Desire for Greener Land

Human Environment
Cropland per household (ha)
10,000
Implementation activities, inputs and costs
Establishment activities
Land user: individual / household, medium scale
land users, leaders / no gender bias
Population density: 100-200 persons/km 2
Annual population growth: > 4%
Land ownership: individual, titled, Diocese
Land use rights: leased
Water use rights: communal (organized)
Relative level of wealth: among 125 land users
contacted, 40 % own their land
1. Demarcation of contour lines, using water levels
2. Collection of Aloe Vera plants (Aloe vera grows naturally on
upper slopes and in depressions)
3. Planting
Not including collecting stones and building stone barriers
Maintenance/recurrent activities
1. Vegetative control: removal of Aloe vera plants that are
invading cropland (maize, peas) between the living barriers.
2. Replanting of Aloe vera to fill gaps in living barriers (very rare,
survival rate is over 95%)
SLM Technology: Aloe Vera living barriers, Cape Verde DESIRE – WOCAT 2012
Importance of off-farm income: if rainfed then
> 50%, if also irrigated land:30-40%
Access to service and infrastructure:
moderate: health, technical assistance,
employment, market, drinking water and
sanitation, financial services; high: education,
energy, roads & transport
Market orientation: subsistence (self-supply)
Mechanization: manual labour
Livestock grazing on cropland: yes
Technical drawing
Aloe Vera Living Barriers on slope of more than
60%. The soil accumulated behind the barrier
can reach depths of 55 cm (Jacques Tavares)
Establishment inputs and costs per ha
Inputs Costs (US$) % met by
land user
Labour
Equipment
215 100
- tools
13 100
TOTAL 228 100
Maintenance/recurrent inputs and costs per ha per year
Inputs Costs (US$) % met by
land user
Labour 33 100
TOTAL 33 100
Remarks:
The labour used in this technique consists of individuals from poor or very poor rural communities who come to work in search of an
income with a payment of 250 Escudos per day. Labour inputs for implementation are rewarded by project: individuals of poor
communities receive a salary of 3.3 US$ per day. Plants are collected locally; their value on the market would be around 3-4 US$ per
plant. Establishment costs do not include labour-intensive construction of stone risers (supportive measure). Maintenance costs are
borne by land users.
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