ABSTRACT
There is compelling evidence that sustainable agro-ecological intensification is necessary in the farming systems in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) for an increase in agricultural productivity and profitability, food availability, farm incomes and nutrition, and a reduction in poverty (Pretty et al. 2011). Grain legumes are potentially valuable crops for agricultural intensification and the diversification of farming systems. The middle-and high-altitude areas in Central, Eastern and Southern Africa are endowed with favourable agro-ecological conditions for their production. Grain legumes have the potential to permit households to exploit the comparative advantage of their areas in order to sustainably intensify their production systems and diversify into livestock, using increased crop residues as feed.
