Fertility of Soils: Future for Farming in the West African Savannah

Can a continuous growth of agriculture be achieved in the sub-Sahara region without inducing irreversible damage to the ecosystem? Until now, doubts have been expressed as to the actual capacity of the soils to sustain a desireable increase of production which can match the requirements of a fast growing population. Thirty years of investigation and a renewed comprehensive interpretation of research data on soil fertility show that sustainable agricultural growth could be a practical possibility in a savannah region.