Food insecurity is expected to accelerate substantially in sub-Saharan Africa where available evidence suggests that environmental degradation such as soil erosion, desertification and deforestation is seriously depend for increasing their agricultural productivity. As a result, about 44 percent of Africa's population live below the poverty line earning an income of about $39 per month.

Chapter 2 situates the scene by presenting the historical background to the research area. First, a brief outline of the research village's history is provided. The main part of the chapter is devoted to the elaboration of case material relating to a number of conflicts over land, along the border between the kingdom of Ratenga and the kombere of Piugtenga and in which the village of Ziinoogo has been involved.

Burmese version

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.