The last two decades of the 20th century stand out as a period of momentous change for sub-Saharan African economies. Survival has become a delicate balancing act as people struggle to secure diverse forms of income. For traditional farming families, diversification does not come easily. Tensions arising from lack of skills, split families and the need to adopt new social identities, as well as war and civil disorder, mean that for many, a remunerative combination of farming and diversified non- agricultural activities is impossible to achieve. This ODI paper argues that poverty alleviation in select donor project areas is not enough: directional policies that confront the daily dilemmas of rural change are imperative.