9783631519707

List of abbreviations

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Acknowledgements

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1 Introduction

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1.1 Focus and objectives of the study

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1.2 Thesis outline

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2 Soil erosion in Central America – Main Causes and Promoted Solutions

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2.1 Soil degradation and soil erosion

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2.1.1 Soil degradation and soil erosion worldwide

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2.1.2 Factors influencing soil erosion

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2.1.3 Effects of soil erosion

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2.2 Soil erosion in Central America

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2.2.1 Evidence for the soil erosion problem in Central America

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2.2.2 Factors influencing the soil erosion problem in Central America

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2.2.2.1 Agro-ecological characteristics of Central America

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2.2.2.2 Development of land use patterns in Central America and their importance for the soil erosion problem

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2.2.3 Towards a classification of soil conservation practices promoted in Central America

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3 Environmental Innovations and Technical Change

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3.1 Differences between Environmental and Commercial Innovations

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3.2 "Induced Innovation Theory of Technical and Institutional Change" and Environmental Innovations

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3.2.1 The inducement mechanism for technical change in the "Induced Innovation Theory"

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3.2.2 Environmental innovations and the inducement mechanism described in the "Induced Innovation Theory"

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3.2.3 Technology development according to the "Induced Innovation Theory"

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3.2.4 Interactions between technology users and suppliers with respect to Environmental Innovations

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3.2.5 Induced institutional change and Environmental Innovations

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3.3 Summary

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4 The Adoption of Productivity-Enhancing, Resource-Conserving Technologies in Central America: The Case of the Legume Mucuna (Mucuna spec.) in the Polochic Valley, Guatemala

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4.1 Introduction

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4.2 Methodological issues

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4.3 Description of the study area

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4.3.1 Agro-ecological conditions

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4.3.2 Socio-economic conditions

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4.3.3 The general farming system in the Polochic Valley

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4.3.4 The erosion problem in the Polochic Valley

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4.4 The Maize and the Maize-Mucuna System in the Polochic Valley

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4.4.1 The maize cropping system

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4.4.2 The Maize-Mucuna system

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4.4.2.1 Description and history of Mucuna

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4.4.2.2 Benefits and disadvantages of Mucuna use

100

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4.4.2.3 The Maize-Mucuna system in the Polochic Valley

102

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4.5 Modeling farmers' decision to use Mucuna

110

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4.5.1 The Logit model

111

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4.5.2 The Structural Equation Model with latent variables

118

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4.5.2.1 Theoretical Background

120

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4.5.2.2 Hypotheses

127

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4.5.2.3 Results

131

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4.6 Lessons learned

141

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5 Offering Soil Conservation Technologies to Farmers and Farmers' Response: The Origin and Use of Soil Conservation Techniques in the County of Nueva Concepción, El Salvador

145

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5.1 Introduction

145

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5.2 Methodological Issues

147

(1)

5.3 Description of the study area

148

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5.3.1 General description

148

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5.3.2 The farming system

151

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5.4 Description of the organizations promoting soil conservation practices in Nueva Concepción

151

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5.4.1 General description of the investigated organizations

152

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5.4.2 The selection process of soil conservation practices to be promoted

158

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5.4.3 The promotion of soil conservation techniques

168

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5.5 Farmers' response to the offer of soil conservation techniques

173

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5.6 Lessons learned

182

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6 Summary and Conclusions

187

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References

197

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Annex

Annex 1: Questionnaire about the adoption of soil conservation technology and the maize production system in the Polochic Valley, Dept. of Alta Verapaz, Guatemala

207

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Annex 2: Encuesta: Origen y Desarrollo de las Técnicas de Conservación de Suelo en Nueva Concepción, El Salvador — Organizaciones

229

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Annex 3: Encusta: Origen y Desarrollo de las Técnicas de Conservación de Suelo en Nueva Concepción, El Salvador — Agricultores

238

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List of Figures

247

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List of Tables