This study analyses the impact of land registration and certification scheme on sustainable use of farmlands in Debre Mawi and Densa Bahta rural kebeles of Amhara region in northwestern Ethiopia, with a view to contributing to the theoretical debate on tenure security and more realistic policy advocacy on the sustainable use of farmlands. Within the framework of qualitative research methodology, the case study approach helps to observe and understand the relationship between land titling and sustainable use of farmlands in Densa Bahta and Debre Mawi kebeles of the Amhara region in Ethiopia. Specific methods employed were focus group discussions, in-depth interviews and observation, complemented by context analyses of relevant documents. It was found that land titling has contributed to a high perception of security of land tenure among study respondents. However, results show that land titling has both positive and negative impacts on sustainable use of farmlands. The positive impact of land titling is ascribed to its assurance effect and legal obligation imposed on farmers to adopt proper land management practices. The negative impact of land titling arises from its failure to address the existing inequality in possession of farmlands among the village communities. Failure of farmers’ high perceptions of their security of land tenure to translate into sustainable land use practices has implications for the relative importance of productive asset endowments, self-efficacy and risk perception on the sustainable use of farmlands in the Amhara region. Interviewees that follow unsustainable farming practices were endowed with relatively lower pieces of farmland and disadvantaged in possession of other productive assets. They also demonstrated a low level of self-efficacy and a risk-averse attitude to adopting conservation technologies, as they possessed smaller sizes of farmland compared with the village and regional average. The study urges a holistic approach and comprehensive analytical framework to understand the synergy of several factors that affect the sustainable use of farmlands. / Environmental Sciences / D. Litt. et Phil. (Development Studies)

This study analyses the impact of land registration and certification scheme on sustainable use of farmlands in Debre Mawi and Densa Bahta rural kebeles of Amhara region in northwestern Ethiopia, with a view to contributing to the theoretical debate on tenure security and more realistic policy advocacy on the sustainable use of farmlands. Within the framework of qualitative research methodology, the case study approach helps to observe and understand the relationship between land titling and sustainable use of farmlands in Densa Bahta and Debre Mawi kebeles of the Amhara region in Ethiopia. Specific methods employed were focus group discussions, in-depth interviews and observation, complemented by context analyses of relevant documents. It was found that land titling has contributed to a high perception of security of land tenure among study respondents. However, results show that land titling has both positive and negative impacts on sustainable use of farmlands. The positive impact of land titling is ascribed to its assurance effect and legal obligation imposed on farmers to adopt proper land management practices. The negative impact of land titling arises from its failure to address the existing inequality in possession of farmlands among the village communities. Failure of farmers’ high perceptions of their security of land tenure to translate into sustainable land use practices has implications for the relative importance of productive asset endowments, self-efficacy and risk perception on the sustainable use of farmlands in the Amhara region. Interviewees that follow unsustainable farming practices were endowed with relatively lower pieces of farmland and disadvantaged in possession of other productive assets. They also demonstrated a low level of self-efficacy and a risk-averse attitude to adopting conservation technologies, as they possessed smaller sizes of farmland compared with the village and regional average. The study urges a holistic approach and comprehensive analytical framework to understand the synergy of several factors that affect the sustainable use of farmlands. / Environmental Sciences / D. Litt. et Phil. (Development Studies)

Ökologischer Landbau hat insbesondere in den vergangenen zwanzig Jahren weltweit an Bedeutung zugenommen. Im Zusammenhang mit Ernährungssicherung, ressourcenschonender Landwirtschaft und Umweltschutz ist die Entwicklung und Förderung dieses Bewirtschaftungssystems in vielen Ländern der Erde auf der Agenda. Landwirte, Verbraucher und Politiker verbinden damit die Hoffnung, Landnutzung nachhaltiger betreiben zu können und durch die Kenntnis der naturwissenschaftlichen Zusammenhänge, den Umgang mit pflanzlichen und tierischen Organismen in der landwirtschaftlichen Produktion wesensgemäßer gestalten zu können. Gleichzeitig entsprechen sie damit der Forderung von Konsumenten nach gesunden, nicht belasteten Lebensmitteln und einer intakten Umwelt. Obwohl wir weltweit die Einführung und Etablierung des Bewirtschaftungssystems ökologischer Landbau beobachten können, ist festzustellen, dass die Gründe, Wurzeln und Erscheinungsformen in den einzelnen Ländern unterschiedlich sind. Deshalb sind länderspezifische Analysen und Bewertungen notwendige Beiträge zur Theoriebildung zum ökologischen Landbau. In diesen Kontext ist die vorliegende Arbeit zu stellen. Gegenstand der Arbeit war die Analyse des gegenwärtigen Entwicklungsstandes des ökologischen Landbaus in Südkorea in den Bereichen, wie Entwicklungsgeschichte, Konzeptionen, Institutionen, Produktion und Vermarktung sowie Zertifizierung und Förderungspolitik. In einer Fallstudie wurden ausgewählte ökologisch (Yuki)-wirtschaftende Betriebe analysiert. Es werden damit Lösungsansätze zur Weiterentwicklung des ökologischen Landbaus in Südkorea dargestellt. / Organic farming has increased in meaning world-widely in particular in the past two decades. In relation to securing food supply, resource-preserving farming and environmental protection are the development and promotion of this management system in many countries on the agenda. Organic farming made it possible that farmers, consumers and politicians hope to manage land in a sustainable way, and achieve the handling of vegetable and animal organisms in the agricultural production in a suitable way. At the same time it corresponds to the need of con-sumers for healthy, not polluted food and intact environment. Although we can observe the introduction and establishment of the management system of organic farming in many countries, it needs to specify that that the reasons, roots and manifestations of organic farming in each country are different. Therefore, individual analysis and evaluation for each country necessarily contribute to build their own theory of organic farming. This work has to be viewed in this respect. The purpose of this work is to clarify: - the basic conditions of the organic farming in South Korea, - the practical change of organic farming based on the case study of organic rice cultivation and - the ideas for developing strategy of organic farming in South Korea.