scope:

Africa is overwhelmingly a rural continent. Depending upon the country, three to four out of every five people live and work in the rural sector. Agriculture is far and away the most important economic activity on the continent, both in terms of personal and national income. Yet, African agriculture is today in a state of crisis. The University of Florida's Center for Africa Studies and the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences sponsorship brought together the authors of this book to discuss their differences and personal perspectives. No single book, conference or even series of conferences can, in and of themselves, alleviate the food production crisis and economic stagnation in Africa. Individually and collectively the contributors to this volume and the editors have furthered our understanding of the nature of the seamless web of political, technical I and structural constraints that have served to create the stagnation of livestock production as part of the larger intractable food problem confronting Africa and its people.

Author: James R Simpson