Africa is the fastest urbanizing region in the world, with the population doubling almost every

20 years. The rural population is growing at a rate of 2.5 per cent per annum, while the urban

population is experiencing 5-10 per cent growth per annum. Urbanization becomes a source

of concern when the challenges it poses are far beyond the national management capacity.

The first meeting of the sub-committee on Geo-information was held at Headquarters of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 29 June to 2 July 1999.

The present paper was prepared as part of the work programme of food and agriculture for the 1988-1989 biennium. It constitutes element 2.4 on multinational co-operation on livestock development in Africa and it focuses on the performance of the sector in the face of government intervention and the structural adjustment programmes (SAP). The effect of the SAP on the achievement of increased collective self-sufficiency and self-reliance in animal food production and supply was given particular attention.

Rapid industrial development has become an all pervasive feature of Africa’s e economic and social development strategy. Agricultural development ceased to be an engine of growth, which it was in the fifties when it contributed 63 per cent (directly and indirectly) to the gross domestic product increment. This contribution has declined to JL8 per cent in the past decade (figure derived for 1960-67), and although this figure may be considered as unduly low-' it shows clearly that Africa's economic structure has been fundamentally altered.

This paper focuses on East Africa: development trends and problems. The East African sub-region onglobes a total area of about 5.5 million kilometers or about 18 percent of the continent’s area.

Economic growth and poverty reduction in Africa can be achieved by enhancing the productivity and profitability of agriculture through the development of agricultural input sector. This paper reviews the current state of agricultural input production, marketing and consumption in

Soy occupies the largest area of agricultural land in Brazil, spreading from southern states to the Amazon region. Soy is also the most important agricultural commodity among Brazilian exports affecting food security and land use nationally and internationally. Here we pose the question of whether soy expansion affects only economic growth or whether it also boosts socioeconomic development, fostering education and health improvements in Brazilian municipalities where it is planted.

Sustaining watersheds that were developed through community mobilization are a major challenge in Ethiopia despite significant efforts to promote soil and water conservation technologies and approaches. This paper investigates the hypothesis that institutional rationality and functionality play an important role in developing enduring watersheds by comparing the good performing Model research watersheds and adjacent watersheds developed through extensively promoted community mobilization.

In the effort to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to food, health, water, and climate, an increase in pressure on land is highly likely. To avoid further land degradation and promote land restoration, multifunctional use of land is needed within the boundaries of the soil-water system. In addition, awareness-raising, a change in stakeholders’ attitudes, and a change in economics are essential. The attainment of a balance between the economy, society, and the biosphere calls for a holistic approach.

State-led development visions and the accompanying large-scale investments at the geographical margins of Kenya rest on the potential of public–private partnerships to fast-tract sustainable development through accelerated investments. Yet, the conceptualisation, planning and implementation of these visions often deploy a depoliticising development discourse that reinforces and expands long-standing misconceptions about the margins primarily directed at pastoral livelihoods and related communal land tenure.

Urban development is occurring in many Sub-Saharan Africa cities and rapid urbanization is underway in the East African city of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In an effort to address urban poverty and increase homeownership opportunities for low and middle-income residents, the City Administration of Addis Ababa initiated a large-scale housing development project in 2005. The project has resulted in the completion of 175,000 units within the city with 132,000 more under construction.