Ways Forward? Technical Choices, Intervention Strategies and Policy Options 383A sustainable livelihoods approach to policy design
So how can these multiple dimensions of soil-fertility management be combined?
As the case study research has shown, an exclusive focus on the technical aspects of
soil-fertility management is unlikely to generate effective interventions and appro-
priate policies. Soil-fertility management is but one part of a broader set of liveli-
hood activities that rural people pursue. Taking a more holistic analysis, then, a
sustainable rural livelihoods approach outlines the range of different ‘capital’ assets
which such interventions might address, as discussed in Box 19.1. As can be seen,
there are many routes to achieving the goal of improved soils management.
For each of the five forms of ‘capital’ described in Box 19.1, there will be a
range of intervention options to be considered, depending on the assets and liveli-
hood strategies of different groups of people, with men, women, younger people,
older people, in-migrants and others requiring different forms of support. Thus, for
example, ways of improving natural capital will need to consider how to address the
particular constraints of poorer farmers with small fields and poor soils, who also
have limited access to cash and labour. Thus, attention might usefully be paid to
forms of micro-credit best suited to poorer groups, as well as getting extension staff
to focus on the differentiated needs of farmers, instead of targeting the ‘average’ farm
household. By contrast, the options open to better-off farmers in a given site are
likely to be much broader and, therefore, prompt a different set of interventions.
Box 19.1 Rural livelihoods: identifying avenues for intervention for soil-fertility
management- Natural capital, through a range of direct interventions aimed at improving the
biophysical status of soils, such as recapitalization, use of chemical inputs and
build-up of organic matter, and construction of anti-erosion measures. - Financial capital, by support to credit and savings schemes to facilitate the
import of nutrients onto farms and investment in labour, transport, or livestock
for their manure. - Physical capital, by building roads and other means of communication to
improve access to markets and thus shift relative prices and improve incentives
for soil-fertility management. - Human capital, through working with and building on farmers’ knowledge and
skills, to develop more effective partnerships between farmers, research and
extension staff. - Social capital, by improving the organizational capacity of farmers to work
together, experiment with alternative technologies, reflect and evaluate options
and identify needs from technical service agencies.
Source: Scoones and Toulmin, 1999