FIRST PARAGRAPH OF CHAPTER: Uzbekistan emerged as an independent state in September l99l with a legacy of an undiversified monocultural agriculture heavily specialized in cotton. During the Soviet era, cotton production in Uzbekistan registered persistent gains from the very beginning of collectivization in 1928, often at the expense of wheat and other cereals.

To promote development, there is increasing need for activities and policies which generate and diversify income in rural areas. The starch industry in Viet Nam provides a good example of rural industrialization whereby low-value agricultural commodities such as cassava and canna are processed into high-value commodities such as starch to be used in a variety of food and non-food industries. Though this sector is relatively small, it has a high potential in terms of demand growth, poverty reduction, and income diversification in rural areas, particularly the less favored ones.

In preparing an investment project, development strategies and project components are defined and revisited during project formulation through a consultative process that often includes Socio-economic and Production Systems Studies. These studies are conducted to develop an appreciation of the situation in which the intended beneficiaries live, and their perceptions of their problems, needs and priorities.

Agricultural and Livestock Policy nine general objectives are: Assure basic food security for the nation, and to improve national standards of nutrition by increasing output, quality and availability of food commodities. Increase food crops production through productivity and livestock growth will be encouraged to private sector. Improve standards in the rural areas through increased income generation from agricultural and livestock production, processing and marketing: encouraging exports of cash crops, livestock products and agricultural surpluses.

Les pays de l'Afrique du Sahel sont soumis, et particulièrement au cours des dernières décennies, aux à aléas climatiques et éprouvent de ce fait les plus grandes difficultés à assurer leur autosuffisance alimentaire. Les populations rurales confrontées à un milieu de plus en plus hostile délaissent les campagnes pour migrer et venir grossir les effectifs des populations urbaines non productives.

Historically, water management has not been easy in the sub-region. Three climate interlinked factors have had a direct influence on it. The first is the aridity that affects all countries of the sub-region. It is impressing to think that about ninety percent of the area of the Maghrebine countries receive less than 100 mm rainfall per year that is poorly distributed. The second is the huge evaporation from open water reservoirs. For example, annual losses due to canal evaporation reach 2 cubic km in Egypt. Another factor is drought.