As the problems of impact assessement are rather intractable, a fairly simple dual approach is proposed. First the major components of environmental impact of current agricultural production systems in Africa (i.e. impact of cropping, livestock keeping, fuelwood and timber extraction and burning) are summarised. Second, "danger zones" in which current and future environmental impacts will be most severe and on which ILCA has focused its problem solving-research is identified.

Some of the papers in this report deals with nutrient management; land, soil and water management; grain, fodder and residue management; and technology validation and transfer. The other papers looks into development of coordinated research efforts; distribution and importance of Ethiopian vertisols and locations of study sites; a survey of the farming systems of Vertisol areas of the Ethiopian highlands, and modifying the management of vertisols. The report ends with a discussion on retrospect and prospects of the Joint Project on Vertisols management.

Livestock production plays a key role in tropical Latin America in a changing economic environment. This study focuses on documenting the transformations of extensive production systems by using superior forage germplasm supplied by regional research systems. The adoption of improved Brachiaria grasses was evaluated from 1990 to 2003 to estimate its impact in terms of animal productivity and income in Central America and Mexico.

Faba bean (Vicia faba L.), also called broad bean or horse bean is an annual crop, which mainly grows in the highlands of Ethiopia for human consumption. The objective of this study was to improve the quantity and quality of forages produced from intercropping of faba bean (Vicia faba L.) with forage oats (Avena sativa L.) on forage biomass, straw, grain yields, and straw quality. Farmers have an experience of not weeding faba bean plots to get more weed biomass.