This article examines the social processes and mechanisms of agrarian changes based on a 23-year (1983-2006) case study of Bemba villages in northern Zambia. The Bemba have engaged in a unique shifting cultivation system called the "citemene" system in miombo woodlands. Villagers have sustained a citemene system that does not greatly exceed the amount required for subsistence. They have also maintained a leveling mechanism of distribution and consumption that promotes equity among the people, which could at times deter innovative changes.
Publishers
- African Study Monographs
Document Type
- Article
Language
- English
Geography
- Africa (Southern) / Zambia
Copyright
- Copyright 2006 African Study Monographs.