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001			G77135
003			MX-TxCIM
005			20211006080815.0
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020			_a970-648-104-4
040			_aMX-TxCIM
072		0	_aE14
072		0	_aP35
082	0	4	_a338.91 _bWAT
100	1		_aSoule, M.J. _uInternational conference on impacts of agricultural research and development: Why has impact assessment research not made more of a difference?
110	0		_aCentro Internacional de Mejoramiento de Maiz y Trigo (CIMMYT), Mexico DF (Mexico)
111	2		_aInternational Conference on Impacts of Agricultural Research and Development _cSan José (Costa Rica) _d4-7 Feb 2002
245	0	0	_aHousehold resource endowments and the impacts of soil fertility management
260			_aMexico, DF (Mexico) _bCIMMYT : _c2003
300			_ap. 81
340			_aPrinted
520			_aScientists are increasingly being challenged to provide policy makers with information on the trade-offs between environmental and economic development goals. There is a need for new approaches for assessing potential impacts of interventions that combine scientific knowledge with empirical information on constraints of land users. In this paper we use a custom-built, economic-ecological simulation model to examine the impact of existing and proposed soil management strategies on farm productivity, profitability, and sustainability for smallholder farmers in western Kenya. The model is applied to three representative farm types, which were developed using wealth ranking and other participatory techniques to reflect the differences in resource endowments and constraints faced by farmers in Vihiga District of western Kenya. The model is first used to examine the impact of existing soil management strategies. Results show the importance of differentiating farm types by important characteristics that impact opportunities and management. The current soil management practices of high resource endowment farms are productive, profitable, and ecologically sustainable. Low and medium resource endowment farms, on the other hand, use techniques with much lower levels of productivity and profitability that result in a declining soil resource base. The model is then applied to analyze the potential impacts of improved soil fertility management, using various sources of phosphorous (P) and nitrogen (N). Results indicate that high resource endowment farmers are already using near optimal management practices, and new management techniques have little impact on yields or other indicators. Low and medium resource endowment farmers, on the other hand, can greatly improve farm profitability and sustainability through improved management of p and N, but low land and capital resources constrain the adoption of the improved practices. Targeting interventions to low and medium resource endowments will, therefore, have much larger payoffs. Model results-as well as extensive discussions with farmers during the participatory data collection exercises-suggest that most farmers are aware of better soil fertility management practices but are not able to apply them due to lack of resources. When cash is available, investment in soil fertility must compete with other needs and investments such as education. It is likely that high resource endowment farmers only began to invest in soil fertility when other needs and higher-return investments (such as educating children) were already satisfied.
546			_aEnglish
591			_a0310|AGRIS 0301|AL-Economics Program|R01PROCE
593			_aJuan Carlos Mendieta
595			_aCPC
650	1	7	_aEconomic development _gAGROVOC _2 _91089
650	1	0	_aFarm area
650	1	0	_aFarmers _gAGROVOC _91654
650	1	0	_aHouseholds _92743
650	1	0	_aKenya _91167
650	1	0	_aMarket
650	1	0	_aPolicies
650	1	0	_aProductivity _gAGROVOC _91756
650	1	0	_aSoil management _91268
650	1	0	_aSoil resources
653	0		_aCIMMYT
653	0		_aIRRI
650	1	0	_91952 _aSoil fertility _gAGROVOC
700	1		_aShepherd, K.D., _ecoaut.
700	1		_9960 _aWatson, D.J. _gResearch & Partnership Program _8INT3479 _eed.
942			_cPRO
999			_c6881 _d6881