ENB:04:11
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WORLD BANK:
Hassan M. Hassan, Senior Environment
Specialist, presented a paper on behalf of John English that was
based on the Bank's experiences. Using examples drawn from
Machakos, Kenya, the Kano Close Settled Zone in Nigeria, and
cotton production in West Africa, he demonstrated the adaptation
of agricultural systems to accommodate population growth and
effective production-oriented programmes. He noted that the
primary problem in tackling land degradation is the
marginalization of these areas in relation to others in the
country. The remedy is to link development programmes in these
regions to the main centers of economic activity. This would also
involve providing incentives to farmers, such as guaranteed
long-term benefits for their products, and diversifying economic
activities. However, he pointed out that land rights were not a
significant factor in the adoption of new programmes. He proposed
policy elements including: the raising of the value of farm
products; economically and technically viable land use
programmes; diversified farming approaches; farming methods
derived from farmer-to-farmer visits; diversification of income
sources; and seasonal or permanent out-migratory practices. He
emphasized the need for information and research and the need to
develop cross-boundary solutions.