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Land-use changes by large-scale plantations and their effects on soil organic carbon, micronutrients and bulk density: empirical evidence from Ethiopia

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Abstract

This article examines land-use changes by large-scale plantations in Ethiopia and evaluates the impacts thereof on soil organic carbon, micronutrients and bulk density. Remote sensing analysis and field research activities were undertaken at four large-scale plantation projects in Benshanguel Gumuz, Gambella, and Oromia regional states. Results show that the projects largely involved the conversion of both closed and open to closed forests and grasslands, which in turn reduced soil carbon stock and micronutrient levels and increased soil compaction. We argue that unless appropriate soil management activities and impact mitigation strategies are adopted by plantation proponents, these land-use changes will pose a serious threat to the long-term economic viability and sustainability of plantation agriculture in Ethiopia. This could undermine long-term ecosystem health and national food security.

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Notes

  1. To meet this demand, 20–30 m ha of land will be needed (HLPE 2011). The increased global demand for land to produce biofuel feedstock was estimated to quadruple in the coming 15–20 years (Fairless 2007) and was projected to require 20 % of the world’s agricultural land by 2050 (White and Dasgupta 2010).

  2. Proclamation No. 299/2002 (the Environmental Impact Assessment Proclamation), Proclamation No. 541/2007 (the management and utilization of wildlife resources), Proclamation No. 300/2002 (the Environmental Pollution Control Proclamation), Proclamation No. 513/2007 (the Solid Waste Management Proclamation) and Proclamation No. 197/2000 and Regulation No. 115/2005 (the conservation, utilization and development of water resources in the country), which aimed to reduce the negative impact of development projects on natural resources and the environment, are promulgated following the recognition of environmental issues by the Constitution.

  3. The Agricultural Investment Support Directorate (AISD) is re-structured in late 2013 having a new name called the Agricultural Investment and Land Administration Agency (AILAA). The Agency is directly accountable to the Minister of Agriculture. In its previous structure, the AISD reported to the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and operated with fewer than 35 staff. The Agency is expected to have about 165 staff in its new form.

Abbreviations

AILAA:

Agricultural Investment and Land Administration Agency

AISD:

Agricultural Investment Support Directorate

BD:

Soil-bulk density

BGRIO:

Benshanguel Gumuz Region Investment Office

BSRS:

Benshanguel Gumuz Regional State

Cmol(+):

Centimoles of charge per kilogram of soil

CSA:

Central Statistical Authority

EIA:

Environmental Impact Assessment

EPA:

Environmental Protection Authority

FAO:

Food and Agriculture Organization

FDRE:

Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

HLPE:

High Level Panel of Experts

HoAREC:

Horn of Africa Regional Environment Centre

HoARECN:

Horn of Africa Regional Environment Centre and Network

ILRI:

International Livestock Research Institute

NTFP:

Non-timber forest products

OC:

Organic carbon

PH:

Power of hydrogen

PLC:

Private Limited Company

SOC:

Soil organic carbon

SOM:

Soil organic matter

S & P:

Shampoorji and Pallonji

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the IS Academy of Land Governance (LANDac) and the African Studies Centre, the Netherlands for financing the costs of the field research. We are grateful to the anonymous reviewers who provided constructive comments on the original manuscript. Nevertheless, all errors or omissions belong only to the authors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The African Studies Centre, P.O. Box 9555, 2300 RB, Leiden, The Netherlands

    Maru Shete & Marcel Rutten

  2. St. Mary’s University, P.O.Box 1211, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    Maru Shete & Eylachew Zewude

  3. Department of Human Geography, Radbound University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

    Marcel Rutten

  4. Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), P.O.Box 30677-00100, Nairobi, Kenya

    George C. Schoneveld

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  1. Maru Shete
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Shete, M., Rutten, M., Schoneveld, G.C. et al. Land-use changes by large-scale plantations and their effects on soil organic carbon, micronutrients and bulk density: empirical evidence from Ethiopia. Agric Hum Values 33, 689–704 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-015-9664-1

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