This paper describes the structure and impacts of a development project in Nagaland, India.The project was a large-scale experiment in participatory development that emphasised localtechnology based on farmer-led testing of agroforestry, where farmers themselves selectagroforestry technologies, implement the field tests and assume responsibility for disseminat-ing the results locally. This assessment suggests that agroforestry has spread rapidly and beenprimarily adopted on land that otherwise would have been used by traditional farmers forswidden agriculture. Thus, Nagaland appears to be on a path to intensifying its land use, basedon agroforestry, which is likely to brake deforestation rates. The high rate of scaling up wasdue to an effective property rights system, access to a large and growing timber market, acontinual process of internal monitoring and evaluation, provision of low-cost seeds an dseedlings, and a participatory project strategy with interventions based on flexibility andcommunity empowerment.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1080/09614520120066756Altmetric score:
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Publication year
2001
Authors
Language
English
Keywords
agroforestry, land use, shifting cultivation
Geographic
India
