ABSTRACT
Colonial agricultural research stations were established in Africa and Asia to work on the development of hybrids and higher-yielding varieties, mainly of cash crops. The 1950s and 1960s were a period of impressive breakthroughs in food crop research. The new varieties were more dependent on fertilizer and pesticides than traditional agriculture; investment costs often put them beyond the means of small farmers. Tropical deforestation is a relatively new environmental issue, publicized in part by the Brundtland Commission. The major causes of deforestation are directly linked to poverty the poverty of individuals and the poverty of nations. The fundamental alteration can lead to programming efforts which are driven by narrow, short-term economic concerns, and which fail to appreciate the broader context within which genuine sustainability must exist. As a concept, therefore, agricultural sustainability requires careful thought, especially by donor agencies.
