Arable farming and sustainability in the sandveld of Botswana – a case study of government planning strategies in Boteti Subdistrict

Abstract

This article examines how certain measures in arable farming development programmes are suited to objectives of sustainability as presented in national plans. Both the Land Boards' land allocation and the implementation of measures in ALDEP, ARAP and Drought Relief seem to give negative ecological impact. Thus, only to a limited degree will the measures solve the problems farmers arc facing in the sandveld. Alternative development paths are presented, including both the development of ecologically sound farming practices and planning, which take into account environmental variations at different geographical levels.