Data from: Shifting to settled cultivation: changing practices among the Adis in Central Arunachal Pradesh, north-east India

In the hilly tropics, although shifting cultivation is a widespread practice, government policies have attempted to replace it with other land uses. However, several factors determine whether farming communities can make the shift. We tried understanding the factors that facilitate or impede the shift to settled cultivation through interviews with the Adi tribe in north-east India. Although settled cultivation was initiated in the 60s, about 90 % of the families still practise shifting cultivation, observing 13 festivals associated with the annual agricultural calendar. Our results indicate that the economic status of a household determined whether a family undertook settled cultivation, while labour availability was important for shifting cultivation. Often, these nuances are ignored in the Government policies. We conclude that future policies should be mindful of cultural and socio-economic factors that affect the community and of the social-ecological resilience of the landscapes and not use a one-size-fits-all strategy.在丘陵热带区域，尽管轮歇耕作（shifting cultivation）是一种广为普及的农耕实践，但当地政府政策一直试图以其他土地利用模式取而代之。然而，诸多因素决定了农业社区能否顺利完成这一耕作模式转型。本研究通过对印度东北部阿迪部落（Adi tribe）的访谈，旨在厘清推动或阻碍向定居耕作（settled cultivation）转型的各类影响因素。尽管定居耕作已于20世纪60年代在当地启动推行，但目前仍有约90%的家庭依旧采用轮歇耕作，且恪守与年度农业历法相关的13项节庆传统。研究结果显示，家庭经济状况是决定农户是否选择定居耕作的核心因素，而劳动力可得性则对轮歇耕作的开展至关重要。这类关键细微差异往往在政府政策制定过程中被忽视。本研究最终认为，未来的政策应充分考量影响当地社区的文化与社会经济因素，以及区域景观的社会生态韧性（social-ecological resilience），切勿采用一刀切的施政策略。