Agricultural settlement and soil quality in the Brazilian Amazon
| Title: | Agricultural settlement and soil quality in the Brazilian Amazon |
| Author: |
Castro, Marcia C. de; Singer, Burton H.
Note: Order does not necessarily reflect citation order of authors. |
| Citation: | Castro, Marcia C., and Burton H. Singer. 2011. Agricultural settlement and soil quality in the Brazilian Amazon. Population and Environment 34(1): 22-43. |
| Full Text & Related Files: |
3432213.pdf (887.9Kb; PDF) 
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| Abstract: | This paper discusses the implications of poor or non-existent information on soil quality, at the proper scale, during the planning and implementation of settlement projects in the Brazilian Amazon. Based on data from the Machadinho settlement project, Rondônia, we show that most settlers had no knowledge about the agricultural capability of the area, did not receive technical information, could not afford agricultural inputs, planted inadequate crops in the early years of occupation, and did not manage to stay in their plot for a long period of time. Satellite images indicated that patches of land with good soil quality were not necessarily the first to be utilized. Inadequately planned settlements face many challenges (poor soil being one of them) and are likely to result in land turnover, conversion of land into pasture, land concentration among wealthier persons, invasion of areas by poorer people, and deforestation, defying the main purpose of agrarian reform. |
| Published Version: | doi:10.1007/s11111-011-0162-0 |
| Other Sources: | http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3432213/pdf/ |
| Terms of Use: | This article is made available under the terms and conditions applicable to Other Posted Material, as set forth at http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:dash.current.terms-of-use#LAA |
| Citable link to this page: | http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:10579037 |
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