What is shifting cultivation? Why did the European foresters regard this practice as harmful for the forests?
CBSE Class IX Social Science LA (5 Marks)
Answers
In shifting agriculture certain parts of the forest are selected, cut and burnt. This is done in rotation. Then seeds are sown in the ashes after the monsoon. The crop is ready to be harvested by October-November. This cultivation is carried on for two to three years. After this, the land is left fallow for about 12 to 18 years. This allows the forest to grow back again. Cultivators grow different crops on this land. It varies from region to region. In central India and Africa, it could be millets, in Latin America, maize and beans and in Brazil, manioc. (5) This practice of shifting agriculture was considered by European foresters as harmful.
> They were of the opinion that any land that was cultivated in this manner could not produce trees which would yield timber for railways.
> They also argued that burning of forests was a dangerous activity. The flames could spread and burn valuable timber.
> In addition, the government found that calculation of tax was a problem with shifting agriculture as the cultivators did not stay on the same piece of land for more than three years.
> The government, hence, decided to ban shifting agriculture. Many people lost their means of livelihood and were displaced from their homes.
(ii) European foresters regard this practice as harmful for forest because:-
(a)European foresters needed forests for timber production. They felt that land which was used for shifting cultivation every few years could not grow trees for railway timber.
(b)When a forest was burnt, there was the added danger of the flames spreading and burning valuable timber.
(c)Shifting cultivation also made it difficult for the government to calculate taxes.
(iii) Therefore, the government decided to ban shifting cultivation. As a result, many communities were forcibly displaced from their homes in the forests.