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Things Fall Apart?1 Management, Environment and Taungya Farming in Edo State, Southern Nigeria

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 March 2011

Pauline von Hellermann
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Abstract

Environmental degradation in Africa is often linked to management failure and political decline. One example of this is the dominant understanding of the unfolding of Taungya farming in Southern Nigeria in recent decades. An agro-forestry method of afforestation introduced by the colonial Forest Department in the 1920s and widespread by the 1960s, it is now perceived as a means of destroying the forest. Indeed, whilst reserve land continues to be allocated for Taungya farming, today, due to the Forest Department's political and economic difficulties, no more trees are planted. But this does not necessarily constitute a political and environmental crisis. Through an ethnographic and historical study of Taungya farming in the Okomu Reserve in Edo State, this article shows not only that there were always problems with Taungya as a method of afforestation, but also that its recent transformation may be seen as quite successful, both socially and environmentally. In this way, the article challenges both the ‘crisis’ perception of Taungya farming today and conventional ideas about what constitutes proper management and mismanagement.

Résumé

La dégradation de l'environnement en Afrique est souvent li ée à une défaillance de gestion et à undéclin politique. Un exemple en est l'interprétation dominante de l'évolution du taungya dans le Sud du Nigeria au cours des récentes décennies. Système agroforestier introduit par l'Office des forêts colonial dans les années 1920 et très répandu jusque dans les années 1960, il est aujourd'hui perçu comme un moyen de détruire la forêt. En effet, alors que des terres réservées continuent d'être allouées au taungya, aujourd'hui, en raison des difficultés économiques et politiques de l'Office des forêts, on ne plante plus d'arbres. Mais ceci ne constitue pas nécessairement une crise politique et environnementale. À travers une étude ethnographique et historique du taungya dans la Réserve Okomu de l' État d'Edo, cet article montre non seulement qu'il y a toujours eu des problèmes avec le taungya en tant que système de boisement, mais également que sa transformation récente peut être considérée comme un succès, tant sur le plan social qu'environnemental. Ainsi, l'article remet en question la perception de “crise” du taungya aujourd'hui et les idées conventionnelles de ce qui constitue une gestion adéquate et une mauvaise gestion.

Type
Research Article
Information
Africa , Volume 77 , Issue 3 , August 2007 , pp. 371 - 392
Copyright
Copyright © International African Institute 2007

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