Fragile Lands of Latin America Strategies for ... - PART - USAID

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21 0 John M. Treacy would also curb highland emigration and shift the locus of agricultural investment away from the coast and eastern forest regions which receive the bulk of Peruvian hnding. In addition, direct investment supporting terrace construction in highland communities would be an inexpensive alternative to costly irrigation schemes in coastal valleys, such as Arequipa's massive billion dollar Majes project designed to bring highland waters to irrigate coastal lands. As a result of the new enthusiasm for ancient technologies, state- hnded programs are underway in Peru to restore and extend agricultural terraces. A major participant, PRATVIR (Programa de Acondi- cionamiento Territorial y Vivienda Rural) sponsors terrace reconstruction projects by offering communities low-interest loans or seeds and other inputs to restore large areas (up to 30 ha) of abandoned terraces. Others, such as PNCSACH (Programa Nacional de Conservacibn de Suelos y Aguas en Cuencas HidrogrdJicas) primarily work with indi- vidual farmers through extension programs. Other Peruvian and foreign agencies also work to expand terrace agriculture. Most of what we know of Andean terracing has been derived from archaeological and geographical research, which has tended to focus upon the architectural and hnctional aspects of terracing. As a result, we still know relatively little about the social circumstances in which terracing arose, or about how terraces are built and managed. Such knowledge would be helpful in discovering how to restore the social practice of terracing. The salient question is: How can the ancient technology of terracing be successfully reintroduced into contemporary agricultural systems within contemporary socioeconomic frameworks? The purpose of this paper is to examine how farmers in the Colca Valley of Peru manage and rebuild agricultural terraces, and to under- stand the present agronomic and social contexts of terracing and how the practice may contribute to hture Andean farming strategies. Ecological and Economic Fragility in the Andes What I call the promise of agricultural terraces emerges from their ecological virtues: moisture-retentive, erosion-proof soils of good tilth; advantageous micro-climatic features; and efficient systems of gravity irrigation. Terrace agriculture is demonstrably sustainable: many terraces in the Colca Valley appear to have been in constant use since the Inca period. Terraces counteract erosive forces that make the high- lands a particularly fragile environment. Rainfall is highly seasonal in the Andean region, and on most slopes, erosion is not slow and continuous but occurs rapidly during heavy storms and off-year bursts
Agricultural Terraces in Peru 's Colca Valley 211 of rains (Williams et al., 1986:46-47). While 58 percent of the region's soils experience only light to moderate rates of erosion and appear remarkably intact despite centuries of farming (due, perhaps, to sectorial fallowing systems), 16 percent suffer serious erosion as evidenced by gullying and earthslides (Alfaro, 1986: 56-57). As agriculture intensifies and fallowing times decrease due to expanding populations and commercial farming (Mayer, 1979; Orlove and Godoy, 1986), erosion ac- celerates accordingly. Programs to encourage terracing could fight erosion along two fronts; (1) terracing some existing lands in cultivation may halt or drastically reduce soil erosion; and (2) restoring terraces or building new ones to expand the farming frontier may take pressure off unterraced fields which may be fallowed for longer periods. The notion of fragility also applies to the enterprise of agriculture in the Andes where success is in constant jeopardy not only from erosive forces, but also from frequent droughts, floods, hailstorms, and frosts. The risks to agriculture are great, and yields may fluctuate greatly from year to year because of environmental disturbances. This translates into social and economic fragdity caused by the unpredictable nature of highland climates. Failure to harvest sufficient amounts of food, either for consumption or for sale, forces people to abandon farming and seek employment elsewhere. For farmers, reducing agricultural risk is a basic imperative, permitting them not only to survive, but also to safely experiment with new crops and pursue commercial production. Terracing, as we shall see, reduces the risks of farming and therefore appears to be particularly appropriate for small farmers whose livelihoods and fbtures are often at risk to begin with. Nonetheless, reestablishing the practice of terracing is problematic and demands working within contemporary socioeconomic contexts. Above all, it demands working within the local contexts of Andean communities where abandoned and fbture sites may be located. The extent to which terrace construction and reconstruction is consonant with household and community economic goals, local irrigation capac- ities, and land tenure patterns may in large measure determine the ultimate success of new terrace agriculture. Much of the material on Andean agricultural terracing presented herein stems from fieldwork during 1985-1986 in the village of Co- poraque, one of several in the Colca Valley of southern Peru. Additional information is culled from the current and growing literature on agricultural terracing and terrace construction in the Andes. Observing the beginnings of a reconstruction project in Coporaque sponsored by PRATVIR provided an opportunity to record data on terrace construction.
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Fragile Lands of Latin America PN-
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Fragile Lands of Latin America Stra
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Contents Foreword, Thomas E. Lovejo
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Contents PART FIVE RESEARCH IN PROG
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x Thomas E. Lovejoy as the genesis
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Acknowledgments This book is a coll
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xvi About the Editor and Contributo
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pJ '-,, Mexico ' '-7 Research Sites
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2 John 0. Browder opment, and all t
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4 John 0. Browder Gow fbrther devel
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John 0. Browder Common Themes Three
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8 John 0. Browder Hecht, Susanna, B
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The Geography of Fragde Lands in La
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Table 1 Categories of Fragile Lands
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Plate 4 Coastal desert, northern Pe
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Figure 1 Map of mountains 1,000-plu
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Figure 3 Map of tropical forests (m
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The Geography of Fragile Lands Tabl
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The Geography of Fragile Lands 23 s
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Development of Fragile Lands: An In
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Development of Fragile Lands 27 pro
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Development of Fragile Lands 29 a b
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Development of Fragile Lands 3 1 Th
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Development of Fragile Lands 33 Ind
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Development of Fragile Lands 35 fra
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Development of Fragile Lands 37 was
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Development of Fragile Lands 39 Tra
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Development of Fragile Lands 41 wer
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Development of Fragile Lands 43 Pie
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nansferring Traditional Technology
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Transferring Traditional Technology
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Transferring naditional Technology
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Transfirring Traditional Technology
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Economic Prospects from Tropical Ra
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Agricultural Systems on the Floodpl
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Agricultural Systems on the Peruvia
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Table 1 Number of Riberefio Plots b
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Appendix B Soil Test Data, Selected
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Production and Profit in Agroforest
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Prodtccfion and Profit in Agrofwest
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Production and Profit in Agrofirest
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Production and ProJit in Agroforest
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Product ion and Profit in Agrofores
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Appendix A Santa Rosa Agroforeshy F
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Costs and Benejts of Floodplain For
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Costs and Benefits of Floodplain Fo
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Appendix A Species with DBH 2 5 crn
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Appendix B B. 1 Acai Fruit Output (
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Sustained Yield Management of Natur
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Cuyabeno Wildlife Production Reserv
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Cuyabeno WildlifP Production Reserv
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Extractive Reserves Extractive Rese
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Extractive Reserves 153 extraction
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Extractive Reserves Income Generati
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Extractive Reserves 157 Table 1 Are
Page 172 and 173: Extractive Reserves Table 2 Rubber
Page 174 and 175: Extractive Reserves 161 embodies th
Page 176 and 177: Extractive Reserves 163 Perspective
Page 178 and 179: Appendix A (Continued) Tree and Fru
Page 180 and 181: Indigenous Soil Management in Amazo
Page 196 and 197: An Economic Analysis oj- Huastec Fo
Page 198 and 199: An Economic Analysis 01' Huastec Fo
Page 200 and 201: Plate 1 A Huastec: farmer, walking
Page 202 and 203: An Economic Analysis of Huastec For
Page 204 and 205: Table 1 Main Characteristics of Hua
Page 218 and 219: Appendix B Value of Huastec Product
Page 220 and 221: PART THREE Strategies for Sustainab
Page 224 and 225: John M. Treacy Land and Agriculture
Page 226 and 227: 214 John M. Treacy water. In order
Page 228 and 229: John M. Treacy Terraces are invaria
Page 230 and 231: 218 John M. Treacy Table 1 Crops Pl
Page 232 and 233: 220 John M. Treacy ancient walls, a
Page 234 and 235: 222 John M. Treacy Table 2 Per Hect
Page 236 and 237: 224 John M. Treacy der population p
Page 238 and 239: 226 John M. Treacy Agricultural ter
Page 240 and 241: 228 John M. Treacy Morlon, P. B. Or
Page 242 and 243: Raised Fields and Sustainable Agric
Page 244 and 245: 232 Clark L. Erickson and Kay L. Ca
Page 250 and 251: Plate 3 Young potato plants on rais
Page 254 and 255: 242 Clark L. Ericlcron and Kay L. C
Page 258 and 259: 246 Clark L. Erichon and Kay L. Can
Page 260 and 261: Clark L. Erickson and Kay L. Candle
Page 262 and 263: Arroyos and the Development of Agri
Page 264 and 265: Arroyos in Northern Mexico 253 Plat
Page 266 and 267: Arroyos in Northern Mexico 255 Plat
Page 268 and 269: Arroyos in Northern Mexico 25 7 uns
Page 270 and 271: Arroyos in Northern Mexico 259 lowe
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A rrqvos in Northern Mexico 261 rap
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Arroyos in Northern Mexico 263 The
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Arroyos in Northern Mexico 265 fami
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Arroyos in Northern Mexico 26 7 Doz
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Arroyos in Northern Mexico 269 Turr
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Developing the Choc6 Region of Colo
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Developing the Choc6 Region 275 and
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Developing the Chocb Region 277 sho
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Developing the Chocb Region 279 the
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Socioeconomic Analysis of Agrofores
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Table 3 Preliminary Financial Asses
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Socioeconomic Analysis of Agrofores
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Abaetetuba (Brazil), 119, 120(fig.)
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Index Biomass, 27, 92, 135 Birds, 1
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Costa Rica, 277 ?in forest, 61, 134
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Index Green manure, 234, 241 Green
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Index Massaranduba latex, 66(table)
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Index Podocnemis spp. See River tur
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Index Seeds, 80, 82, 85, 94, 134, 1
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Index Ubu~u, 117 Ucayali River, 79,
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