Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Resource Potentials and Limitations of A Nicaraguan Agricultural Region

  • Published:
Environment, Development and Sustainability Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Food production has to be increased in a sustainable way to meet the future global demand. A key position is attributed to developing countries. A deepened understanding of their agricultural regions with specific resource endowments and constraints is therefore crucial. In this study we propose a methodology based on material flux analysis (MFA) to assess the resource potentials and limitations of a Nicaraguan agricultural region. We focus on current regional and farm resource management and explore them under two scenarios. Indicators are nitrogen and the degrees of self-sufficiency (DSS) for energy, and the staples maize and beans. As data is scarce, most information is based on interviews with farmers of four categories and key persons, and on literature.

The results show that nitrogen management does not differ considerably among categories. Nitrogen is mined mostly from staple plots. Self-sufficiency for beans is given in an average year. Yet, landless and small farmers neither produce enough maize for autoconsumption, nor are they self-sufficient for firewood. Energy supply is also the core problem of the region, since the DSS is 70%. Soil nitrogen stocks last at most for three more generations. Analyses with the scenario technique show that: (a) Unlimited population growth has serious consequences in the near future e.g. severe shortage of energy and food. (b) Alternative farming systems are possible, but they require reducing the population by a factor 2, and thus the creation of jobs in a Hinterland.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

a:

year

C:

Celsius

cap:

capita

DSS:

Degree of self-sufficiency as defined in this paper (DSSB = DSS for beans, DSSM = DSS for maize, DSSE = DSS for energy/firewood); e.g. – for instance

ha:

hectare

kg:

kilogram

km:

kilometer

m.a.s.l.:

meters above sea level

MFA:

material flux analysis

mm:

millimeters

N:

nitrogen

References

  • P. Baccini H.P. Bader (1996) Regionaler Stoffhaushalt Spektrum Akademischer Verlag Heidelberg

    Google Scholar 

  • P. Baccini P. Brunner (1991) Metabolism of the Antroposphere Springer Verlag Berlin

    Google Scholar 

  • Baltodano, M.E., Tijerino, D. and Vernooy, R.: 1997, ‘Proceso de identificacio´ n y caracterı´ sticas de la sub-cuenca del rı´ o Calico – San Dionisio, Matagalpa’, in Proyecto CIAT-Laderas Ame´rica Central. Reportes de progreso 1997, Managua, Nicaragua, Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT).

  • C. Binder (1996) The Early Recognition of Environmental Impacts of Human Activities in Developing Countries Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETHZ) Zurich, Switzerland

    Google Scholar 

  • L. Brown (1997) The Agricultural Link: How Environmental Deterioration Could Disrupt Economic Progress Worldwatch Institute Washington, DC, USA

    Google Scholar 

  • Bundesamt für Landwirtschaft: 2001, www.blw.admin.ch/fakten/statistik/d/tabelle_10.pdf [accessed 10.11.02].

  • J. Dixon A. Gulliver D. Gibbon (2001) Farming Systems and Poverty Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Bank Rome, Italy and Washington, DC, USA

    Google Scholar 

  • P. Drechsler L. Gyiele D. Kunze O. Cofie (2001) ArticleTitle`Population density, soil nutrient depletion, and economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa' Ecological Economics 38 251–258 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0921-8009(01)00167-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • E. Elias S. Morse D.G.R. Belshaw (1998) ArticleTitle`Nitrogen and phosphorus balances of Kindo Koisha farms in southern Ethiopia', Agriculture Ecosystems and Environment 71 93–113 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0167-8809(98)00134-0

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • N. Espinoza R. Vernooy (1998) Las 15 micro-cuencas del Río Calico, San Dionisio, Matagalpa. Mapeo y análisis participativos de los recursos naturales Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT) Managua, Nicaragua

    Google Scholar 

  • M. Faist (2001) Ressourceneffizienz in der Aktivität Ernähren Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETHZ) Zurich, Switzerland

    Google Scholar 

  • G. Fischer M. Shah H. Velthuizen Particlevan F.O. Nachtergaele (2001) Global Agro-ecological Assessment for Agriculture in the 21st Century International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Vienna, Austria and Rome, Italy

    Google Scholar 

  • E.C.R. Folmer P.M.H. Geurts J.R. Francisco (1998) ArticleTitle`Assessment of soil fertility depletion in Mozambique', Agriculture Ecosystems and Environment 71 159–167 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0167-8809(98)00138-8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • InstitutionalAuthorNameFood and Agriculture Organization (FAO) (1995) Apoyo a las organizaciones de los pequeños productores para la comercialización de granos básicos. Franja granífera San Ramón-Esquipulas NumberInSeriesVol. 1 + 2 Ministerio Agropecuario y Forestal (MAGFOR)/Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Managua, Nicaragua

    Google Scholar 

  • F. Hug (2002) Ressourcenhaushalt alpiner Regionen und deren physiologische Interaktionen mit den Tiefländern im Kontext einer nachhaltigen Entwicklung Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETHZ) Zurich, Switzerland

    Google Scholar 

  • Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas y Censos (INEC): 2003, www.inec.gob.ni/estadisticas/estadisticas.htm [accessed 10.02.03].

  • Instituto Nicaragüense de Fomento Municipal (INIFOM): 2002, www.inifom.gob.ni/Caracter/Informacion/Matagalpa/SanDionisio.htm [accessed 04.09.02].

  • InstitutionalAuthorNameIntergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) (2001) Climate Change 2001: Impacts Adaptation and Vulnerability, Technical Summary Cambridge University Press Cambridge, UK

    Google Scholar 

  • E. Leemann R. Scheidegger (2002) Mapa general SUSULI Micro-Cuenca del Río Calíco Municipio San Dionisio, 2000 Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETHZ) Zurich, Switzerland

    Google Scholar 

  • D.B. Müller (1998) Modellierung Simulation und Bewertung des regionalen Holzhaushaltes Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETHZ) Zurich, Switzerland

    Google Scholar 

  • InstitutionalAuthorNameNitlapán-UCA (1995) Diagnóstico de la producción agropecuaria en el interior del país. Análisis de Encuesta Rural 1995 Universidad Centroamericana (UCA) Managua, Nicaragua

    Google Scholar 

  • H. Pagel J. Enzmann H. Mutscher (1982) Pflanzennährstoffe in tropischen Böden–ihre Bestimmung und Bewertung Deutscher Landwirtschaftsverlag Berlin Berlin, Germany

    Google Scholar 

  • F. Pfister (2003) Resource potentials and limitations of a Nicaraguan agricultural region Switzerland, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETHZ) Zurich

    Google Scholar 

  • P. Pinstrup-Andersen R. Pandya-Lorch (1994) Alleviating Poverty, Intensifying Agriculture and Effectively Managing Natural Resources International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) Washington, DC, USA,

    Google Scholar 

  • P. Pinstrup-Andersen R. Pandya-Lorch M.W. Rosegrant (1997) The World Food Situation: Recent Developments Emerging Issues and Long-Term Prospects, Food Policy Report International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) Washinton, DC, USA

    Google Scholar 

  • M. Redle (1999) Kies- und Energiehaushalt urbaner Regionen in Abhängigkeit der Siedlungsentwicklung Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETHZ) Zurich, Switzerland

    Google Scholar 

  • S. Rivas (2000) Ein agro-ökologisches regionalisiertes Modell zur Analyse des Brennholzversorgungssystems in Entwicklungsländern Institut für Energiewirtschaft und rationelle Energieanwendung, Universität Stuttgart Stuttgart, Germany

    Google Scholar 

  • InstitutionalAuthorNameSecretaría Técnica de la Presidencia (SETEC) (2001) Estrategia reforzada de crecimiento económico y reducción de pobreza Secretaría Técnica de la Presidencia (SETEC), Gobierno de Nicaragua Managua, Nicaragua

    Google Scholar 

  • L.C. Smith A.E. El Obeid H.H. Jensen (2000) ArticleTitle`The geography and causes of food insecurity in developing countries' Agricultural Economics 22 199–215

    Google Scholar 

  • United Nations Development Programme (UNDP): 2000, El Desarrollo Humano en Nicaragua 2000, http://www.pnud.org.ni/idhnicaragua/index.htm [accessed 10.04.01].

  • H. Bosch ParticleVan den J.N. Gitari V.N. Ogaro S. Maobe J. Vlaming (1998) ArticleTitle`Monitoring nutrient flows and economic performance in African farming systems (NUTMON). III. Monitoring nutrient flows and balances in three districts in Kenya', Agriculture Ecosystems and Environment 71 53–80

    Google Scholar 

  • B. Steiger ParticleVon P. Baccini (1990) Regionale Stoffbilanzierung von landwirtschaftlichen Böden mit messbarem Ein- und Austrag Bericht 38 des Nationalen Forschungsprogramms “Boden” Liebefeld-Bern, Switzerland

    Google Scholar 

  • C.C. Webster P.N. Wilson (Eds) (1998) Agriculture in the Tropics Blackwell Science Oxford, UK

    Google Scholar 

  • InstitutionalAuthorNameWorld Energy Council (WEC)/Food Agriculture Organization (FAO) (1999) The Challenge of Rural Energy Poverty in Developing Countries World Energy Council (WEC)/Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) London, UK

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chair of Resource and Waste Management, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETHZ), P.O. Box 162, ETH Hönggerbery, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland

    Franziska Pfister & Peter Baccini

Authors
  1. Franziska Pfister
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Peter Baccini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Peter Baccini.

Additional information

Readers should send their comments on this paper to: BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Pfister, F., Baccini, P. Resource Potentials and Limitations of A Nicaraguan Agricultural Region. Environ Dev Sustain 7, 337–361 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-004-7318-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-004-7318-3

Key words

Search

Navigation