This book is the product of a six-year multi-disciplinary collaborative
research program in sustainable agriculture and natural resource
management. It describes the transition of the conflict-ridden
agricultural and pastoral systems of arid and semi-arid regions of West
Africa to more intensified agricultural and animal husbandry systems.
The research investigates technological options and decision tools and
explores a replicable methodology for building social capital within a
rural community in the Inland Delta of the Niger River.
The chapters recount the efforts of researchers and development agents
to identify new approaches for sustainable development and the
experiences of the local population seeking a pathway from poverty and
food insecurity to a healthy economy and environment.