Farming Systems and Food Security in Africa: Priorities for Science and Policy Under Global Change

ISBN-13: 9781138963351 / Angielski / Twarda / 2019 / 638 str.

John Dixon; Dennis P. Garrity; Jean-Marc Boffa

Opis

Africa has an immense variety of farming systems. An improved knowledge of these complex systems, set in their socio-economic and environmental context, is an essential ingredient to developing effective strategies for improving food and nutrition security. This book systematically and comprehensively describes and classifies the characteristics, trends, drivers of change and strategic priorities for each of thirteen African farming systems and their main subsystems. It shows how a farming systems perspective can be used to identify pathways to household food security, poverty reduction and strategic interventions and how these differ from one farming system to another. Emphasis in the analysis is placed on understanding systems dynamics, determinants of change and strategic priorities for science and policy. Highly illustrated with full colour maps and photographs throughout, the volume provides an essential follow-up to and application of the seminal work Farming Systems and Poverty by Dixon and colleagues for the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and World Bank, published in 2001.

Spis treści

Part I Introduction  1. Africa through the farming systems lens: context and approach  2. Methods and data sources  Part II Analysis of farming systems  3. Maize mixed farming system: an engine for rural growth and poverty reduction  4. The agropastoral farming system: Achieving adaptation and harnessing opportunities under duress  5. The highland perennial farming system: Sustainable intensification and the limits of farm size  6. The Root and Tuber Crop Farming System: diversity, complexity and productivity potential  7. The cereal-root crop mixed farming system: a potential bread basket transitioning to sustainable intensification  8. The highland mixed farming system of Africa: diversifying livelihoods in fragile ecosystems  9. The tree crop farming system in the humid lowlands of Africa: stagnation, innovation and forest degradation  10. The pastoral farming system: Balancing between tradition and transition  11. The fish-based farming system: maintaining ecosystem health and flexible livelihood portfolios  12. The forest-based farming system: highly diverse, annual and perennial systems under threat  13. Large-scale irrigated farming system: The potential and challenges to improve food security, livelihoods and ecosystem management  14. The arid pastoral and oasis farming system: key centres for the development of trans-Saharan economies  15. Perennial mixed and island farming systems: exploiting synergies for maximum system productivity  16. Urban and peri-urban farming systems: feeding cities and enhancing resilience  Part III Synthesis and conclusions  17. Farming and food systems potentials  18. Ways forward: strategies for effective science, investments and policies for African farming and food systems  19. Conclusions: implementation of the farming systems approach for African food security