Small Landholder Farming and Global Food Security - Soil Management of Smallholder Agriculture - page 10

1.10 FOOD SECURITY
Despite impressive gains in crop yields since the 1960s, agronomic production in
some regions with predominately small farmers has lagged behind the demand (e.g.,
SSA). Thus, food insecurity remains to be a problem (Kungu 2007), and about a bil-
lion people (one in seven) are food insecure (FAO 2013). Most chronically hungry
and malnourished people are poor farm families—small landholders who do not
have adequate resources to invest in modern innovations. Resource-poor farmers in
SSA have lagged behind in agricultural development (Eswaran et al. 1997).
There is no universal panacea, and there are wide ranges of generic technological
options that must be adopted and fine-tuned under site-specific conditions (Table 1.5).

TABLE 1.5
Technological Options for Adaptations to Changing Climate and Alleviation
of Soil-Related Constraints by Small Landholders of the Tropics
Technology Location/Region Reference

1. Diversification and intensification of
small-scale irrigation

Northern Ghana Laube et al. (2012)

2. Using manure, compost, and cover
crops, and varying N input according
to seasonal rainfall

Sub-Saharan Africa Masvaya et al. (2010)

3. Integrated soil fertility management Sub-Saharan Africa Bekunda et al. (2010), Cobo

et al. (2009), Snapp et al. (1998)

4. Water harvesting by Zai-type pitting Sub-Saharan Africa Bekunda et al. (2010), Cobo

et al. (2009), Snapp et al. (1998)

5. Manure management Africa Rufino et al. (2007)

6. An improved understanding of soil
fertility variability/gradient and the
nutrient management

Zimbabwe Zingore et al. (2007)

7. Drip irrigation Tropics Postel et al. (2001)

8. Improved management of organic
residues with low level or inorganic
fertilizer input

Andean Highlands Fonte et al. (2012)

9. Biological N fixation Southeast Asia Shiferaw et al. (2004)

10. Symbiotic N fixation Tropics Shiferaw et al. (2004)

11. Preserving soil organic matter Colombia Binder and Patzel (2001)

12. N-fixing legumes in agroforestry
systems

Brazilian Amazon McGrath et al. (2000)

13. Risk-reducing options Andean Bolivia Ellis-Jones and Mason (1999)

14. Precision farming Africa Booltink et al. (2001)

15. Integrated use of soil and water Semiarid tropics Zingore et al. (2008)

16. Alley cropping/agroforestry Humid tropics Aguiar et al. (2009), Cooper

et al. (1996), Sanchez (2000)

17. Soil organic matter management Tropics Craswell and Lefroy (2001),

Palm et al. (2001), Cassman
et al. (1996)