Soil conservation for developing countries [antikvár]

iii FOREWORD In 1948, three years after its establishment, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAQ) published "Soil Conservation, an International Study" (Agricultural Study No. 4), which focused attention on the worldwide nature of the soil erosion problem. Further publications have been issued from time to time on specific aspects of soil erosion and its control. Among these are "Soil Erosion by Wind and Measures for its Control on Cultivated Lands" (Agricultural Development Paper No. 71 of 1960); "Soil Erosion by Water - Some Measures for its Control on Cultivated Lands" (Agricultural Development Paper No. 81 of 1965; "Guide to Sixty Soil and Water Conservation Practices" (Soils Bulletin No.4 of 1966) and "Legislative Principles of Soil Conservation" (Soils Bulletin No. 15 of 1971. In view of the need to substantially increase production from areas under traditional subsistence agriculture in the developing countries, a particular study has been made of the problem of soil conservation in areas under shifting cultivation which account for 30 percent of the world's exploitable soils, and 40 percent of the exploitable soils in Africa. An FAO/SIDA/ARCN Regional Seminar was held on this important subject in Nigeria in 1973 and the results ar.e published in "Shifting Cultivation and Soil Conservation in Africa" (Soils Bulletin No. 24 of 1974). The purpose of this Soils Bulletin is to summarize the soil erosion problem and to focus attention on remedial measures available with particular reference to the lands under'rtraditional forms of agriculture in the developing countries. It is hoped that the Bulletin will be of assistance to field workers of national,-'international and bilateral aid agencies working in areas of limited resources. To be fully effective, the field worker needs the help and support of national land use, conservation, research and administrative organizations in the country in which he is working. Thus reference is made to the essential organizational and legislative measures necessary for this purpose. It is hoped therefore that this Bulletin will be of help, not only to field workers but also to research workers and government officials involved in the framing and execution of soil conservation policy in developing countries.