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Africa, A Biography of the Continent

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by John Reader
published by Penguin Books Ltd, 27 Wrights Lane, London W8 5TZ
1998, 803 pp., ISBN: 0-140-26675-5 (paperback) £14.95.

What are the characteristics that make Africa the fascinating but challenging continent that brings both delight and despair to its peoples and its friends? What are the climatological, environmental and historical pressures that have shaped the continent and its populations? What has been Africa's influence on other countries and continents? And what of Africa's future?

Good biographies reveal details and provide fresh explanations of character to surprise and inform even those who are familiar with the subject, and this biography is exceptionally revealing. Although the subject is a continent and not an individual, it is very much a living entity. The book's appeal to anyone working in agriculture or rural development in Africa, or elsewhere, is not just the deft way that the author presents such a large and complex subject in a constantly fascinating way. Of particular interest are the descriptions of the very earliest attempts at agriculture, how and why they failed, and how crop and animal husbandry were finally developed. Also, the explanations of how time after time and in different parts of the continent, successful exploitation of habitat and resources invariably led to over exploitation, loss of vegetation cover, soil degradation and loss of water sources. At Axum, in Ethiopia, in the Sahel, in what is modern Zimbabwe and in many other places, the same cycle of unsustainable growth was repeated.

Many have been frustrated with the seeming slow pace of development in Africa historically and in present times. What may be overlooked are the disease challenges that are unequalled by any other region of the world; it was in Africa that Man developed and here too that diseases and parasites evolved alongside Man - malaria, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis, trypanosomiasis, hookworm. And in this largely equatorial environment (no other continent has so much of its land mass close to the equator) Africans have had to labour with ancient and nutrient depleted soils in which organic matter rapidly oxidises and from which nutrients are easily leached. In much of the continent there has not even been the option to harness animal power to share the burden of cultivation and transport as the tsetse fly has made much of Africa a no-go area for cattle. Tick-borne diseases have been another curse. Then, there was slavery: the trans Atlantic trade alone removed over 11 million people but probably required the capture of twice as many. East African, North African and internal slaving added substantially to that number. The loss of people and the disruption to communities and agriculture was very great.

But "Africa" is neither a list of past failures nor pessimistic of the future. The author, John Reader, provides a thought-provoking insight to the many successes that have been achieved in Africa, technical, social and cultural; he challenges many common misconceptions of the continent and its peoples, and he offers a lucid explanation of what happened in the past and what may be possible in the future - agriculture and food production included.

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Good news from Africa - Farmers, Agricultural Research and Food in the Pantry

by Ebbe Schiøler, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), 2033 K Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20006 USA
Email: ifpri@cgnet.org
1998, 72 pp., ISBN: 0 89629 700 4 (paperback)

Good News from Africa describes how international agricultural research has affected the welfare of people in 12 communities in five African countries. This book touches only briefly on the actual research process. Instead, it concentrates on describing some of the countless research breakthroughs that are actively helping farmers in Ethiopia, Côte d'Ivoire, Kenya, Uganda and Zimbabwe to get more out of their land.

Behind each breakthrough lies one of nine international centres for agricultural research, including IFPRI, which work alongside local authorities and national researchers. But it is the small farmers who have shown, in practice, that all of the researchers' hard work is worthwhile. Because practical testing, out in the farmers' fields, is where the value of research is put to the ultimate test.

State of the World 1999

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by World Watch Institute, published by W.W.Norton & Company, Inc., 550 Fifth Av., New York, N.Y.10110, USA
1999, 259pp, ISBN: 1853835943 (paperback) £12.95

Just as the Industrial Revolution changed the course of history 200 years ago, an Environmental Revolution may change the course of the next millennia for a more sustainable future. State of the World 1999, the 16th annual edition of the Worldwatch Institute, takes a look at the developments of the past century and, in particular, the catastrophic events of the past year to conclude that our current economic course cannot be sustained in the opening years of the next millennia. The book, presents, chapter by chapter, a view of the changing world that we cannot afford to ignore but also outlines the pathways to a more sustainable system that is already beginning to emerge.

"Feeding Nine Billion", chapter 7, written by the President of the W.W.I, Lester Brown, outlines the technologies that have enabled us to feed the world during this century: irrigation, fertilizers and genetic breeding. As we enter the next millennia in an increasingly divided world of overfed and underfed, Dr Brown analyses the constraints on future food production (land, water and crop productivity) and then outlines the only way he believes we can realistically feed the world in the next millennia.

As we face the increasing challenge of feeding the hungry and malnourished, Lester Brown argues that while food production can be increased, it will become 'much more difficult to sustain the rapid growth needed to keep up with increased demand.' The worst mistake, he claims, that politicians can make is to underestimate the challenge of feeding their people, particularly those with continuing population growth. Governments have to face up to the carrying capacity of their resources in terms of water, land and crop yields in order to project future food supplies. Only when this has been accomplished, can societies then consider what population size and consumption levels they want. This is a difficult balance to achieve and Dr Brown concludes that the time has come to focus on ways and means of accelerating the shift to smaller families in populated countries and, in developed countries, less consumption of animal products - a resource which has already reached its limit.

A strategic approach for managing water resources sustainably

by Alan W. Hall and André Liebaert
published by Directorate-General for Development (DG VIII), Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat 200, B-1049 Brussels
Email: info@dg8.cec.be
1999, ISBN: 92-828-4454-4

This new EC publication sets out comprehensive guidelines for the management of water resources from policy-making through to the planning and implementation of water programmes and the subsequent operation of services. The guidelines argue for a holistic approach to water use which involves a radical change in traditional attitudes towards water management. Divided into three sections the first part of the guidelines sets out the rationale and key concepts involved for water management and includes a full description of the common basic principles already agreed at international level. Part II contains practical aids and checklists to enable the guiding principles to be put into effect by identifying problems that are likely to be encountered. Part III provides supplementary information, such as a glossary of terms and bibliography, as well as detailed information on EC structures and funding in terms of water management. The application of the guidelines is intended to extend the efficient and sustainable use of freshwater resources with special emphasis on those without adequate supplies.

1999 International Pesticide Directory (17th Edition)

published by Research Information Ltd., 222 Maylands Avenue, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP2 7TD, UK
Email: info@resinf.co.uk
1999, ISBN: 0 900184 05 2 (paperback) £30.00/US$68.00

The latest fully updated edition of the International Pesticide Directory provides clear, concise information on trade-named pesticides for the control of specific pests and diseases for particular crops. The Directory is in three parts, allowing quick and easy cross-referencing: Part 1 provides an alphabetical list of 170 pesticide manufacturers and suppliers, their addresses and their products; Part 2 includes a list of over 3,000 pesticides, their active ingredients and brief descriptions of their uses; and Part 3 provides an alphabetic list of active ingredients with all the products based on them.

Overall, the 1999 International Pesticide Directoryprovides excellent value for money and compares favourably with the recently released UK Pesticide Guide 1999 (£22.50) published by CABI.

Pest Management and Food Production: Looking to the Future (2020 Discussion Paper 25)

by Montague Yudelman, Annu Ratta, and David Nygaard
available from International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), 2033 K Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20006 USA
Email: ifpri@cgnet.org

The supply of food in developing countries will have to rise by around 70% by 2020 if the 6.5 billion people who are expected to be living then are going to be food secure. Improved pest management is likely to be an important part of the effort to increase available supplies of food in developing countries. Pest Management and Food Production: Looking to the Future discusses the best mean for reducing food loss due to pests. The paper stresses that the demand for chemical pesticides is expected to grow apace as developing countries intensify crop production to meet national needs. Promoting integrated pest management (IPM) would be one way of reducing chemical pesticide use, according to the authors, but there is still no universally accepted definition of IPM.

The next 20 years will also see a substantial increase in the use of genetically engineered plants, but the overall effect on pesticide use remains to be seen, say the authors. The new technologies have been developed by the private sector in the West so developing countries will have a limited number of options if they wish to take advantage of the fruits of biotechnological research. One option is for the larger, more advanced countries to invest in domestic biotechnology research suited to national circumstances. Another option would be to "leapfrog" the technological gap by arranging to share new technologies with the corporations that own the rights to these technologies. (see GMOs Debate)

Order Networking for development here

Networking for development

by Paul Starkey
published by the International Fund for Rural Transport and Development, New Premier House, 150 Southampton Row, London WC1B 5AL
Email: IFRTD@gn.apc.org
1997, 104pp., ISBN: 1853394300 (paperback) £9.95

'What exactly is a network?' and 'Why do we need them?' are just two of the questions that are answered in this concise and practical guide. Networking is revealed to be more than just a jargon term as the author describes the value of networking as a means of exchanging information and experiences between people from different levels and backgrounds.

The author, Professor Paul Starkey, is a specialist in animal traction and rural transport and, for many years, has acted as Technical Adviser to animal traction networks in Africa. Professor Starkey's extensive knowledge and experience of networks is used in the analysis of networks and networking presented in Part 1 of the book. Part 2 uses the case study of animal traction networks to outline the issues, achievements and problems that illustrate the general networking points summarized in Part 1.

Networks are becoming increasingly important, whether local, national or international. This book provides invaluable advice for those already involved in networks or who are thinking of establishing one. Further reading and a detailed list of contacts for networks are also provided at the end of the book.

Seeds of choice - making the most of new varieties for small farmers

by John Witcombe, Daljit Virk and John Farrington
published by Intermediate Technology Publications Ltd., 103-105 Southampton Row, London WC1B 4HH
Email: itpubs@itpubs.org.uk
1998, 271pp., ISBN: 1 8 5399 447 5 (paperback) £15.95/ US$29.95

It is now widely accepted that "participatory breeding" is an effective pathway for incorporating environmental and social parameters in the breeding and selection of crop varieties. Seeds of Choice, will therefore be of interest to all those concerned with crop improvement as it details procedures for varietal testing, release and commercialization of seeds but includes valued participatory breeding work involving plant breeds and farm men and women.

Seeds of Choice is in four parts: an analysis of varietal testing; varietal release and popularisation; participatory approaches; and scaling up. Many of the chapters are written by eminent Indian scientists involved in the 'All-India Coordinated Crop Improvement Projects' (AICCIPs) which has enabled the rapid identification of superior varieties adapted to different agro-ecological conditions. In recognition of the contributions made by farmers and breeders, India is planning to introduce a "Plant Variety Protection and Farmers' Rights Act". The book draws attention to this work but reveals that reforms are still needed if a greater choice of varieties is to be available and that farmer participation should be an integral part of this challenge. Overall, the book is "concerned with the challenges and opportunities facing the system of regulatory control governing the identification and introduction of new varieties of food crops in India."

Greed or Need? Genetically Modified Crops

by Kitty Warnock and John Bonner
published by Panos Institute, 9 White Lion Street, London N1 9PD
Email: panoslondon@gn.apc.org

While much of the current GMOs debate in the UK focuses on concerns about consumer health and the environment (see Debate on GMOs), this Panos report 'Greed or Need? Genetically Modified Crops' raises an issue of wider importance. Supporters of GM crops point to the high yield they produce; opponents fear that in the long-term, GM crops may be detrimental to the environment and to the livelihood of farmers in poor countries. The report sets out the arguments for and against GM food in the context of the world's food supply and calls for a debate on genetically modified foods to include a discussion on the wider issue of food security for developing countries.

Order Gender, Education & Development here

Gender, Education & Development

Edited by Christine Heward and Sheila Bunwaree
published by Zed Books, 7 Cynthia St., London N1 9JF UK
Email: zed@zedbooks.demon.co.uk
1999, 223 pp., ISBN: 1856496325 (paperback) £13.95/US$ 22.50

Education may be viewed as a principal key to successful development. And education of women has been viewed as an essential part of modern development programmes which have recognised the important role of women in income-generating activities. However, this 'women-only' approach can overlook the complexities of gender-related activities. Formal education can also threaten important indigenous knowledge.

Gender, Education & Development grounds the education of women and girls in the realities of their lives and experiences in diverse areas of the developing world. Drawing on substantial experience from 11 different countries, this book presents new perspectives on previously ignored problems and social groups. The book moves beyond the previous emphasis on access to reveal the questions concerning content of education and the way it is experienced. It also provides an overview of the impact of structural adjustment on education throughout Latin America and Africa and examines why, when access to education has improved so dramatically, the gender gap remains as wide as ever.

Order Tropical Agroforestry here

Tropical Agroforestry

by P Huxley
published by Blackwell Science, Osney Mead, Oxford, OX2 0EL
Email: sarah.kate.powell@blacksci.co.uk
1999, 384 pp., ISBN: 0632040475 (hardback) £69.50

The scientific study of agroforestry is attracting great interest and increasing funding because of its potential to produce sustainable agricultural systems, and agroforestry is now included in most university and college courses covering land use subjects. Tropical Agroforestry is a book that provides an analytical account of the principles, as well as the practices, of agroforestry within the context of the needs of land occupiers. In so doing, the author Peter Huxley, (previously Director of Research Development at the International Centre for Research in Agroforestry in Nairobi), describes the various specialist aspects that are now emerging as part of this discipline. The main objective throughout is to present, in a readable way, the underlying functional basis of woody/non-woody plant mixtures and to give a balanced account of how agroforestry can contribute to sustainable production from land. Understanding the biology of multipurpose trees is a key to this.

Using the wild sunflower, tithonia, in Kenya - for soil fertility and crop yield improvement

by International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF), PO Box 30677, Nairobi, Kenya
Email: ICRAF@cgnet.com
1997, 12pp.

This booklet reveals how soil fertility and crop production can be significantly increased when Tithonia diversifolia is used as a green manure alone or in combination with inorganic phosphorus. Initially introduced into Kenya from Central America as an ornamental plant, tithonia now grows wild but is also used extensively by farmers for live fencing around boundaries and homesteads. Although some leaves are used for composting or fodder for animals, tithonia produces large quantities of biomass which can be better utilized as a mulch for maize and vegetable crops such as kale and french beans. The booklet describes how to propagate the plant, how to apply it as a green manure, and the yields that can be expected with and without tithonia. Overall, the booklet demonstrates the real versatility of tithonia for farmers in Kenya, and perhaps elsewhere.

Order Transgenic Animals in Agriculture

Transgenic Animals in Agriculture

Edited by J.D.Murray, G.B.Anderson, A.M.Oberbauer and M.M.McGloughlin
published by CABI Publishing, Wallingford, Oxon., OX10 8DE, UK
Email: orders@cabi.org
1999, 304pp., ISBN: 0 85199 293 5 (hardback) £55.00/US$100.00

In the past decade, a number of advances have been made in genetic engineering as applied to farmed animals. Current knowledge, methodology, technical improvements and successes in the applications of transgenic technology to a range of livestock are brought together for the first time in this book. Of interest to research workers and others involved in animal genetics, breeding and biotechnology, this book is written by representatives from the leading genetic engineering laboratories around the world. Transgenic Animal in Agriculture covers the current work in attempts to improve agriculturally important mammals, poultry and fish. It also discusses the ethics and animal welfare of transgenic farm animals.

African Inland Fisheries, Aquaculture and the Environment

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Edited by K.Remane
published by Fishing News Books, Blackwell Science, Osney Mead, Oxford, OX2 0EL
Email: fnb@blacksci.co.uk
1999, 320 pp., ISBN: 0 85238 238 3, £49.50

The issue of environmental degradation in African inland waters is increasing and is set to become a serious problem within the next decade unless preventative actions are taken. Nevertheless, the importance of inland fisheries to Africa still has to be recognised, particularly where fish is the main source of protein for rural households.

This comprehensive new book, based on the findings and recommendations of the Committee for Inland Fisheries for Africa (CIFA) reviews the state of the African freshwater environment and fisheries. It also discusses a number of major issues including the impact of dams, climate change, introduction of exotic species and the promotion of sustainable aquaculture. The potential for increasing existing production is also described through better management of existing stocks, utilising unexploited stocks and increasing the use of reservoirs.

Organic Cotton: from field to final product

Edited by Dorothy Myers and Sue Stolton
published by Intermediate Technology Publications Ltd., 103-105 Southampton Row, London WC1B 4HH
Email: itpubs@itpubs.org.uk
1999, 272pp., ISBN: 1 85339 464 5 (paperback) £14.95

Organic agriculture is rapidly gaining ground and organic cotton provides important environmental, economic and social benefits compared with conventional cotton production. But commercial organic cotton production is still a relatively new venture, barely ten years old. Organic Cotton reveals exciting new research and analysis results as well as providing a comprehensive overview of organic cotton production, processing and consumption for all those involved, or interested, in cotton. The book is organized according to the stages in the 'cotton chain' from farmer to consumer, and covers each topic authoritatively with contributions from over 50 people in 20 countries, including the US, Egypt, India, Peru and Turkey, as well as several new projects in Africa.

Full review http://www.gn.apc.org/pesticidestrust/cotton~1.htm

Order Famine in Africa: Causes, Responses, and Prevention

Famine in Africa: Causes, Responses, and Prevention

by Joachim Braun, Tesfaye Teklu, and Patrick Webb
published by John Hopkins University Press, 2715 North Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland, 21218-4319, USA
Email: ifpri@cgnet.org
1998, 218 pp., ISBN: 0801861217, US$39

Though famine has affected many parts of the world in the 20th century, the conditions that produce famine - extreme poverty, armed conflict, economic and political turmoil, and climate shocks - are now most prevalent in Africa. A new book from Johns Hopkins University Press and IFPRI, Famine in Africa, explains the factors that cause famines and assesses efforts to mitigate and prevent them.

Although famines can appear to arise suddenly, they are in fact the result of a confluence of factors over the long term. Drought or war alone need not cause famine. But drought combined with, for example, severe poverty, a fragile resource base, and ineffective government can easily lead to famine. While governments can in principle do much to prevent famine, currently in Africa they are often one of the prime causes.

One success story in the effort to prevent famine is the proliferation of early warning systems, particularly in Africa. These systems have made great progress in alerting authorities to the risk of drought, monitoring locust swarms, and plotting price movements. But early warning systems are less effective at warning of impending civil war or political upheaval - the causes of the worst of today's crises. Famine in Africa states that eradicating famine will require efforts to establish accountable governments, strengthen the administrative tools for recognizing and responding to stress signals, and increase international cooperation.