Africa is facing declining per capita agricultural output. Food imports to Sub-Saharan Africa rose from US$1.1 billion in 1970 to US$ 5.3 billion in 1985 contributing to raising external debt from US$5.4 billion to US$58.8 billion during the same time period. In 1998, external debt stood at US$230 billion. Since the 1980's global recession and introduction of Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs), Africa's debt burden has grown from 30% of GNP to currently over a 100%. The links between the supra-national/national economic policies, and the natural resource base of implementing countries have not sufficiently been made in past policy formulation. This paper discusses the possible effects of higher scale macro-economic policies on land use decisions (on the farm) that ultimately affect land degradation and desertification. To what extent macro-economic policy, namely SAPs, have been complimentary to the goals of Convention to Combat Desertification (CCD) National Action Programmes are explored.