First published in 1999, this volume emerged in the context of a recent willingness to understand what Africa’s peasant farmers are designing and building in their local landscapes, in contrast to the meta-narratives which were relatively distant from the lives and livelihoods of Africans. Based on author Chris Howorth’s fieldwork as a UNAIS technical assistant, this book combines academic rigour with a commitment to participatory development action and encourages interaction between universities and field agencies for understanding the landscape. The first part of the book explores the efficiency of peasant modes of production. This is followed by culturally locating production patterns along with three village case studies in the province of Sissili: Lon, Boutiourou and Saboué. Building on ecological and farming systems research in these three villages, Howorth examines the case in Burkina Faso, analysing environmental land management strategies.