Space of land degradation: Factors affecting land use practices in central highlands of Sri Lanka

This study examines the social context of land degradation. It relates some of the theoretical positions explaining land degradation to two smallholder farming systems in Sri Lanka's ecologically vulnerable central-highland region.; The region's cooler climate attracts exotic vegetable crops which require land degrading practices. Replanted or mismanaged tea, and growing temperate-climate vegetables are major factors contributing to soil erosion in this ecologically vulnerable region. Additionally, degradive land-use practices by smallholder farmers is linked to the state policy that supports such practices and to population pressure. The existence of plantations are a major factor in limiting land available for the region's growing rural population. Poverty in the region is related to the policies that were begun by British government; these were modified by post colonial government welfare measures like the "rice ration." In addition, cultural factors that justify simple life styles are influential in encouraging the poor to "tighten the belt" rather than engage in expansion of agriculture at the intensive margin.; A major implication of this research is that in spite of the fact that social science theories often paint a facile picture of land degradation in less-developed countries, and one amenable to simple policies, in reality the "social space of land degradation" is complex. Ecologically sustainable farming systems are brought under heavy social pressure, as their economic importance declines. On the other hand, economically more sound farming systems are ecologically degradive. The political, economic and social context in which the solution to the problem has to be found was firmly laid during the colonial era.