Rural Development Strategies for Poverty Reduction and Environmental Protection in Sub-Saharan Africa

This report traces and evaluates donor and African government strategies for agricultural and rural development in Sub-Saharan Africa over the past 30 years. The author reviews the history and effects of the failed strategies of the 1970s and 1980s (for example, integrated rural development, single-crop development, agricultural credit projects, irrigation projects, and support for social and agricultural services) and analyzes why they were unsuccessful. He also looks at recent approaches to agricultural and rural development in Africa and makes recommendations regarding the World Bank's role in these areas. The book concludes with a summary of comments by African government leaders and nongovernmental organizations. A detailed set of tables from the World Bank's Africa database is provided.