25.10.2012 Views

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

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

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.

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!