International year for the mobilization of financial and technological resources to increase food and agricultural production in Africa

Over the last two decades* Africa has gradually lost its ability to feed its population and finance its investment for its agricultural sector. It is increasingly depending on industrialized countries for its needs. At the same time, earnings from major export crops have drastically fallen while external debts of many African States have multiplied over the last decade. Sub-Saharan Africa is the poorest part of the world's economy, the only region where the rate of growth of population is increasing and where average per capita income is likely to continue to fall during 1985-1995, involving an estimated fall in per capita GDP of 0.7 per cent. II The logical question, therefore, is whether there is any hope for the people of Africa?