Abstract
The world's tropical rain forests are being cleared at an ever-increasing and alarming rate. If their destruction continues, such forests will virtually disappear over the next half century, with grave consequences to mankind.
The major exploirers of the humid tropical forests are timber companies, also crop and livestock farmers. Arguably, the greatest threat come from the many millions of small-scale farmers. If sizeable ‘islands’ of original rain forest are to be preserved for scientific study and balanced ecological utilization, the rising demands for timber, subsistencee crop and grazing land will need to be satisfied in ways other those currently practised.
An overall goal is the integrated development of resources within areas of secondary tropical forest and savanna woodland. If small farmers are to be encouragedto remainin such areas, successful techniques need to be devised to ensure virtually continuous cropping. The strategy of utilizing fast-growing suitable trees as nutrient ‘pumps’ and for branch mulching is described. The use of appropriate minitaturized equipment and zero tillage is also advocated.
It is not intended that these and other measures should provide a permanent blueprint for more intensive small-scale farming in the humid tropics. The penetration of more sophisticated systems subsumed under the “Green Revolution” should continue. It may be Discovered ultimately that an amalgam of traditional and new practices will best achieve the objective of raising the rural poor of the Third World above the meageress and meanness of their present predicament.
Similar content being viewed by others
Select References
Journal Sources
Daniel, J.G. and Kilasingam, A.: Problems Arising from Large-Scale Forest Clearing for Agricultural use. The Malayasian Experience. Planter (Malayasia), 51, 591, 250–257 (1975)
Gentry, A.H. and Lopez-Parodi, J.: Deforestation and Increased Flooding of the Upper Amazon. Science, 210, 1354–1356 (1980)
Gigot, P.: The Fall of the Forests. Far Eastern EconomicReview. 106, 48, 52–63 (1979)
Gordon, J.: Mechanisation and the Small Farmers: the need for a Broader Approach to the Problems in West Africa. World Crops,23, 5, 250–251 (1971)
Greenland, D.J.: Bringing the Green Revolution to the Shifting Cultivators. Science, 190. 841–844 (1975)
Harcombe, P.A.: The Influence of Fertilization on Some Aspects of Succession in a Humid Tropical Forest. Ecology, 58, 1375–1383 (1977)
Hunter, G.: Helping the Small Farmer. The Crown Agents Quarterly Review, 14–18 (1979)
Lal, R. and Cummings, D.: Clearing a Tropical Forest. I: Effects on Soil and Micro-Climate. Field Crops Research, 2, 4–13 (1979)
Marinelli, J.: Eco-crime on the Equator. Environmental Action, 11, 4–13 (1980)
Meijer, W.: A New Look at the Plight of tropical Reinforests. Environment Conservation, 7, 3, 203–206 (1980)
Okali, D.U.: The Nigerian Rainforests Project — an overview. Nature and Resources, XV, 4, 31–33 (1979)
Parsons, J.: Forest to Pasture: Development or Destruction. Review Biol. Trop, 24, 121–138 (1976)
Rake, A.: Collapse of African Agriculture, African Development, 17–19 (1975)
Richards, P.W.: The tropical Rain-forest. Scientific American, 229, 6, 225–238 (1977)
Saint, W.S., and Coward, E.W.: Agriculture and Behavioral Science: Emerging Orientations.Science 733–737 (1977)
Sinha, R. (ed.): The World Food Problem: Consesus and Conflict. World Development, 5, 5–7 (1977)
Webb, B.: Objective Planning of Land Clearing for Mechanized Agricultural Development. Planter (Malayasia). 51, 591, 231–249 (1975)
II Books
Allan, W.: The African Husbandman. Oliver Boyd, Edinburgh 1965.
Anon: Potentials and Limitations of No-Till Farming. Research Highlights for 1980, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture pp. 4–9, Ibadan 1981.
Anon: Proceedings of the U.S. Strategy Conference on Tropical Deforestation. Office of Environmental Affairs, Departments of State, Washington, DC 1978.
Auchter, R. (ed.): Proceedings of Conference in Improved Utilization of Tropical Forests. U.S. Department of Agriculture Madison, Wisconsin 1978.
Barlett, H.H.: Fire, Primitive Agriculture, and Grazing in the Tropics. In: Thomas, W.L. ed. Man's Role in Changing the Face of the Earth. University of Chicago Press, 1956.
Boserup, E.: The Conditions of Agricultural Growth. The economics of agragrian change under population pressure. 1965.
Boyd, J. and Ayok, E.A.: Report on Farm Equipment Development Project, Nigeria.Intermediate Technology Pubs. Ltd., London 1974.
Chapman, N.: Agricultural Extension and Small-Holder Farmers in the Nigeria Rainforst: a study in the perception of directed agricultural change. Unpublished Ph. D. thesis, Department of geography, University of London 1980.
Clark, C. and Haswell, M.R.: The Economics of Subsistence Agriculture. London 1964.
Collinson, M.P.: Farm Management in Peasant Agriculture. A. Handbook for Rural Development Planning in Africa. Preager, New York 1972.
Congdon, R.J., (ed.): Introduction to Appropriate Technology. Roedales Press, New York 1977.
De Wild, J.C.: Experiences with Agricultural Development in Tropical Africa. Vols. and II, Hokins Press, Baltimore 1976.
Douglas, S. and Hart, R.: Forest Farming. London 1976.
Dumont, R.: African Agricultural Development. U.N. Economic Commission for Africa, New York 1976.
Eckholm, E.: Losing Ground: Environmental Stress and World Food Prospects. Norton, New York 1970.
Eicher, C.K.: Research on Agricultural Development in Five English-speaking West African Countries. Agric. Dev. Council, Inc., New York 1970.
FAOUN: Forestry for Rural Communities. Rome 1979.
Floyd, B.N.: Eastern Nigeria. A Geographical Review. Macmillan, London 1969, Chapters, 10,11.
Friedmann, J.: A Spatial Framework for Rural Development: problems of organization and implementation. V.C. Ltd. Press, Los Angeles, California 1974.
George, S.: How the Other Half Dies. The Real Reasions for World Hunger. Penguin, London 1976.
Gouropu, P.: The Tropical World. Its Social and Economic Conditions and Its Future Status. Longmans, London 1980.
Harrison, P.: The Third World Tomorrow. Penguin, London 1980.
Helleiner, G.K.: Peasant Agriculture, Government, and Economic Growth in Nigera. R. Irwin. Inc., Homewood, Illinois 1966.
Hopper, W.D.: The Development of Agriculture in Developing Countries. In: Food and Agriculture. A Scientific American Book. San Francisco 1976, pp. 137–144.
Hunter, G. (ed.): Policy and Practice in Rural Development. Croom Helm, London 1976.
Hunter, G. et al. (ed.): Extension, Planning and thePoor. Occasional Papers, Agric. Admin. Unit, Overseas Development Institute, London 1977.
Hunter, G. (ed.): Agricultural Development and the Rural Poor. Declaration and Guidelines. Overseas Development Institute, London 1978.
International Labour Office: Overcoming Rural Underdevelopment. London 1979.
Jéquier, N. (ed.): Appropriate Technology. Problems and Promises. OECD, Paris 1976.
Johnson, E.A.J.: The Organization of Space in Developing Countries. Harvard University Press, Cambridge 1970.
Karmack, A.: The Tropics and Economic Development. A Provocative Inquiry into the Poverty of Nations. John Hopkins Press, Baltimore 1976.
Knight, C.G., Newman, J.L. (eds.): Contemporary Africa. Geography and Change.Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs 1976, Part III, “Rural Change”.
Lagemenn, J.: Traditional African Farming Systems in Eastern Nigeria. An Analysis of reaction to Increasing Populations Pressure Weltforum-Verlag, München 1977>
Lappé, F.M. and Collins, J.: Food First: Beyond the Myth of Scarcity. Houghton Mifflin, New York 1977.
Lele, U.: The Design of Rural Development. Lessons from Africa. Johns Hopkins Press, Baltimore 1975.
Macpherson, W.W. (ed.): Economic Development of Tropical Agriculture. University of Florida Press, Gainesville 1968.
Manshard, W.: Tropical Agruculture. Longman, London 1975.
Merrill, R. (ed.): Radical Agriculture. New York University Press 1976.
Millikan, M.F. and Hapgood, D.: No Easy Harvest. The Dilemma of Agriculture in Underdeveloped Countries. Boston, Mass. 1976.
Morgan, W.B.: Peasant Agriculture in Tropical Africa. In: Thomas, M.F. and Whittington, G.W. (eds.), Environment:and Land use in Africa. Methuen, London 1969.
iMorgan, W.B.: Agriculture in the Third World. A Spatial Analysis. Bell, London 1979.
Mosher, A.T.: Getting Agriculture Moving. Essentials for Development and Modernization. Agricultural Development Council. New York 1976.
Mosher, A.T.: Thinking About Rural Development. Agricultural Development Council, New York 1976.
Myers, N.: Conversion of Tropical Moist Forests. A Report prepared fo for the Committee on Research Priorities in Tropical Biology of the National Research Counil, National Academy of Sciences. Washington, DC 1980.
Myren, D.T. (ed.): Strategies for Increasing Agricultural Production on Small Holdings. Mexico 1970.
Oguntoyinbo, J., Areola, O.O., Filani, M. (eds.): A Geography of Nigerian Development. Heineman, Ibadan 1978.
Olatunbosun, D.: Nigeria's Neglected Rural Majority. Oxford University Press 1975.
Onyengua, V.A.: Agriculture in Nigeria. An Introduction. FAO, Roma 1967.
Ortiz, S.R.: Uncertainties in Peasant Farming. London 1973.
Overseas Development Institute: Stimulating Local Development. Agricultural Development Unit. London 1976.
Paulsen, C.: Man and Tree in Tropical Africa. International Development Research Centre. Ottawa 1978.
Phillips, J.F.V.: The Development of Agriculture and Forestry in the Tropics. Patterns, Problems and Prospects. Praeger, New York 1961.
Power, J., Holenstein, A.: World of Hunger. A Strategy for Survival. Temple Smith, London 1976.
Rhind, D. and Hudson, R.: Land Use. Methuen, London 1976.
Rhuthenburg, H.: Farming Systems in the Tropics. Oxford University Press 1976.
Schuktz, T.: Transforming Agriculture. Yale University Press, New York 1964.
Schumacher, E.F.: Small is Beautiful. A Study of Economics as if People Mattered. Sphre Books, London 1974.
Smock, D.R. and Smock, A.C.: Cultural and Political Aspects of Rural Transformation. A Case Study of Eastern Nigeria. Praeger, New York 1972.
Streeter, C.P.: Reaching the Developing Wolrd's Small Farmers. New York. 1973.
Uchendu, V.C. et al.: Agricultural Change in Tropical Africa. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, N.Y. 1979.
US Department of Agriculture: Techniques and Plants for the Tropical Subsistence Farm. Science and Education Adminitration. Agricultural Reviews and Manuals, Southern Series No. 8. New Orleans, La. 1980.
Ward, B. and Dubos, R.: Only One Earth. The Care and Maintenance of a Small Planet. Penguin, London 1972.
Weitz, R.: From Peasant to Farmer. A Revolutionary Strategy for Development. Columbia University Press, New York 1972.
World, Bank: The Assault on World Poverty. Problems of Rural Development, Education and Health. Johns Hopkins Press, Baltimore 1975.
World Bank: Agricultural land Settlements. Washington, DC 1978.
Worthman, S. and Cummings, R.: To Feed This World. The Challenge and the Strategy. Johns Hopkins Press, Baltimore 1978.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Floyd, B.N. The rain forest and the farmer. GeoJournal 6, 433–442 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00185346
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00185346