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...