Authors : Edward Yomba

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 10 - October

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/3tff558u

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26Oct585

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.

Abstract : Sustainable agricultural intensification is increasingly important in areas where agricultural land is constrained by environmental degradation, competing land uses and declining soil resources. Kono District, Sierra Leone, presents a particularly important case because agriculture operates within a landscape historically shaped by extensive mineral extraction and associated land-use pressures. This study assesses agricultural land-use efficiency and cropping-system diversification in Kono District using secondary data from the 2024 Sierra Leone Annual Agricultural Survey (SLAAS), complemented by relevant literature on sustainable intensification and mining-related land degradation. The study employs a descriptive and comparative analytical design. Agricultural land-use efficiency is assessed using a land-utilization ratio based on average planted area relative to average agricultural area, while cropping-system diversification is assessed from the reported shares of pure-stand, mixed and intercropped systems. The analysis shows that Kono has a relatively large agricultural land base but a lower land-utilization ratio than the national average. Its cropping system is also strongly dominated by pure-stand cultivation, while mixed cropping and intercropping together account for a smaller share than the national level. These patterns indicate opportunities for productivity growth through improved management of suitable agricultural land rather than uncontrolled expansion into new land. Mining-related evidence further indicates that degradation, farmland loss and vegetation disturbance have historically affected agricultural landscapes in Kono. The study argues that sustainable intensification should therefore combine rehabilitation of degraded agricultural land, soil fertility management, appropriate cropping-system diversification, improved extension services and market development. The findings provide a district-level evidence base for integrating agricultural development with land restoration and sustainable natural-resource management in Kono District.

Keywords : Land Use Efficiency, Cropping System Diversification, Sustainable Intensification Services, Mining, Kono District.

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