| Rapid population growth in agroecologies that are already under high population pressure poses a major challenge for development policy. It becomes an even greater challenge in complex agroecologies where little new technology for rapid agricultural expansion is available. The mountain zones of the Zaire-Nile Divide in Central Africa present an example of such a challenging environment where agriculture has encroached onto marginal zones, that is, water catchment areas and the last tropical forests of the area. This study by von Braun, de Haen, and Blanken highlights the potentials of agricultural development for the employment, income, and consumption of the poor, but also stresses that nonagricultural rural growth and employment expansion are key to... |
