This article describes the chief findings of research carried out in four African dryland areas to investigate the validity of the authors' 'Machakos hypothesis', and to derive lessons on appropriate enabling policies. The findings were subsequently submitted to in-country validation and...

The problem of poverty in Africa was often discussed in terms of the agro-ecological specifics and the internal social relations of societies, production systems and economies. It appeared necessary, therefore, for states and international organizations to intervene. Because poverty was...