Geospatial datasets and analysis techniques based on geographic information systems (GIS) have become indispensable tools in the planning, implementation and evaluation of a wide range of development programmes, including actions addressing sustainable agriculture and rural development. The…

The present study, by the Chief of the Agrarian and Water Law Section of the FAO Legislation Branch, is intended to explore in greater depth the value of legislation to the land use planning process. It is, on the one hand, an exploration of the ways in which legislation serves to provide the…

Land degradation poses a major threat to agricultural production and food security in Ethiopia, and sustainable land management (SLM) is key in dealing with its adverse impacts. This paper examines the covariates that shape rural livelihood diversification and examines their effects on the…

Agricultural GDP in Ethiopia grew at an average 7.3 percent per year between 2001/02 and 2012/13. Most of this dynamism occurred in the highlands, where high population density and land scarcity begs the question of how future agricultural output can be maintained to sustain the previous decade’…

Soil loss is a major threat to agricultural development in Malawi, and the size of the agricultural sector in the Malawian economy renders it a major limitation to the overall economic development of the country. Soil loss reduces cultivable soil depth, but also takes away fertile soils from…

Land degradation is a major challenge limiting crop production in Ethiopia. Integrated soil and water conservation is widely applied as a means to reverse the trend and increase productivity. This study investigated the effects of such integrated approaches at two sites, Jeldu and Diga, in…