Lesson Learned

Select and promote land management practices that provide direct benefits to farmers in addition to supporting environmental goals.

Select and promote land management practices that provide direct benefits to farmers in addition to supporting environmental goals. While the impetus for the Environment and Natural Resources Management Project was always linked to improving the efficiency of hydropower generation, the evaluation illustrated how participants in grant programs were strongly incentivized to adopt and sustain agricultural and land management practices that also delivered tangible benefits that they directly experienced. While participants were aware and supportive of the broader environmental benefits of the improved practices, their motivation to continue them was bolstered by the increases in crop yields, income, and improved food security they also experienced. Specific practices that contributed to their improved well-being included tree planting, and the use of contour ridges on the land they cultivated. In addition, some participants observed that the increased income from higher yields offered women greater freedom to invest in other income-generating activities and participate more widely in village savings & loan groups. Among the wide variety of land management practices promoted by various grantees, those practices that were most widely adopted were those that provided direct financial benefits for participants – and those benefits were a primary reason cited by respondents as driving their continued use of the methods. While environmental benefits and support from community leaders also played an important role, the personal benefits to farmers were the prominent factor behind sustained adoption, and those practices that yielded the greatest direct benefits were the most widely sustained. In light of these positive results, MCC country teams contemplating future environmental management programs should screen a range of promising practices that are known to support sustainable land management objectives and prioritize those that would also be expected to offer direct economic benefits for farmers and other users of the land. In cases where identifying the most beneficial practices ex ante isn’t feasible within the local context, the project should select and promote a variety of practices with the potential for positive agricultural and financial benefits for farmers; implementation plans should then ensure that learning and feedback loops are incorporated into activities, such that those demonstrating tangible benefits for land users can be determined and further supported.