Best practices in sustainable land management
Examples from the SPI report
In 2017, UNCCD’s Science Policy Interface (SPI) published a report showcasing several dozen examples of individual sustainable land management (SLM) best practices selected from scientific journal articles, research papers and SLM databases (including WOCAT). This information is categorised by land use type and technology group.
The WOCAT global database on SLM
The WOCAT database is one of the largest SLM global databases. The database contains more than 2,180 SLM practices from 130 countries, in twelve different languages, including best practices reported by UNCCD Parties.
Best practice examples
A Chagga home garden is a complex multi-cropping system evolved over several centuries through a gradual transformation of the natural forest. It integrates numerous multipurpose trees and shrubs with food crops and animals, without a specific spatial arrangement. However, vertically, the following 4 stories/canopies can be distinguished: (1) food crops; (2) coffee; (3) bananas; and (4) trees. This multilayer system maximizes the use of limited land in a highly populated area, making sustained production possible with a minimum of external inputs, minimises risk (less production failure, increased resistance against droughts and pests) and ensures at the same time environmental protection.
Animal draft zero-till involves the use of an animal-drawn mechanical planter to plant directly in un-tilled soil to minimize soil disturbance and leave a cover of crop residues to conserve the soil and water. The protective soil cover reduces evaporation and enhances infiltration while the improved soil structure and organic matter content increases soil water storage making zero tillage an important drought mitigating strategy. Note: For this SLM technology case, the SPI report on Sustainable Land Management and Climate Change refers to: Kaoma-Sprenkels, C., Stevens, P.A. and Wanders, A.A. 1999. IMAG-DLO and conservation tillage: Activities and experiences. In: Kaumbutho P G and Simalenga T E (eds), 1999. Conservation tillage with animal traction. Animal Traction Network for Eastern and Southern Africa (ATNESA).
Home gardens, containing tree, shrub, herbs, vine, tuber layers as well as poultry, produce food for household consumption as well as an additional income. All seven production layers can be found, with a tree canopy, lower trees, shrubs, herbs, a soil cover, roots and tubers as well as a climbing layer, although the number of layers varies by garden. Note: For this SLM technology case, the SPI report on Sustainable Land Management and Climate Change refers to: Helen Keller International. 2003. Handbook for Home Gardening in Cambodia: The Complete Manual for Vegetable and Fruit Production. Phnom Penh: Helen Keller Worldwide.
This silvo-pastoral system serves multiple purposes: it increases land productivity with the establishment of fruit trees, supports land conservation by limiting livestock to certain areas, reduces water runoff, and improved soil moisture and water retention (especially in areas on high slopes. The integrated orchard with pastureland and fodder production is partially fenced to hinder livestock grazing. Trees are regularly pruned, while the pasture serves as feed for the livestock, with any remaining grass used as cut-and-carry fodder. Note: For this SLM technology case, the SPI report on Sustainable Land Management and Climate Change refers to: Stephens, M.., Donaghy, P. and Griffiths, J. 2010. Silvopastoralism — an opportunity waiting, Farming Ahead January 2010 No. 216, and Montagnini, F., Muhammad, I. and Murgueitio, E. 2013 Silvopastoral systems and climate change mitigation in Latin America. Bois et forêts des Tropiques, 316 (2).
Agroforestry is a collective name for land-use systems and technologies where woody perennials (such as trees, shrubs, palms, or bamboos) are deliberately used on the same land-management unit as agricultural crops and/or animals, in some form of spatial arrangement or temporal sequence. The system has been proposed to farmers and re-introduced to the region with the aim of reducing environmental impacts and energy inputs as well as improving biodiversity and agricultural landscape.