Farming Systems and Food Security in Africa

Knowledge of Africa’s complex farming 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 the characteristics, trends, drivers of change and strategic priorities for each of Africa’s fifteen farming systems and their main subsystems. It shows how a farming systems perspective can be used to identify pathways to household food security and poverty reduction, and how strategic interventions may need to differ from one farming system to another. In the analysis, emphasis is placed on understanding farming systems drivers of change, trends and strategic priorities for science and policy.

Illustrated with full-colour maps and photographs throughout, the volume provides a comprehensive and insightful analysis of Africa’s farming systems and pathways for the future to improve food and nutrition security. The book is an essential follow-up to the seminal work Farming Systems and Poverty by Dixon and colleagues for the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and the World Bank, published in 2001.

John Dixon is Principal Adviser Research & Program Manager, Cropping Systems and Economics, Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), Canberra, Australia.

Dennis Garrity is Senior Fellow at the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), based in Nairobi, Kenya, UNCCD Drylands Ambassador, and Chair of the EverGreen Agriculture Partnership.

Jean-Marc Boffa is Director of Terra Sana Projects and Associate Fellow of the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), Nairobi, Kenya.

Timothy Olalekan Williams is Regional Director for Africa at the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), based in Accra, Ghana.

Tilahun Amede is Principal Scientist and Systems Agronomist at the International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Nairobi, Kenya.

Christopher Auricht is Managing Director of Auricht Projects, a niche international consulting firm based in Adelaide, Australia.

Rosemary Lott is Director of Vegetation Connections Pty Ltd, and an Assistant Director, Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Canberra, Australia.

George Mburathi is a former FAO Deputy Regional Representative for Africa, Nairobi, Kenya.