The edge of the desert: the problems of poor and semi-arid lands

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Abstract
Malnutrition and undernutrition are very widespread in the poor countries (l.d.cs) including several semi-arid lands. Between 1969-71 and 1985 the output of food in l.d.c.s is likely to grow a little slower than their populations, according to the F.A.O.; since incomes will also rise, the total demand for food will rise by 3.6 % p.a. Many countries will find considerable difficulties in importing the food required. There has been an enormous increase in irrigation since 1949, much of it financed by l.d.c. governments or by international aid. The financial returns to Governments on large scale irrigation works have frequently been very low, because of a deliberate policy of subsidizing farmers, mismanagement or neglect of complementary inputs. Also, irrigation works in semi-arid lands are often built as protection against crop failure, not to maximize revenue. Instability in agricultural output can be dealt with by technology to stabilize output, the improvement of methods of predicting changes in output, and insurance or relief. Population pressure has closed many traditional sources of protection, such as temporary migration, as a result of growing populations and the change to modern agricultural technologies. Rural public works programmes have been advocated as a remedy but have generally suffered from a shortage of productive projects and the high non-labour content of productive works. Finally, measures of population control are discussed.

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