Tropentag, September 18 - 20, 2019 in Kassel "Filling gaps and removing traps for sustainable resources development"

Scenarios of Shifting Cultivation and its Consequences on Biodiversity

National Centre For Education, Min. of Scientific Research and Innovations, Cameroon

Abstract

In the Past, shifting cultivation was and still a traditional method of farming widely practice in Sub Sahara Africa. Farmers could cultivate a piece of land for subsistence and when the land loses its fertility, the farmer abandoned the land with no intention of coming back to it. However, this notion has changed; a piece land could be cultivated over and over in a very short period of time. On the premise that agriculture is profitable business, shifting cultivation is gradually given way to plantation agriculture. This shift in faming system is backed by government policy to promote agriculture in which wealthy civil servants destroy hectares of forest land to establish monoculture plants like Cocoa and plantains plantation. This evolution of farming system has weaknessed serious consequences on biodiversity. This works which is focused on empirical analysis is aimed at examine the evolution of shifting cultivation and the consequences of this evolution on biodiversity. It equally examine measures put in place by the government and NGOs to mitigate loss of biodiversity and to promote sustainable agricultural development.

Keywords: Loss of biodiversity, plantation agriculture, shifting cultivation

Contact Address: Jeshma Ntsou Bakwowi, National Centre For Education, Min. of Scientific Research and Innovations, Yaoundé, Cameroon, e-mail: jeshmabyahoo.com