The decline in per-capita agricultural production has been reversed somewhat in tropical Africa by the structural adjustment programs which have increased producer prices, liberalized marketing and devalued currencies. But the 300Jo of smallholder farm households which are female-headed will not...

The food crisis in Africa has entered our living rooms through television and the press. Why is per capita agricultural production lower now than at independence in the early 1960s? This article examines the factors responsible and outlines some solutions. Both external and internal factors have...