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« Will this land be there for our children to farm ? » In last week’s issue, n° 315 on « Population growth and land disputes », we reported on a family dispute, which arose because the eldest son had taken ownership of all the land left by his father. And this because the farm was not big enough to feed all the sons and their families. Too much of the soil was also in poor condition. In today’s bulletin I should like to comment on this aspect. Indeed, since the demographic pressure is reducing available space, sustainable cultivation techniques must be adopted, if not, the land problem will become inextricable.
When I arrived in Koudougou in 1997, I discovered that many women brew the local beer, dolo, by using millet stems for fuel. I was shocked – this meant that Mother Earth was deprived of her nutrients. How could such soil continue to feed us? In fact, during the rainy season I could see the extent of soil degradation. In spite of the abundant rains, farmers complained of bad harvests and said:” We have not had enough rain. “ But they had not actually measured the rainfall, they were merely looking at their nearly empty grain sheds. Wanting to find out more I went to question the village elders. They told me that in old times they planted a field only for three years in succession. The first year they would sow sorghum, the second millet and the third ground nut. Then the field would be laid fallow and they would work some other plot further on. “Today”, they said, “if you leave a piece of land unploughed, somebody else will come around and ask to cultivate it. One no longer lets the soil recover. There is no more fallow land. To let the land lie fallow is an essential feature of traditional agriculture, which is now disappearing in many parts of Burkina. In other times, when there was no shortage of space, a field could be laid to rest for 20 to 30 years, before it was worked again. Nowadays, with the pressure of a growing population, fallow land is about to vanish. If the loss is not compensated by regular inputs of organic manure (as in zaï cultivation) on existing farmland, the soil will be depleted. As soon as the population density gets up to 30 inhabitants/km², difficulties appear. If the current practice goes on, the situation will become dramatic, when population rates reach 60 inhabitants/km² . There will be a free fall, if the fields are not left to recover and if all natural waste (such as millet stems … and cow dung) is collected for household fuel , instead of left on the spot to supply nutrients. It is a disaster foretold. Population density in Burkina already stands at 55.4 inhabitants/km². This means that many regions have already gone beyond the crucial 30 inhabitants/km² and many are already over the 60/km² mark (which will be the national average in 2012). Time has come to act forcefully, or to react. The situation is urgent! If so many women are exclusively using millet stems for their fires, it is a sure sign that there is no more wood. If there is no more wood, it is because the population is growing. More wood is needed. And also more land! To get more land people are starting to clear woodland and fell trees… the imbalance will soon be a fact. Of course, much has already been done. But it is still a far cry from all that needs to be done! It is not one more climate change seminar or another in Ouagadougou that will alter the habits of farmers is densely populated rural areas. Sustainable development is no longer an option. It is a necessity and an urgent one. In my attempts to discuss this subject with the farmers, I do not ask myself how best to translate the notion of sustainable development in mooré, jula or some other local language, I prefer stating my question in these terms: “Do you believe that your children will be cultivating the same land as you?” I remember asking this question in Boni a few years ago, at a time when all villagers grew cotton alternating with maize. On hearing my question their faces went blank. A heavy silence fell. Then one of the farmers spoke up and said: “When we planted cotton the first time, we had a harvest of 3 tonnes per hectare. Later on, little by little, the yield went down. When we were down to 1 tonne per hectare, we were told to add chemical fertiliser to the base of the plants. And indeed, the harvest again went up to 2 tonnes/ha. But once again, slowly the production started to drop. We were then told: “If you want to avoid falling below 1 tonne/ha, you should add compost and organic fertiliser to your chemical fertiliser. And in fact, those who did have harvested more than 2 tonnes/ha. But what will they tell us next time? To this I reply: “Do not wait until it is too late. Since you have seen for yourselves that alternating cotton and maize crops does not let you keep a healthy soil, try something else. Do your own research. Collect information. Some recommend a 4 year rotation regimen of cotton – maize – niébé or ground nuts, soy or sesame … and then animal fodder the fourth year. Yes, grass to feed your cattle. And thus you may develop your livestock and nourish the soil with animal waste or compost, that you will obtain in good quantity.” The time has come to try multiple solutions and see which ones allow you to maintain a good soil and earn a profit on your work. Koudougou, January 27th 2009 Maurice Oudet Director, SEDELAN |
