ABSTRACT

There is an urgent need to increase agricultural productivity in sub-Saharan Africa in a sustainable and economically-viable manner. Transforming risk-averse smallholders into business-oriented producers that invest in producing surplus food for sale provides a formidable challenge, both from a technological and socio-political perspective. 

This book addresses the issue of agricultural intensification in the humid highland areas of Africa – regions with relatively good agricultural potential, but where the scarce land resources are increasingly under pressure from the growing population and from climate change. 

In addition to introductory and synthesis chapters, the book focuses on four themes: system components required for agricultural intensification; the integration of components at the system level; drivers for adoption of technologies towards intensification; and the dissemination of complex knowledge. It provides case studies of improved crop and soil management for staple crops such as cassava and bananas, as well as examples of how the livelihoods of rural people can be improved. 

The book provides a valuable resource for researchers, development actors, students and policy makers in agricultural systems and economics and in international development. It highlights and addresses key challenges and opportunities that exist for sustainable agricultural intensification in the humid highlands of sub-Saharan Africa.

chapter 3|16 pages

The agro-ecological solution!?

Food security and poverty reduction in sub-Saharan Africa with an emphasis on the East African highlands

part I|62 pages

System components

part II|69 pages

System integration

chapter 10|13 pages

Towards ecologically intensive smallholder farming systems

Design, scales and trade-offs evaluation

part III|56 pages

Drivers for adoption

part IV|60 pages

Communicating and disseminating complex knowledge

chapter 19|11 pages

Walking the impact pathway

CIALCA's efforts to mobilize agricultural knowledge for the African Great Lakes region

chapter 20|14 pages

Scalability and farmer heterogeneity

Implications for research on sustainable intensification

chapter 21|13 pages

Integrated Agricultural Research for Development (IAR4D)

An approach to enhance the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in the Lake Kivu region