Bruenig, E.F. (1996) Conservation and management of tropical rainforests: an integrated approach to sustainability. 339 pp. including index. ISBN 0-85198-994-2. £55.00/US$ 99.00 plus £2 for postage outside UK. CAB International, Walllingford, Oxon OX10 8DE, UK.
Tel.: +44-1491-832 111.
Fax: +44-1491-833 508.
E-mail: cabi@cabi.org

This book summarizes the insights of a professional lifetime in tropical forestry research. Its main message is that although enough scientific knowledge exists about tropical rainforests so that their sustainable management (and implicitly their conservation) is theoretically feasible, most of the timber exploitation in tropical forests continues in an unsustainable fashion without consideration of this knowledge. In the author's opinion this is due to the failure of society (at all levels--from local to global) to rein in the naturally greedy behaviour and short-term perspective of humans.

The book starts with a summary of the current state of knowledge about tropical rainforest ecosystems. The next section, on rainforest use, discusses the relationships between local people and the rainforest, and the potential conflicts between native customary rights and forestry. Although the author writes with great empathy for forest-dwelling peoples, indigenous knowledge has not been the subject of his research, and he does not explicitly consider the possibility of it contributing to improved forest management. A discussion of general principles and strategies for sustainability, and of the specifics of sustainable forestry in rainforests, is followed by a description of forestry in Sarawak. This includes an interesting presentation of the various forest types that occur in Sarawak, with emphasis on the differences in their potential for sustainable management. The remaining sections of the book introduce the reader to degraded ecosystem restoration and short-rotation tree plantations, outline guidelines for sustainable forest management, and discuss timber certification, trademarking and monitoring. The conclusion is a chapter on the failures, major obstacles, trends and needs that have been evident in attempts to sustainably manage tropical rainforests.

The book can be recommended to readers at all levels of expertise. It presents non-technical introductions to the issues, and illustrates them with many examples. The reader is aided by a glossary, extensive cross-referencing between chapters, and a listing of approximately 850 literature references.

To end with a word of caution: the author's personal research experience has been mainly in the Dipterocarp forests. He might be overly optimistic in assuming that sustainable management is technically as easy and potentially as profitable in other tropical rainforest areas as it is in these very exceptional South East Asian forests.

Brüntrup, Michael (1997) Cropping systems in the Borgou/North Benin. Working Paper Series nr. 18. 29 + iv pp. and: Analysis of the impact of management practices on crop yields in Borgou/North Benin. Working Paper Series nr. 21. 23 pp. Universität Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany.

On request, the Working Papers will be sent for only the cost of shipping. Contact Madame F. Bufler, Universität Hohenheim, Sonderforschungsbereich 308, Schwerzstraße 33, D-70599 Stuttgart, Germany.
Tel.: +49-711-459 3326.
Fax: +49-711-459 3315.

Brüntrup's research is part of a larger research programme called 'Adapted farming in West Africa', which started in 1985 for the purpose of improving the productivity of small farms in both dry and humid regions of Benin and Niger. Researchers have been examining the ecological and socio-economic results of integrating high-yield crops (like cotton) into the existing systems of cultivation. Neither Brüntrup's research nor the larger programme are focussed primarily on indigenous knowledge, but the knowledge and opinions of farmers, particularly regarding soil fertility management, are repeatedly discussed in relation to the cropping system and innovations.

A very interesting feature of the two working papers is that Brüntrup combines two sorts of data: results achieved at a research station, and field data which he collected during a survey of farming households in 1991-92. It is a well known fact that there are huge differences between yields at research stations and on real farms. When economists are assessing the impact on farm households of certain interventions, such as the effect of subsidizing fertilizer, it is essential that results be measured under farm conditions.

Working Paper 18 describes the agro-ecological conditions and the cropping system of the Borgou, including crop associations and rotations, cropping practices and schedules, storage methods, and the integration of livestock husbandry into agriculture.

An important conclusion is that the multiple linkages within the cropping sector, particularly for the management of soil fertility, can seriously limit the farmers' ability to respond to market signals. The low fertility of the soil forces farmers to use rotation schemes and fallow periods that limit the choice of crops. Those that are possible are not always economically interesting. The use of manure could solve this problem, but would require increased inputs of labour, which in peak periods is generally not available. The introduction of a modern crop like cotton increases the flexibility of the cropping system. The accompanying use of fertilizer increases soil fertility. This makes it possible to extend the cropping period, which in turn increases the range of choice in crops.

Working Paper 21 studies the effects that certain technologies have on yields: mainly fertilization, mechanization and certain management practices. The main finding is that when there is a low input of technology (with the exception of cotton), yields are determined not by management practices, but mainly by natural conditions (soil fertility, animal devastation, flooding etc.). As one goes north, natural fertility decreases in favour of increased use of new crops and modern inputs. Here, management factors become more important.

Farmers' opinions regarding the effect of fertilization were also studied. Many farmers are aware that mineral fertilizers increase the yields of food crops. Surprisingly, farmers generally rate maize as a crop responding poorly to fertilizers. This is peculiar in view of the fact that maize is generally considered a good candidate for improved crop production because of its strong response to fertilizer.

The papers are interesting for anyone concerned with the special problems of introducing innovations under farm conditions.

Bunders, Joske, Bertus Haverkort and Wim Hiemstra (eds) (1996) Biotechnology: building on farmers' knowledge. 256 pp. ISBN 0-333-67082-5. £ 8.95 MacMillan Education, Houndmills, Basingstoke RG21 6XS, UK.
Tel.: +44-1256-29 242.
Fax: +44-1256-814 642.
E-mail: victorii@macmillan-press.co.uk

This book is based on papers describing rural biotechnologies which were submitted to an international competition organized by the ETC Foundation/ILEIA Newsletter in 1992. Rather than publishing the original papers, the editors invited more established authors to write summary articles on the various topics. The present book suffers somewhat from its long gestation period, but it does offer a good introduction for readers who are interested in indigenous knowledge and are new to biotechnology.

The common definition of biotechnology includes not only such high-tech technology as genetic engineering, but also applications developed by farmers around the world which make use of micro-organisms, cells or tissue from higher organisms. Biotechnology thus includes beer-brewing, cheese-making and the use of neem-based pesticides. The first part of the book—on indigenous bitoechnologies—presents various other examples in the fields of food processing, plant-based bio-pesticides, animal health and crop genetic resources.

A particularly surprising example is a home-made cow vaccine. Fulani pastoralists in Northern Nigeria protect their cattle against a contagious bacterial disease by putting a prepared piece of infected lung tissue under the skin of their healthy cows. They also consciously manage foot-and-mouth disease. It took Western veterinary scientists until 1967 to discover that the causative virus could be transmitted through the air. By this time the Fulani had already been protecting their cattle for years by passing downwind of an infected herd.

In their recommendations for future research, the authors of the chapters on animal health and plant-based bio-pesticides stress that the formal knowledge system would be enriched through the documentation and scientific validation of local knowledge and local practices. The integration of local and formal knowledge in both research and extension is considered the key to a more successful research system.

The second part of the book gives an overview of science-based biotechnologies and concludes that these are usually more expensive than conventional technologies, and they tend to increase the speed and efficiency of research rather than being directly useful to farmers. Whether science-based biotechnologies will be beneficial to small-scale farmers therefore depends less on the technology itself than on whether or not a user orientation has been incorporated into the design of research projects.

The third part focuses on alternative methods for designing research projects. Two participatory research approaches are presented to bridge the gap between science-based biotechnology and the research that small-scale farmers say they need. Most attention is paid to the 'interactive, bottom-up' approach, which is currently used in certain programmes directed at biotechnology for small-scale farmers. This approach draws farmers into the process of formulating research priorities, and is very similar to the 'participatory technology-development' approach, which in the context of this book is even more interesting. The latter also leaves control over the research, and its implementation, to the farmers themselves. Unfortunately, the authors and editors miss the opportunity for a critical discussion of the two approaches, and fail to deal with the issues raised in earlier chapters. This means that the reader who expects a constructive link between indigenous biotechnology and science-based biotechnology will be largely disappointed.

Centre for Development Cooperation Services (CDCS) (1996) Successful natural resource management in southern Africa. 204 pp. ISBN 0-8-6848-980-0. 36.00 Namibia Dollars + 15.00 Namibia Dollars postage (surface mail). The Namibia dollar is equal in value to the South African Rand for exchange purposes. Gamsberg Macmillan Publishers (Pty) Ltd., P.O. Box 22830, Windhoek, Namibia.

This book presents nine case studies of natural resource management in southern Africa, and is written by a group of scientists from several southern African universities in collaboration with the Centre for Development Cooperation Services (CDCS), of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (the Netherlands). Seven of the case studies stem from cooperation between CDCS and its southern African partners. The other two case studies were added since they had similar objectives; one concerns the successful CAMPFIRE wildlife management programme in Zimbabwe and the other discusses the IRALA (Innovative Rural Action Learning Areas) programme.

The introductory chapter first presents and summarizes the case studies and then spells out clearly which lessons have been learned and which issues are at stake. It finishes with some suggestions for follow-up. The farm-level studies provide clear evidence that natural resources can be managed successfully when use is made of local knowledge or when scientific and local knowledge are efficiently blended.

The second chapter deals with recent trends in natural resource management in the West African Sahel, where encouraging strides have been made in spite of the immense challenges that face the fragile environment.

Of the nine case studies, four concern soil and water conservation, two focus on range management, and two on 'people and parks' relationships. The ninth, dealing with the IRALA programme, focusses on farmers' success stories and the factors responsible, under the slogan 'Let the farmer speak'. This programme covers the entire region of the Southern African Development Community, whereas the other case studies concern projects and programmes in Lesotho, South Africa, Swaziland and Zimbabwe. Each case study includes background information, a description of activities, and discussion of the issues involved, the elements that succeeded, and the activities' propsects for sustainability.

Although the case studies are not backed up with quantitative monitoring data, they provide good insight into the various factors leading to success or failure. Interesting examples of success stories deal with the use of indigenous plants as pesticides, local ways of treating dongas (gullies), and experiences with grazing associations.

The book will serve a wide readership in developing and developed countries. It can be used, for example, as the textbook for natural resource management courses at universities and other educational institutions. It will also be an asset for development organizations. The case studies are well presented and offer pleasant reading accompanied by clear figures and a dozen photos showing the various facets of natural resource management in southern Africa.

Eponou, Thomas (1996) Partners in technology generation and transfer: linkages between research and farmers' organizations in three selected African countries. 80 pp. ISSN 1021-4429. ISBN 92-9118-028-9. US$10; persons living and/or working in the South may request a free copy. ISNAR, P.O. Box 93375, 2509 AJ The Hague, the Netherlands.
Tel.: +31-70-349 6100.
Fax: +31-70-381 9677.
E-mail: ISNAR@cgnet.com

The author is a senior fellow in the Policy and Systems Design Programme of the International Service for National Agricultural Research (ISNAR) in The Hague (the Netherlands). The book is one of the author's many works on the generation and transfer of technology through linkages with research institutes. In a surprise departure from his one-country report on Côte d'Ivoire, the author analyzes linkages between research institutes and farmers' organizations in the African countries Burkina Faso, Ghana and Kenya.

The book is based on the premise that there is a system of knowledge and expertise aimed at improving agricultural production through the generation, transfer and use of effective agricultural technologies.

The author asserts that while linkages with farmers' organizations are enshrined in the bylaws and statutes of research institutes, those institutes associate only with wealthy individual farmers whose socio-economic environments are incompatible with those of resource-poor farmers. He blames the failures of linkages in the three countries on two factors: the alienation of farmers caused by research institutes that regard farmers as technically incompetent; and extension systems which consider any direct link between researchers and farmers' organizations as an intrusion into their exclusive domain.

There is no connection between this work and the subject of indigenous knowledge and sustainable development except for the author's implicit criticism of the folly of not tapping the wealth of indigenous knowledge that is present in farmers' organizations.

The success of the linkage between the INERA research institute and the "NAAM" Federation in Burkina Faso is presented in order to buttress the author's claim that agro-ecological, socio-economic and socio-cultural differences will not hamper the generation and transfer of technology as long as proper linkages are established.

This book is recommended for researchers, extensionists, policy-makers and farmers. It can also be a working tool for research institutes and farmers' organizations.

Ifar S. (1996) Relevance of ruminants in upland mixed-farming systems in East Java, Indonesia. 139 pp. ISBN 90-5485-581-9. PhD dissertation, Wageningen Agricultural University, the Netherlands. Copies are available upon request from Wageningen Agricultural University, Dept. of Animal Sciences, Animal Production Group, P.O. Box 9101, 6700 HB Wageningen, the Netherlands.
Tel.: +31-317-48 3120.
Fax: +31-317-48 5006.
E-mail: office@alg.vh.wau.nl

Ifar S. is currently responsible for research at the Faculty of Animal Husbandry of Brawijaya University, Malang (Indonesia). He has substantial experience with interdisciplinary, integrated research on farming systems in East Java.

His dissertation is a balanced, integrated case study of local social and farming systems and the associated technical aspects of livestock and animal feed resources. It is based on research conducted as part of the collaborative INterdisciplinary RESearch project (INRES) of Brawijaya, Wageningen, and Leiden Universities.

The book describes upland agriculture in Java--with a focus on the marginal limestone area of south Malang--and analyzes two contrasting villages. Of the two villages, Putukrejo has flatter land and deeper soils. It mainly produces sugar cane and annual crops, while Kedungsalam, with its poorer, more sloping land, has a mixture of crops plus agroforestry.

The dissertation presents sound social science based on data gathered through interviews and observation. Local systems for sharing cattle and animal feed resources are described, and the tangible and intangible benefits of keeping cattle are expressed in quantitative terms. In general, "If the intangible benefits are counted in, farmers arrive at a daily return to labour from livestock similar to the ongoing daily wages in the agricultural sector. Systems for sharing ruminants enable the available labour and capital to be better used and distribute wealth more evenly in the village, and play a major role of replenishing herds after periods of severe drought" (abstract).

The dissertation also provides a clear, quantitative analysis of the availability and use of forage, of ration compositions and nutrient concentrations, of the labour input needed for forage gathering, and of animal weight gain and reproduction. The analysis concludes that, "...farmers in both [villages] adapt feeding practices and herd size remarkably well to the resources at their disposal" (p. 99).

Although the book does not specifically deal with indigenous knowledge, the analysis shows the clear rationality of farmers' practices. Herd size is adapated to the range and availability of different feed resources. Animal and fodder sharing are mechanisms with benefits from a systems point of view. Although farmers know that feed quality differs and that improved feed quality can increase cattle reproduction and weight gain, they have not adopted most 'recommended' practices because of their cost. The research supports the idea that "...farmers in the marginal uplands are efficient within the contraints of the existing farming systems" (p. 116) and that adoptable innovations are extremely difficult even for 'good' farmers to develop in marginal lands (Fujisaka 1997).

Again, while not about indigenous knowledge, the book has distinctive features—an integration of disciplines, evidence of collaborative research, quantification of social and biophysical factors, and a combination of research tools ranging from participant observation to modelling—which should be of considerable value to anyone working in complex, marginal systems in which livestock is a component and sustainable development a concern.

Mensvoort, M. E. F. van (1996) Soil knowledge for farmers, farmer knowledge for soil scientists. The case of acid sulphate soils in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. 135 pp. ISBN 90-5485-555-X. Thesis, Wageningen Agricultural University, the Netherlands. With summaries in English, Dutch and Vietnamese. Copies are available upon request from Wageningen Agricultural University, Soil Sciences and Geology, P.O. Box 9101, 6700 HB Wageningen, the Netherlands.
Tel.: +31-317-48 4410.
Fax: +31-317-48 2419.

The author studied at Wageningen Agricultural University (the Netherlands), graduating in 1973 with specializations in soil survey, soil fertility and agrohydrology. Since 1980 he has been involved, as a researcher and project coordinator, in Nuffic-supported projects with Can Tho University in Vietnam. His thesis describes the VH-10 project on acid sulphate soils, and the findings--both agro-ecological and socio-economic—that have emerged from the project's 12-year history.

Students of soil science will learn much about the nature, dynamics, diagnostic features and land uses of acid sulphate soils, particularly those of the Mekong Delta. Experienced fieldworkers and researchers will be stimulated to think about and develop practical ways to take advantage of the potential offered by three-way links between farmers, agricultural field staff, and researchers.

Small-farm settlement in the Mekong Delta has resulted in successful use of many acid sulphate soils under a wide range of techniques and production systems developed by farmers, all of which rely on appropriate control of available supplies of both fresh and salt water in the wet and dry seasons. As scientific staff began to understand the farmers' knowledge better, they began to acknowledge its great value as a resource. This led to the farmers' methods of land use and their experience with the soils being used as the basis for two formal land-evaluation activities in the delta. These are presented as case studies.

Scientific knowledge of these soils is now seen as an adjunct to, and possible enrichment of, the already considerable knowledge that farmers possess. This represents a significant inversion of priorities, which might well be emulated in other places and for other aspects of rural development.

The nature of the successful collaboration between a Dutch university and a Vietnamese university that characterized the 12 years of the VH-10 project is clearly described. This publication can therefore be a valuable guide for future collaborative work of this sort at other places.

If the new knowledge gained about these soils during this project is to be made understandable and usable by farmers and fieldworkers, it should be compiled into practical manuals. This would require some sympathetic and enlightened editing of the contents, but the result will further enhance the significance of this interesting and thought-provoking thesis.

Veldhuizen, Laurens van, Ann Waters-Bayer, Ricardo Ramírez, Debra A. Johnson and John Thompson (eds) (1997) Farmers' research in practice: lessons from the field. ix + 285 pp. ISBN 1-85339-392-4. £9.95 Intermediate Technology Publishers, 103/105 Southampton Row, London WC1B 4HH, UK.
Tel.: +44-171-436 9761.
Fax: +44-171-436 2013.

This book is a generous documentation of farmers' involvement in participatory technology development. As many as 17 case studies from around the world are presented in its 17 chapters--eight from Africa, three from South East Asia, four from Central America, and three from Europe. The accounts are presented in five broad categories:

• Grasping farmers' research;
• Adding technical options;
• Improving experimental design;
• Sustaining the process;
• Lessons and challenges for farmer-led experimentation.

The subjects of the case studies include: developing the most effective traps for the mole rat pest in Ethiopia; establishing effective collaboration with the state agricultural university and research station in the Punjab state of India; formation of farmers' research committees in Colombia; and potato growers' establishment of their own research laboratory in the Netherlands. The studies show clearly that experimention by farmers is a continuous process made possible by their repository of indigenous knowledge, and triggered by successes or failures which motivate them to search on their own for technological innovations to achieve better and more sustainable farming methods.

Researchers, farmers and extensionists will find this book useful in their search for research options and methodologies, and for mechanisms for the successful generation and transfer of technology.

Emery, Alan R. & associates (1997) Guidelines for environmental assessment and traditional knowledge (prototype). Enquiries: Acdi/CIDA, Policy Branch, 12^th floor, 200 Promenade du Portage, Hull, Quebec, Canada.
Tel.: +1-819-953 9129.
Fax: +1-819-953 3348.
E-mail: peter_croal@acdi-cida.gc.ca

The World Council of Indigenous People and the Centre for Traditional Knowledge are preparing these guidelines as part of a joint project funded by the Canadian International Development Agency and Environment Canada. The guidelines are meant for the various stakeholders who design and implement development projects. They offer suggestions on how to include indigenous peoples and their knowledge in the process, so that mutually beneficial results occur which are based on fair play and equity. The guidelines are divided accordingly into three sections: guidelines for indigenous peoples, for corporations, and for government.

Barnard, David (ed.) (1997) PRODDER: The Southern African development directory. Cost: Southern Africa: R175 + R25 for postage; international: US$ 80 (postage included). Enquiries: Programme for Development Research--PRODDER, Human Sciences Research Council, P.O. Box 32410, 2017 Braamfontein, South Africa
Tel.: +27-11-482 6150.
Fax: +27-11-482-4739.
E-mail: BB@zeus.hsrc.ac.za att Ms Beverly Bernhardt

The 1997/98 edition of PRODDER: the Southern African development directory was launched on 26 November 1997. It is the seventh edition of this reference work. Dignitaries from international organizations and government representatives, along with distinguished guests from the NGO sector and private enterprise, were present to celebrate the occasion.