For areas of mountains where changes in society often have an influence that penetrates later than in more accessible parts of countries, it may be an opportunity to emphasize human values of personal conviction and motivation derived from faith. These incentives become more valuable and important, the more economic considerations tend to dominate world affairs. In the present process of globalisation this becomes more critical. The importance of intangible incentives becomes apparent for instance in projects of soil conservation in third world countries. Certain traditions and conviction derived from faith can contribute to effective care for the land, but have often not been recognised when a strict economic view was applied to planning. In other cases these incentives have been discarded in planning. Genuine participation means the inclusion of the ideas and concerns of the land user right from the inception of development plans onwards. It is probably the best approach to land husbandry and soil and water conservation because it gives the opportunity to: • avoid imposing the limitations of the adviser’s view, • recognise immaterial incentives in the farmers' management • create mutual trust between land users and advisers These are all key factors for effective efforts towards land husbandry. They can be better realised when the expert himself also looks at his own motives for action. He may feel a need for adjustment of them to his highest ideals. After all, the land users may have to adjust to new land use plans. And it becomes clear from set-backs elsewhere, that the recognition and inclusion of immaterial motivation is needed to obtain the sustained commitment, the wholehearted support, to policies and plans by the people concerned.
