Fertilizer, pesticide, and even manure use is extremely low in Africa. Low-input agriculture, which typically allows growth of 1 percent a year, cannot meet demand growing at 3 to 4 percent a year. Cropping intensification need not be the enemy of the environment, however. Intensification can be accomplished in a way that meets food and fiber supply goals and helps the environment on-farm and off. This approach checks degradation and can enhance the on-farm environment.
Evidence indicates that intensifying farmland use can also protect the commons.
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