The Challenge of Agriculture, Environment and Sustainable Development in Botswana

One of the objectives of agricultural development in Botswana is the increase of agricultural productivity in both arable and livestock production in order to increase farm incomes and thus help to make agriculture a sustainable activity. This paper looks at the challenges that Botswana faces in meeting this objective while minimizing any land degradation that may accompany the process of increasing agricultural productivity. The prospects of achieving increases in agricultural productivity are also examined in the light of new opportunities in agriculture such as the National Master Plan for Arable Agriculture and Dairy Development (NAMPAADD) and the Revised National Policy for Rural Development. The selective use of existing technologies that minimize land degradation in the process of achieving sustainable increases in agricultural productivity and the relevance of socio-economic factors such as marketing and credit in facilitating sustainable increases in agricultural productivity with minimum degradation to the environment are highlighted.