ABSTRACT
It is time to revisit the huge challenge this book addresses. We and our contributors have focused on the livelihood challenges of over 200 million people in East Africa, most of whom are members of a group Paul Collier calls the “Bottom Billion.” These are generally people and households who make their livings through subsistence agriculture in rural areas. Agricultural productivity, growth, and investment in subsistence agriculture are therefore natural starting points for thinking about what needs to be done to improve the livelihoods of farm households in East Africa.
