The Political Economy of Land Degradation : Pressure Groups, Foreign Aid and the Myth of Man-made Deserts (Studies on the Environment)

The root causes of land degradation are the actions of political entrepreneurs, aid agencies, and governments of developing countries who misuse 'aid' money. Only when individuals are permitted to own property, especially land and water, to engage in free trade, and to resolve disputes through customary law, will the problems of land degradation, poverty, and hunger be reduced to acceptable levels.