Farming Systems in Namibia

Farming Systems in Namibia

"Farming has thus forcefully shaped human history over the past 11,000 years. But what of Namibia, where agriculture has only been practiced during the last thousand years or so? How has farming changed, and what sections of Namibian society are hunter-gatherers, pastoralists, crop producers or the beneficiaries of surpluses produced by others? What kinds of agriculture may help us escape poverty? Can we produce surpluses that are simply edible, or can they be sold to generate money to buy food grown by other people, perhaps in other countries? And setting ourselves higher goals, how can Namibia secure enough surplus food to have time and energy for technological and economic development? These are big questions. This book focuses on more modest questions, such as: how do Namibians farm and what factors influence agriculture? But without addressing the smaller questions, it may take much longer to get at the bigger challenges."

John Mendelsohn, Selma el Obeid, Nico de Klerk and Piers Vigne

Namibia National Farmers Union, RAISON (Research and Information Services of Namibia)

2006

PDF

English