Fragile Lands of Latin America Strategies for ... - PART - USAID
Fragile Lands of Latin America Strategies for ... - PART - USAID
Fragile Lands of Latin America Strategies for ... - PART - USAID
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
226 John M. Treacy<br />
Agricultural terracing could be integrated into the conventional rep-<br />
ertoire <strong>of</strong> development techniques, which to date consists largely <strong>of</strong><br />
improved crop varieties, fertilizers, irrigation, crop rotations, and access<br />
to markets. It is an appropriate complement to irrigation needed in<br />
many arid areas <strong>of</strong> the highlands, and could lend itself well to sensitive<br />
crops with good market prices.<br />
Terracing, however, is only a technology-a usefbl method <strong>for</strong> man-<br />
aging the environment to enhance agricultural productivity-and there-<br />
<strong>for</strong>e only one dimension <strong>of</strong> farming. Terracing is not an agricultural<br />
system in itself; systems have social, political and economic contexts<br />
as well as environmental ones (Brush and Turner, 1987). In order to<br />
appraise the role <strong>of</strong> terraces in agricultural systems, they must be<br />
placed within a perspective which includes local perceptions <strong>of</strong> utility<br />
and potential.<br />
Acknowledgments<br />
Field work in Peru was fbnded by a Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dis-<br />
sertation Research Abroad Grant during 1985 and 1986. I thank Lourdes<br />
Izaguirre, Pedro Romero, John Earls and other members <strong>of</strong> PRATVIR<br />
<strong>for</strong> the opportunity to study and discuss terrace restoration projects.<br />
William Denevan, Clark Erickson, Kay Candler, Blenda Femenias, B.<br />
L. Turner 11, and John Browder made many helpfbl suggestions <strong>for</strong> the<br />
text.<br />
References<br />
Alfaro, Julio. 1986. Conservacibn de suelos y desarrollo rural en 10s andes<br />
peruanos. Pages 51-153 in Andeneria, conservaci6n de suelos y desarrollo<br />
rural en 10s andes peruanos. See Portocarrero.<br />
Altieri, Miguel A. 1983. Agroecology: The scientific basis <strong>of</strong> alternative agri-<br />
culture. Division <strong>of</strong> Biological Control, University <strong>of</strong> Cali<strong>for</strong>nia, Albany.<br />
Araujo, H. 1986. Civilizacibn andina: Acondicionamiento territorial y agricul-<br />
tura prehisphnica. Hacia una revaloracibn de su tecnologia. Pages 277-300<br />
in Andenes y camellones en el Per6 andino. See Torre and Burga.<br />
Arledge, J.E., L. Chang-Vavarro L. and A. Vasquez V. 1985. Manual tCcnico<br />
de conservaci6n de suelos. Programa Nacional de Conservacibn de suelos.<br />
Programa Nacional de Conservacibn de Suelos y Aguas en Cuencas Hid-<br />
rogrhficas. Ministerio de Agricultura, Lima.<br />
Bonavia, D. 1967-1968. Investigaciones arqueolbgicas en el Mantaro medio.<br />
Revista de Museo Nacional, Lima, 35:211-294.<br />
Brush, S.B. and B.L. Turner 11. 1987. The nature <strong>of</strong> farming systems and views<br />
<strong>of</strong> their change. Pages 11-48 in B.L. Turner and S.B. Brush (eds.)<br />
Caviedes, C.N. 1984. El Nifio. Geographical Review 74:267-90.