ilah, S. K., & Nuhu, Z. (2018). Sustainable indigenous land management practices among farmers: Perspectives from Wudil local government area, Kano State Nigeria. Resource constraints, conflicts & changing climate in the drylands: options for attaining SDGs, 52.
Jones, S. (2002). Social constructionism and the environment: through the quagmire. Global Environmental Change, 12(4), 247-251.
Kiage, L. M. (2013). Perspectives on the assumed causes of land degradation in the rangelands of Sub-Saharan Africa. Progress in Physical Geography, 37(5), 664-684.
Macaulay, B.M. (2014). Land degradation in northern Nigeria: The impacts and implications of human-related and climatic factors. African Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 8(5), 267-273.
Maconachie, R.A., & Binns, T. (2006). Sustainability under threat? The dynamics of environmental change and food production in peri‐urban Kano, northern Nigeria. Land degradation & development, 17(2), 159-171.
Maconachie, R. (2012). Reconciling the mismatch: evaluating competing knowledge claims over soil fertility in Kano, Nigeria. Journal of Cleaner Production, 31, 62-72.
Maconachie, R. (2016). Urban growth and land degradation in developing cities: change and challenges in Kano Nigeria. Routledge.
Mohammed, M. U., Abdulhamid, A., Badamasi, M., & Ahmed, M. (2015). Rainfall dynamics and climate change in Kano, Nigeria. J. Sci. Res. Rep, 7(5), 386-395.
Mortimore, M.A., & Adams, W.M. (1999). Working the Sahel: Environment and society in northern Nigeria, London; Routledge.
Mortimore, M., & Tiffen, M. (2004). Introducing Research into Policy: Lessons from District Studies of Dryland Development in Sub‐Saharan Africa. Development Policy Review, 22(3), 259-285.
Mortimore, M., & Harris, F., 2005. Do small farmers’ achievements contradict the nutrient depletion scenarios for Africa? Land Use Policy, 22, 43-56.
Odendo, M., Obare, G., & Salasya, B. (2010). Farmers' perceptions and knowledge of soil fertility degradation in two contrasting sites in western Kenya. Land Degradation & Development, 21(6), 557-564.
Paudel, B., Zhang, Y., Yan, J., Rai, R., & Li, L. (2019). Farmers' perceptions of agricultural land use changes in Nepal and their major drivers. Journal of environmental management, 235, 432-441.
Sánchez, P.A. (2010). Tripling crop yields in tropical Africa. Nature Geoscience, 3(5), 299-300.
Scoones, I. (2010). Dynamics and diversity: soil fertility and farming livelihoods in Africa. Routledge.
Serdeczny, O., Adams, S., Baarsch, F., Coumou, D., Robinson, A., Hare, W., ... & Reinhardt, J. (2017). Climate change impacts in Sub-Saharan Africa: from physical changes to their social repercussions. Regional Environmental Change, 17(6), 1585-1600.
Slegers, M. F. (2008). If only it would rain: Farmers’ perceptions of rainfall and drought in semi-arid central Tanzania. Journal of Arid Environments, 72(11), 2106-2123.
Stocking, M. A., & Murnaghan, N. (2013). A handbook for the field assessment of land degradation. Routledge.
Touré, I., Larjavaara, M., Savadogo, P., Bayala, J., Yirdaw, E., & Diakite, A. (2020). Land degradation along a climatic gradient in Mali: Farmers' perceptions of causes and impacts. Land Degradation & Development, 31(18), 2804-2818.
Usman, S., Morton, J., Koko, I. S., Aminu, A., Makai, A. A., & Adamu, A. (2013). Climate Change & Soil Degradation Impact: Farmers viewpoint in Kebbi State Nigeria. International Journal of Current Research and Review, 5(5), 63.
Usman, M., & Nichol, J.E. (2018). Remarkable increase in tree density and fuelwood production in the croplands of northern Nigeria. Land use policy, 78, 410-419.
Vanlauwe, B. & Giller, K. E. (2006). Popular myths around soil fertility management in sub-Saharan Africa. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 116, 34-46.
Warren, A. (2002). Land degradation is contextual. Land Degradation & Development, 13(6), 449-459.
Yageta, Y., Osbahr, H., Morimoto, Y., & Clark, J. (2019). Comparing farmers' qualitative evaluation of soil fertility with quantitative soil fertility indicators in Kitui County, Kenya. Geoderma, 344, 153-163.
Published
2023-05-29
Section
Articles
