Soil Conservation and Smallholder Farmer Productivity: An Analytical Approach

Abstract

This paper analytically examines the relationship between farm household adoption of soil and water conservation practices and productivity in developing countries. A basic microeconomic model of the farm household is adopted and modified to develop the argument. The model reveals the use of soil and water conservation practices positively affects farm household productivity. The paper, however, cautions that the problem of soil and water conservation practices adoption might be inherently dynamic as benefits to some of the practices implemented in the present may only be realised in future, thus, a dynamic approach should be more appropriate for empirical analysis.