The great need to meet basic human requirements, especially food security, is given top priority in Africa and research needs to support this priority. This requirement for relevance and applicability does not diminish the need for African research to be academically sound, based on sound data and scientific analyses. Dependence on natural resources in rural areas is not only a challenge for resource management, but also provides opportunities for resource users to participate directly in research, including recording data and assisting with its interpretation.
