September 1998 21131 No.21 Agriculture ; Technology Notes Rural Development Departmiient (RDV) The WVorld Bank Monitoring Land Quality Assuring More Sustainable Agricultural Production Systems Sustainable agricultural development, conservation of natural resources, and promotion of sustainable land management are key objectives of the new World Bank rural investment program (World Bank, 1997). manaDgemenit. requires operational (lefini- tioi1s and specific, measurable indicators if it is to be more than an attractive, conceptual phrase. Indicators are already E -= < | in regular u.se to support decisionmn aking WIN =_ftk1_ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~~~~~- at global, nationial, and subnational levels for air and( water quality, but few such indlicators are available to assess, monitor, aiid evaluiate changes in thec quality of lanid resources. Land ref'ers niot to soil j_- ,,alone, hut to thie combined terrain -- 3",.. - Ex4e Sa- _ vwater, soil, and biotic resources thiat provide the basis f'or land use. Lanid q quality refers to the condition, or 'health'. of land, specificallv to its capacitv for sustainable land lseC and environmental - ~ ~~~~~ i Tuanagreiment (Box 1). The LQI program monitors the envi- ronmenit and the sector performance of - tU managed ecosystems (agricu lture, forestry, In Bhutan crop and livestock systems arc often integrated. conservation, and environ mental manage- ment). The program is being developed on Land used for aunriciltural produlctioni is nutrients, loss of' organic matter, soil both a national and regional scale, hut it aii essential element to improve eniviron- erosion, anid water contamilination, may is also part of a larger global effort to mental management, including source/ appear to be costly during project improve natural resource management sink functions for greenhouse gases. implementation. However, the long-termii (Pieri et al., 1995). The LQI program ntutrient recycling, amelioration and filtering negative impact of reduced land quality, recommends addressing issues of land ofpolliitauits, and transmission and purifi- such as de(-reased efficiencv of fertilizers management by agroecological zones. cation of wvater as part of the hvdrologic and increased erosion, fuel conisulmptioni, This approach favors incorporating farmer cvele. and pest infestations, often raises rehabil- (local) knooxvledge into the overall process NVlhile routine inidicators of project tation costs. The LQI approach focuses on of' improviing agricultuiral and environ- perforimance based on cost-benefit aialyses preventive iainitenance rather than mental land management. (input-output factors, risk and economnic rehabilitation. Although a single indicator of' land performance indicators) are necessary to quality is not realistic, a verv large num- moniitoi the activities and coipoiieirts Land Quality Indicators- ber that reflects all possibilities is also niot of aproject. land qualityindlicators (LQIs) TheWorld Bank's Program useful. To help resolve this problem, a are reqtuired to evaluate environmental Identification ofLQJs is a keyrequiremeiit panel of scientists and administrators impacts. The quantitative assessment of' of sustainable land management. Lauid reconimended a core set of strategic land physical impacts, such as depletioni of soil quality, howvever, like sustainable land quality indicators. RDV Technology Notes farer inspcifc grocBoxgicalo inte !olgfrdqaq zns and specifi cuth riesa(Bo i s2 lfz±o)nwtedr'. tia da~~nn ist atYieldr gap.Dscriede curetem ieldasto sailn,4 beeo y hlin~ea tt a anl teds n atu~al:pteniar War 1,ns rmfuat } lemvelyilsaTin cerea euvlnstao'nl f i itiila4f ceun imat of atric,lural intesificatio on aD quliy(Intnsfication~g maoc itc s f naae utna wmaama i orle-dd d prducionaD inrastedpontpns, atdpilI i' managTemD patices adote bv d aant ht ne uafian LQIsmfor immediae ta pplont ntniication' Dstcksindflwstas relatedt tof divriffereint lanprducmanagmn systems used bythe1 i i1! i tOf~f9l~ 4Yt14)clrgosetl ae landscape, includiengith5 tese r uesivestdteohckseandt zgonoestand spseifi coutrifecs (o 2)thetdeo I dYelde gap Dlescibesit curdrentiyields, oftn~e~ iig>' nHnt yilreginds, fandactual:potemandtia eifrmd irn r '2ta capacity to bsorb shoct aeenrespon * Land-s intenst. Describes the extenan, cvron th land quliy.intnsifiation mayrosivetp involve incre eased crppng, movre Mis atl Gn dit nt farmrsointhe toranrsiton, tod itnicationg uwith *land-use divtersity (agrodiversity). itd Descries th xetof d iversification. laCurndscap, indcltruideing iestock andvailable inba I M agroyforntestr systnems Itd reflects;th otheri ies( 4~A ' l idegatreae of flexibilistyandgesio dvlpenetf.kn ce a nu 4r o~A page 2 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ a ou tm iain 'i ' September 1998 LQIs Still in the Research Stage Box 3. Estimatng yield gap Box 5. * Soil quality. Describes the conditions * g that make the soil a living body, i.e., Yield gaps are calcated values Applyig LQls i Tusia soil health. The indicators will be based obtained by using a reliable crop The objective of the Tunisia oni soil organic matter, particularlv the growth model and integratedecimate, project is sustainable intensification soil, and land tmangement databases. of agricultural production, along dynamic (microbiological) carbon pool Several calculatons are required. wvith irnproved environmental man- most affected bv environmental Potential yields. These yields conditions and land-use change. are based on photosynthetically agemnent of cropandrange lanld.The * Land degradation (erosion, salinization, active radiation, and conditioned by components of the project include compaction, organic matter loss). temperature and phenological soil and waterconservation,agricul- These processes have been the subject development over the growing tural an pastoral intensification, of extensive research and have a strong season. Daily or monthly radiation rehabilitation of iuigation perineters, scientific base but reliable data on and temperature measurements are ruralinfrastructure,ole ofwomen, and extent and impacts are often lacaing. required to assess production at this institution strengthening. Participatory * Agnbiodiersity. This concepteinvolves level. Estimated biomass is con- rural appraisal, community-driven managing the gene pools used in crop verted to harvestable product using initiatives, and sustainable manage- nandagingithea ge produ n. ti also soil a harvest inidex. Potential yields are ment of local resoures are important and animial production, btassol rarely obtained other than in green- elements in the project. micro- and meso-hiodiversity important houses and on experiment stations. Among other activities, the for soil health. On a macro scale, it involves Water- and nutrient-limited project includes a GIS-based system integrated landscape management, yields. These estimates arc to monitor and evaluate land and including maintenance of natural calculated from the potential yield, water quality and rural land-use habitat, as well as managing the co- but adjusted according to the changes. Indicators for wind and existence of wildlife in agricultural areas. amount of precipitation received water erosion, soil fertility, defores- and the capacity of local soils to tation, salinization, and crop yield LQIs Being Developed by Other Sectors supply nitrogen, phosphorus, and were developed using combinations * Water quality potassium. A dynamic soil water of the agricultural census, remote iFnodel is used, anid the supply and Forest land quahtv ~~uptalke, of each nutrient is estimated.sein,adpcalurys(g. Rangeland qualitv Required data are soil chemical cultivaton oferosivands, pe- * Land characteristics, organic matter, pH, ~age of lanid cover during erosive Land contamination/pollution characteristics, organic matter, pH, periods, fragmentation of forest These strategic indicators are the bio- phosphorus, and exchangeable fringe, etc.) These data will be used physical components of sustainable land potassium, to monitor whether or not tech- managemenit. Although useful in their own Baseline yields. The lowest wa- nical interventions and agricultural right, they must still be complemented ter-limited and nutrient-limited intensification are leading toward with indicators of the other pillars of yields are baseline yields. These orgawayfromsustainabiht sustainable land management -economic yields are what can be obtained with o a viability, sstem resilience, and social good land management, but without input of nutrients or water. equity andl acceptability (see Box 4, next ipto uret rwtr page). Considacerableadditi(seBonl nexvo iActual yields. These are yields References page) Considerable additional work is tatrecreyrahdbyfmrs < ~~~~~~~~~~~that are currenly realized by fanners. required to develop these pillars to the Thev can be obtained from an agri- Pieri, C., Dumaski, J., Hamblin, A., and same level of detail as the land quality culural census or special surveys. Yotng, A. 1995. Land Quality Indicators. (biophvsical) indicators. Yield gap indicators. These World Banlk Discussion Paper 315. indicators estimate what could be Washington. D.C.: WVorld Bank. 51 pp. Conclusion olbtained usinlg low inlputs or yield Smyth. A.J., and Dumanski, J. 1993. In general, but particularly in developing potential from crop breeding and FESLM: An International Framework countries, it is esseiitial that scarce high inputs. They are calculated by for Evaluating Sustainable Land resources devoted to land management comparing actual yields (in cereal Management. World Soil Resources be used more cost-efficiently and that equivalents)tobasehne vields (water- Report 73. Rome: Food and policynmsakers have at least rough indicators and nutrient-limited yields). Agriculture Organization. 7 4 pp. of whether environmental conditions More inforrnation will soon be SSSA. 1995 (June). SSSA Statement on and land quality are getting better or posted on the Sustainable Land SoilQuality Agronoy News Madison. worse (Box 5). Land quality indicators are and Crop Managentent homne page, Wisconsin: Soil Science Society'of America. useful for decisionmakers to monitor and whitch will be available through World Bank. 1997. Ruzral Developumenjt: improve project performanice as related http://www-esd.worldbank.org/ From Vision to Actioni. Environmentally to socioeconomic and environmental html/esd/agr/agrmain.htm and Socially Sustainable Developyaent impact, and to assess the trend toNvard or Studies and Monographs Series 12. away from land-use sustainability. W1Vashington, D.C.: WVorld Bank. 157 pp. page 3 RDV Technology N\otes Box 4. Parameter rindicators Comments Using PRA to develop Prdct t LQIsfor sustainableX Yield 25% land-use systems on 53 farms with Plant growth V igoros sloping topography in Indonesia, Normal Thailand, and Viet Nam was Stunted assessed using the Framework for Risk managemrent and security Evaluating Sustainable Land Drought frequency > 2 years continuous Management (FESLM). Detailed < :2 years in 7 socioeconomic and biophysical: er rX surveys characterized the land: Income frorm livestock > 25% of total income Usually requires 20-30% surveys characterized the land ~~10-25%/ of total incomne management systems, outlined 10%oftotalincome their constraints and potential, and : 1 : : :: identified indicators and thresh- Conservatin and protection Total soil eroded > 4.5 cm, rills on > 50% Amount observed over olds of sustainability in line with : t: 0.7-4.5 cm, rills 25-50% last 10 years the five pillars of sustainability < 0.7 cm, rillsoni < 25% of FESLM - productivity, risk Cropping intensitv and 2-3 crops with conservation management and security, conser- extent of protection 2-3 crops, no conservation vation and protection, economic i cropwith conservation viability, and social acceptability 1 erop, no conservation (Smyth and Dumanski, 1993). Econwomic viability A suite of sustainable land Net farm income Rising Total family income management indicators, with Constant associated thresholds, was iden- Declining tified. Farmers provided feedback Fluctuating on the indicators after their Off-farmincomoye > 25% of total inceome Usually require farming systems were evaluated. 10-25% of total income at least 10% The indicators are a usefiil first < 10% of totalincome step toward the development of a Availability of farm laborl 2 ful atabor per farm unit more generic system to evaluate 1-2 ful1-time adus the sustainabilitv of agricultural 1 full-time adult systems. The indicators were iden- Size of land holding <1 ha 1.2-2.0 ha per tified by farmer cooperators from 1-2 ha family holding survey information. > 2ha Social acceptability: The information was summarized Lanid ten:ure Fullownershlip from research by the :Long-term user rights international Boardfor Soil No official land title Research and Management. Training in soil conservation Once in 3 years Focus :on younger (IBSRAMW) Once in 5 years farmers None available page 4 include: Sustinabe Aricutur CotqieitieReerc rant Syste3 lJ rate Sol eifrh nc Rej$rm~~ ~ ~ ~ of1 IedRgltos Poiino iea upeet 'a /iigTcioj~t~ipu~isatjIvs~et