Sustainable agricultural development in Africa

Despite this dismal picture, there is reason to believe that Africa can substantially increase its agricultural productivity, according to this report. Section I of the report provides a brief assessment of the continent"s agricultural potential. Section II defines sustainable agriculture as a production system that indefinitely meets rising demands for food and fiber at economic and environmental costs consistent with rising per capita welfare of the people served by the system, and describes how changes in total productivity over time can be used as indicators of whether or not Africa"s agricultural system is on a sustainable path. Section III discusses the two requisites of productivity growth: improvements in natural resource management, and new commodity technologies; it is suggested that, due to the time lag between the beginning of research and the availability of economically new technology to farmers, the research effort should be expanded without delay. Finally, Section IV describes how rapid population growth and weak institutions are the two most significant obstacles on Africa"s road to sustainable agriculture. Includes references.