Does land tenure security lead to better soil conservation?

Investment in soil conservation is an essential feature of agricultural development and food production. It is not always easy, however, to identify which conditions persuade farmers to choose farming techniques that conserve soil. One important issue is the relationship between different patterns of land ownership and farmer investment in soils. Research into farmer practices under different land ownership arrangements in Canada suggests that uncertain tenure is an obstacle to practices that conserve soil. Farmers who own, rather than rent, their land make greater investments in soil conservation.

Research from the UK based Leeds Institute for Environmental Science and Management examines the relationship between land tenure and soil conservation practices in southwest British Columbia, Canada. Comparing patterns of farming practices against land ownership patterns provides clear evidence that uncertain land tenure is associated with reduced investments in soil conservation.

Data was collected on the types of crops grown by different farmers. This is less time-consuming and resource-intensive than looking at soil management and soil conditions under different forms of ownership. Different cropping patterns lead to very different outcomes in terms of soil health. Some crops grown for sale, such as potatoes, produce high economic returns in the short-term, but they can damage the soil if they are not rotated with other crops. Crops for human consumption (for example annuals such as strawberries) that do not produce a commercial crop in the first year they are planted, or legumes like clover for livestock grazing, are good for the soil, but do not produce immediate economic benefits.

Examining cropping patterns, the research found that:

• Farmers who own their fields plant more crops associated with soil conservation.
• Long-term leases do not always have the same effect as ownership.
• Government programmes (for example, paying farmers to plant grassland) can result in new land management practices being put into practice quickly.
• In such cases, ownership or lease length does not seem to be a key variable.

This approach, based on using crop patterns as an indicator for soil conservation, could be an efficient way to produce indicators of how farmers may respond to different policy options in other countries. Land tenure may not be the only factor influencing investment in soil conservation, but in many locations it appears to be highly significant. Using this information, policy-makers could:

• Look at crop patterns in a region to measure of the effects of tenure on soil conservation.
• Consider policy support for increased ownership or more secure leases where this will encourage better soil conservation practices.
• Introduce specific measures (such as grassland conversion programmes) that create incentives for farmers to practice better soil management.

This research suggests there is a clear link between land tenure and soil conservation. It also shows that crop data can help expose the links between policies and farming practices. Finally, it shows that in places where soil conservation is a key policy aim, addressing land ownership problems may produce important benefits.

Source(s):
'Land tenure and agricultural management: Soil conservation on rented and owned fields in southwest British Columbia', Agriculture and Human Values 21: 73-79, by E. Fraser, 2004

Funded by: Social science and research council of Canada; University of British Columbia

id21 Research Highlight: 24 September 2004

Further Information:
Evan Fraser
Leeds Institute for Environmental Science and Management
School of the Environment
University of Leeds
Leeds
LS2 9JT
UK

Tel: +44 (0) 113 3436429
Fax:  +44 (0) 113 3436716
Contact the contributor: evan@env.leeds.ac.uk

Leeds Institute for Environmental Science and Management, UK

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