ABSTRACT
Agricultural issues pose some of the most serious and persistent challenges confronting national policy makers in Africa. The debate over agricultural policy involves several fundamental considerations. Policy advocates who emphasize production support projects which differ significantly from the approaches recommended by those who focus on problems of distribution. This chapter is concerned with declining food-crop production and the social and environmental impact of externally inspired agricultural development schemes. It considers the alternative approaches that are available to national policy makers in Africa who are committed to environmental conservation, the equitable distribution of resources, and sustainable self-reliant development. In Africa's structural adjustment phase, governments have been eager to introduce measures favoring large-scale capitalist agricultural undertakings. In Nigeria and elsewhere in Africa, externally designed and financed agricultural production methods pose serious threats to the long-term carrying capacity of the land. The specific dimensions of a sustainable agriculture program will draw upon indigenous insights and adapt appropriate external achievements.
