For societies that depend on agriculture, the process of meeting current or future welfare demands should not continue without regard to the potential long-term dangers of land resource over-use. With an increasing human and animal population in the Ethiopian highlands development efforts so far have been hasty and disjointed, and have sidetracked issues of production base security and conservation. As a result, large-scale degradation has ensued, and if the trend continues the agricultural future of the country is threatened. Cohesive land-use practices are needed in order to manage the fragile Ethiopian highland resource environment properly and to support growing human demands.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AstatkeA., and MatthewsM. D. (1982) Progress report of the cultivation work at Debre Zeit and Debre Berhan Highlands programme. ILCA, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
2.
BeleteA. (1991) Efficiency of small-scale farmers and their role in Ethiopian agricultural development: A case study of the highland areas of Shoa administrative region, Ethiopia. Ph.D. Thesis, University of New England, Armidale.
3.
ConstableM., and BelshawD. (1986) The Ethiopian highlands reclamation study: Major findings and recommendations. In: Towards a Food and Nutrition Strategy for Ethiopia. The Proceedings of the National Workshop on Food Strategies for Ethiopia held at Alemaya University of Agriculture 8–12 December, 1986. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, pp. 142–179.
4.
DebeleB. (1986) The role of land use planning in Ethiopia's natural food strategy. In: Towards a Food and Nutrition Strategy for Ethiopia. The Proceedings of the National Workshop on Food Strategies for Ethiopia held at Alemaya University of Agriculture 8–12 December, 1986. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, pp. 180–205.
5.
EFAP (Ethiopian Forestry Action Progress) (1992) Soil Water Conservation Working Paper 15. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
6.
FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) (1986) Ethiopia: Highlands Reclamation study. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome.
7.
HurniH. (1990) Degradation and conservation of soil resources in the Ethiopian highlands. In: MesserliB., and HurniH. (eds), African Mountains and Highlands: Problems and Perspectives. Wadsworth Press, Missouri, USA, pp. 51–63.
8.
JodhaN.S., BanskotaM., and PartapT. (1992) Strategies for sustainable development of mountain agriculture: An overview. In: JodhaN.S., BanskotaM., and PartapT. (eds), Sustainable Mountain Agriculture: Perspectives and Issues, Vol. 1. Oxford & IBH Publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, pp. 3–40.
9.
MatthewmanR.W. (1987) Role and potential of draught cows in tropical farming systems: a review. Tropical Animal Health and Production19, 215–222.
10.
Mohamed SaleemM.A., and TedlaAbate (1995) Feed improvement to support intensification of ruminant production systems in the Ethiopian highlands (unpublished).
11.
RudriguezG., and AndersonF.M. (1988) A case study of risk-return tradeoffs in a mixed farm in highland Ethiopia. Agricultural Systems27, 161–177.
12.
ThulinM. (1983) Leguminosae of Ethiopia. Opera Botanica68, 1–223.
13.
WRI (World Resource Institute) (1992) World Resources 1992–93. A report by the World Resource Institute in collaboration with the United Nations Environmental Programme and the United Nations Development programme. Oxford University Press, New York, Oxford.
