Shifting cultivation is generally reckoned to be not such a good idea. Eldis, the information service, has details of a report that says it can be OK, at least in the eastern Himalayas and under the right circumstances. Unfortunately the report itself seems to be behind a paywall, so I’ve been unable to read it. But I wonder, can shifting cultivation really support growing populations?
The problem here is that many things are thrown into the category of ‘shifting cultivation’. Almost any agricultural activity involving burning fallow vegetation is so classified. But such systems vary tremendously in degree of intensification, diversity and productivity. A key element is the labor invested in directing successional processes during the swidden cycle.
I have promised Agricultural Biodiversity a blog entry on the Maya swidden–I haven’t forgotten!
Excellent. We look forward to it!