Analyzing successes in agriculture and land management in Sub-Saharan Africa: Is macro-level gloom obscuring positive micro-level change?

Abstract The paper brings to the fore a plethora of proven successes in agriculture and land management in Sub-Saharan Africa over the past 4 decades. Cases can be grouped into those based on agricultural commodities, and those based on areas and people. Success can be proven by indicators. Complicating factors are that (i) an intervention geared at success may lead to multiple costs and benefits instead of the single one envisaged, and (ii) success cannot always be attributed to a single intervention. At the same time, the aggregate picture for the region continues to be gloomy. This dichotomy is analyzed but not yet resolved.

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