Anthropologists and Effective Resource Management

Lenora Bohren

Effective management of subsistence agriculture is based on indigenous technical knowledge (ITK) of local ecosystems. Included in this knowledge are management techniques which produce effective adaptations to micro-environmental niches. New management techniques such as organic soil enhancement must be viewed in the context of relevant land-use practices and local environmental constraints. The Tropical Soil and Biological Fertility (TSBF) research program attempted to look at the management of tropical soils and place it in a socioeconomic context. Anthropologists can take a leading role in evaluating the effectiveness of resource management techniques, such as soil management techniques, by using or modifying such models as Robert E. Rhodes’ Farmer-Back-to-Farmer model to ensure global sustainability.

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