Two Essays on Socio-economic
Aspects of Soil Degradation

Table of Contents

Foreword

Abstract

Résumé

Resumen

DIRT POOR: POVERTY, FARMERS AND SOIL RESOURCE INVESTMENT

1. Introduction

2. Natural resources in agricultural production

2.1 Natural resources as a capital asset in the investment portfolio

2.2 Incentives for investment

2.3 Natural capital in agricultural production: farm level income and insurance services

2.4 Conclusions

3. The investment profile of poor agricultural producers

3.1 Natural capital endowments and the incidence of poverty

3.2 Institutions and access to natural capital assets among poor agricultural producers

3.3 Access to financial capital

4. Policy implications

5. Research needs

References

METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES IN ANALYSING THE LINKAGES BETWEEN SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS

1. Introduction

2. Soil degradation and socio-economic conditions: concepts

3. Data

3.1 Datasets

3.2 Data sources

4. Data integration

4.1 Regression

4.2 Interpolation

5. Statistical analysis and presentation

5.1 Continent level analysis: Africa

5.2 Country level analysis: Ghana

6. Conclusions and directions for future research

References

List of useful Web sites and data sources

LIST OF FIGURES

1. Soil degradation: Africa (GLASOD)

2. False elevation representation of average windspeed

3. Illiteracy rates: Africa

4. Percent change in terms of trade: Africa

5. Ghana: poverty rate

6. Ghana: rainfall

7. Ghana: road density

8. Wind and soil degradation

9. Wind and soil degradation: closeup

10. Terms of trade and soil degradation

11. Soil degradation in per capita income

12. Illiteracy and decreases in per capita income

13. Soil degradation and decreases in per capita income: closeup

14. Illiteracy and decreases in per capita income: closeup

15. Ghana: soil degradation (GLASOD)

16. Ghana: soil degradation and poverty

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ISBN 92-5-104629-8

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© FAO 2001

This volume contains two papers that analyse the relationship between socio-economic conditions and soil degradation. In the first paper, the focus is on providing a better understanding of the incentives and constraints faced by poor farmers in making soil management decisions and the implications these have for designing sustainable development policies. In the second paper, methodological issues that arise in the analysis of the causes and consequences of soil degradation are discussed and empirical geographic information system-based examples of analyses at country and subnational levels are presented.