Soil degradation and the future of agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa

Excerpt

SINCE 1970, food production in Africa has increased only half as much as the continent's population growth rate (9). Per capita food production in some countries declined from 350 pounds (160 kg) in 1970 to 220 pounds (100 kg) in 1984 (63). As a result of this imbalance between agricultural production and population, the mean growth rate of per capita food production in sub-Saharan Africa was 1.0 and 1.2 percent for the decades ending in 1970 and 1980, respectively, and a minus 2.0 percent for the 5-year period ending in 1985 (40). By the year 2000, scientists project that sub-Saharan Africa will face a deficit of 22 million tons (20 million metric tons) of basic food staples. If the trend in food production were to continue at the rate reported for 1966-1977, the net deficit in food staples by the year 2000 would be 40 million tons (36 million metric tons)—seven times the 1977 food gap in the region (48).

For the first time since World War 11, a whole region has suffered retrogression of its per capita food production over a single generation (68). During the same period …