PROJECT ASSESSMENTS - Science for Agriculture and Rural Development in Low-income Countries - page 197

fertilizers and cash is a vital prerequisite for a change. Future cropping strategies
will be limited by access to land and labour.

• The areas have inherent natural constraints to the development of natural and

agricultural production systems: variable rainfall causing drought stress for crops
and infertile soils. Soils are depleted under current major cropping systems.
Together with demand for land due to immigration, these constraints lead to
extensification of agriculture (larger field sizes) and provide the reason for
continued land clearing. Intensification takes place in the form of shortening
fallow periods (from 20 to 2-3 years in Ghana!), which in turn leads to soil
nutrient depletion and loss of ecological functions of soils and land cover.

• The study has proven that farmers use, manage and commercialize natural

production systems intensively. This need not always lead to the degradation of
the natural resource base, as vegetation species valuable to food provision and
income are protected by farmers. However, there is no safeguard of ecological
functions of natural areas. The study has given insights in the ecological
functions of current natural and agricultural land, and on the impacts of land use
strategies on these functions.

• State laws and policies heavily impact on the access of people to yet uncultivated

(natural) land resources; recognition of farmers' claims on uncultivated land may
improve NRM, because people owning land are prepared to invest in it.

• Land use strategies differ between ethnic groups in the areas and within individual

households. Through community mapping and planning exercises, the study has
provided tools to solve conflict and strengthen synergy options of land use
visions from different groups, and to end up with shared visions.

• A natural state of inland valleys is not per se beneficial for the population! Sites

with low intensity land use and rich in non-timber forest products, lack extension,
technical knowledge and transport facilities. Moreover water shortage problems
are also experienced and not to a lesser extent in low intensity valleys.

3) What are the outputs in terms of capacity-building and partnerships?

• Besides providing instruments to support local land use planning processes, the

VINVAL project trained researchers in managing the technical side of the
instruments, and local field staff in participatory planning approaches, thus,
strengthening the capacity for land use planning at the local level.

• Local and regional authorities of Gourma province and Kompienga region were

invited to a feedback and discussion forum at the closure of the project in
Burkina Faso.

• The project has also resulted in a PhD degree for a student from the study region.

E) Tangible outputs, dissemination and impact

Can you describe for the (max. 10) key outputs of your project:

1) Type of output