Notes to broadcasters on controlled grazing:
Date Posted: June 23rd, 2008
The article touches on a subject of interest and concern to almost all farmers – the regeneration of land that has become dry and infertile. It is estimated that some 12 million hectares of land become unusable each year. Causes include improper management, such as overgrazing, and climate change.
But as the example of controlled grazing or “bunching” demonstrates, there are practical ways that farmers can protect the fertility of their land, and even reclaim land that has been degraded. This subject was explored in the Farm Radio script Villagers use grazing system to protect their land (Package 45, Script 2, July 1997), as well as the radio drama The Long Dry Season: A Tale of Greed and Resourcefulness. You can also find numerous scripts on soil fertility and management by visiting Farm Radio International’s online archives, where scripts are sorted by subject: http://www.farmradio.org/english/radio-scripts/.
You may wish to find examples of what farmers in your area are doing to fight land degradation by:
-inviting farmers to call in and discuss their land management techniques
-speaking to farmers’ cooperatives or other agricultural experts who can explain land management techniques that have proven effective in your area.
For further information on land degradation and rehabilitation, you may find the following links useful:
-the home page for Holistic Management International: http://www.holisticmanagement.org/
-a search function on the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification’s website, which allows you to find NGOs working on the issue in most countries: http://www.unccd.int/ngo/accreditationDB/search.php .
