In cooperation with the Department of Rural Development Studies of the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and the Nordic Africa Institute, the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in May 1998 held a seminar on poverty eradication in rural Africa, in recognition of the twentieth anniversity of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the launching of Sweden's new policy on partnerships with Africa, and the long-standing cooperation between the Nordic and African countries in the pursuit of poverty eradication.
This volume presents papers from the seminar focussing on politico-economic reforms in Africa and their impact on different groups of rural poor; and on the role that access to assets can play in addressing poverty issues. The volume also covers IFAD's twenty years of experience, new challenges and opportunities in smallholder development in East and southern Africa, and knowledge creation and dissemination in the context of strategic partnerships and alliances.