The food situation in most developing countries has improved dramatically since the early 1960s, but not in sub-Saharan Africa where daily calorie intake has stagnated or declined in most countries. Nearly one-half of the region's population is suffering from temporary or chronic food shortages. In 1989, some 235 million sub-Saharan Africans were suffering from food deprivation (Maxwell 1992). When food availability is disrupted by war or drought, undernutrition can escalate into famine. More than 40 million Africans faced the threat of starvation during a severe drought in 1992. Droughts have continued and starvation in Africa has dominated the world's aid agenda. But food shortages do not always have a simple cause.

Severe food emergencies in several countries such as Angola, Ethiopia, Liberia, Mozambique and Somalia have exacerbated the region's food problem. In Sudan, for instance, a continuing civil war and ruined economy resulted in the worst food crisis since the 1984 drought. Southern Africa was hit by the worst drought of the century during 1992. Beyond these transitory food crises, there is the important issue of the apparent long-term inability of Africa to feed itself. Several factors are involved or are symptomatic of the problem: weak agricultural growth and productivity; slow demographic transition; poor policies and governance; and resource constraints.

The challenge facing African countries is huge. It involves increasing agricultural productive capacity, raising incomes of a rapidly growing population, competing in rapidly changing world markets, and earning foreign exchange to fuel economic growth. Africa must accomplish this while simultaneously reversing its environmental degradation. For some countries, the most immediate and important actions have nothing to do with agriculture – reducing civil unrest, achieving political stability and improving macroeconomic policy.