Shahid, Mesud (2011) The Effect of Livestock Production and Management System on Environmental Resources, in Mixed Farming Area. The Case of Seka Chekorsa Woreda, Jimma Zone of Oromia Regional State. Masters thesis, Addis Ababa University.
![[img]](http://thesisbank.jhia.ac.ke/style/images/fileicons/application_pdf.png) |
PDF (The Effect of Livestock Production and Management System on Environmental Resources, in Mixed Farming Area. The Case of Seka Chekorsa Woreda, Jimma Zone of Oromia Regional State)
Shahid, Mesud.pdf - Accepted Version Restricted to Repository staff only Download (656kB) | Request a copy |
Abstract
Although the environment may previously have been hostile it is only in recent times that it has become necessary to consider how to satisfy human needs for food without destroying the environment in which that food production must take place (FAO, 1996). The domestication of animals and their integration with crop agriculture have provided the main avenue for agricultural intensification and thus intern has allowed for unprecedented environmental and human population growth. Large land areas have already been degraded due to overgrazing and deforestation because of ranching (deHaan et al, 1997): Biodiversity is affected by extensive as well as intensive livestock production ( Jahnke, 1982). Where animal’s concentrations are high, land and water may be polluted through waste from animal production and processing (Hendy et al, 1995). Livestock are an important source of gaseous emission, contributing to global warming (Houghton et al, 1995). The world’s livestock sector is growing at unprecedented rate and this growth is only taking in developing countries (FAO, 2006). Livestock are not only important as producers of milk, meat and eggs, which are part of modern food chain, but other nonfood functions, although of declining in importance, still provide the rationale for keeping the majority of the world’s livestock (FAO, 1996) .For millions of small holder farmers, animal draught power and nutrient recycling through manure compensate for lack of access to modern inputs as tractor and fertilizer, and help to maintain the viability and environmental sustainability of production (FAO, 1997). Often livestock constitute the main if not the only, capital reserve of farming households, serving as strategic reserve that reduce risk and adds stability to the overall farming system (FAO, 1995). As such livestock can satisfy a large variety of human needs. However, in many places, livestock production is not balance with environment or denied access to traditional key resources and degradation is the result. Other studies state that, the earlier miss conception of the role of livestock in sustainable development influence global think about the sub sector. After 1992, Rio summit on the Environment and Development, a multi lateral livestock environment initiative was formed to address the role of livestock in the food security, poverty alleviation and environmental protection (Sida, 2010). In Ethiopia, livestock sub sector is the integral components of the agriculture on which 85% of the population depends. Livestock supply drought power to cultivation, food and income and insurance against risk for households. However, the contribution of livestock to the economy of the country is small due to feed shortage, environmental degradation and management problem (Berhanu et al, 2002). Land degradation in many parts of Ethiopia caused by complex sets of factors involving man and his stock. Crop encroachment in marginal areas and fuel wood collection, land tenure, settlement and incentive policies have undermined traditional land use practice and contribute to degradation through overgrazing (Aynalem, 2000). Livestock follows deforestation, where ranching pushes in to the remaining forest and wood lands. Significant biodiversity losses are associated such deforestation including loss of wild life. In many highland areas of the country, high human population densities are traditionally sustained by complex mixed farming system (Bojo and classelli, 1995).Continuing human population pressure lead to decreasing farm size to a point where the system disintegrates. The concerns over environmental effects of livestock production, in Ethiopia, are of relatively recent origin. It is generally considered that, the impact of livestock production in the country have more positive implication than negative ones, as the production system is still largely predominated by rural based crop livestock integrated small holders mixed farming system (Aynalem, 2000). Increasing in population, declining grazing resource base, increasing in demand for animal products, etc are important around livestock production in the context of sustainability. In many parts of Ethiopia, communal grazing lands are patrons of mixed farming directly influencing the livestock sector and indirectly the crop production through their influence on the soil productivity (Abera, 2006). To produce good yield it require organic matter. The soil of most parts of the highland region is reddish clay, which is nitrogen deficient (Jackson et al, 1968). Because of the need for manure livestock and grazing lands on which they mainly depend are essential parts of crop production in the areas. Teshome (1999) indicates, the shortage of livestock feed to be one of the major problems of enset production which is permanent staple food of the whole southern Ethiopian. FARM Africa (1998), in its field research, identified that with frames shortage of livestock feed to be one of the major problems of Agricultural production of South Western highlands. In these contexts, this paper analyses the woredas livestock production system and its interaction with some environmental elements in traditional but changing mixed farming system.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Masters) |
|---|---|
| Subjects: | G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GE Environmental Sciences H Social Sciences > HT Communities. Classes. Races S Agriculture > S Agriculture (General) |
| Divisions: | Africana |
| Depositing User: | Tim Khabala |
| Date Deposited: | 09 Aug 2018 09:34 |
| Last Modified: | 09 Aug 2018 09:34 |
| URI: | http://thesisbank.jhia.ac.ke/id/eprint/8408 |
Actions (login required)
 |
View Item |