Addressing problems of cultivation of marginal agricultural land

The Guesselbodi forest management plan in Niger has been designed to produce long-term sustainability of the Sahelian land resource and with popular participation. The parcelled national forest is being managed with many goals, both of the researchers and local villagers, to maximize the restoration of degraded land and species and to be viable in the long and short-term to the region are the main priorities. It is a rare example of a complementary interaction of outside scientists and local knowledge and concern. The project deals with soil erosion, restoration, fuelwood tree species, carrying capacity for rangeland and farmland, windbreaks, water harvesting, agroforestry, among other development topics. It has also had to deal with issues of indigenous management, ineffectiveness and destruction of production-oriented development, and popular participation with external researchers.

Prickly-pear cacti are widely cultivated in Sicily; the most widespread and economically important is [Opuntia ficus-indica]. In Sicily it has, since its introduction, played an important role in the exploitation of marginal areas and has an extensive history of traditional cultivation practices, leading to the present intensive production of late fruit. The flowers and cladodes of the plant are also used.