Land-use in semi-arid southern Africa

Africa south of the Equator has a low population density which reflects the scarcity of reliable supplies of potable water. Productive agricultural methods have been demonstrated and are practised on advanced enterprises throughout the subcontinent, but most of the population still live by subsistence agriculture which is increasingly destructive of soil and water resources as numbers increase. Higher priority for agriculture, better rewards and status for food producers and the urgent application of known techniques of soil conservation are all necessary if the semi-arid areas of southern Africa are to feed their increasing populations.