The importance of agriculture in the economies of African countries cannot be overstated. Notwithstanding geographic and climatic diversity and other country specificities, the agricultural sector in African countries is the main source of rural livelihoods and, in general, employs more than two-thirds of the labour force. Agriculture generates more than a third of GDP in most African countries, and accounts for up to 40 per cent of exports. Most African countries have undertaken autonomous liberalization in agriculture.

This note is divided into three sections. The first section describes the Final Act analyzing the details of the agreement on market access, domestic support, export subsidies, the special and differential treatment of the developing countries including the Decision referred to in (iii) above; and a brief look at other sectors.

Les chiffres suivants montrent l'importance socio-économique des racines et des tubercules en Afrique: cette dernière assure plus de 50% de la production mondiale de ces tubercules dont environ 90% sont destinées sont destinées à la consommation humaine. Ces produits constituent d'importantes sources de glucides dans la mesure où ils assurent 40% des besoins énergétiques journaliers dans nombre de pays africains, en particulier en Afrique occidental et centrale.

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.

This paper focuses on the deteriorating food situation in Africa which led to the Freetown Declaration of the FAO Regional Conference of Ministers of Agriculture in 1976, the Regional Food Plan (AFPLAN) was drawn up jointly by FAO and ECA and adopted by the FAO Regional Conference of Ministers of Agriculture in Arusha in 1973.

La production agricole africaine a enregistré une hausse continuelle, faible mais régulière; on rencontre des différences de pays à pays et de produit, mais dans l'ensemble, on peut avancer un taux de croissance annuel moyen de l'ordre de 3 pour cent.

Les pays de l'Afrique du Sahel sont soumis, et particulièrement au cours des dernières décennies, aux à aléas climatiques et éprouvent de ce fait les plus grandes difficultés à assurer leur autosuffisance alimentaire. Les populations rurales confrontées à un milieu de plus en plus hostile délaissent les campagnes pour migrer et venir grossir les effectifs des populations urbaines non productives.

The President-Elect of the African Farming Systems Research and Extension Network sent a request to the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa inviting Mr. G.I. Abalu, the Commission's Senior Regional Adviser in Food and Agricultural Policy and Planning to attend the Second International Symposium of the African Farming Systems Research and Extension Research Network.

La coopérative, par sa réputation, s'averait être l'institution

destinée à un développement économique et social harmonieux. C'est pourquoi des Chefs d'état ont opté en sa favour.

The importance of the agriculture sector in Africa, considered "both at production and employment levels is generally fully appreciated; in most African countries, especially in the South of Sahara, the share of agriculture in the GDP accounts for almost 40 per cent, and it is to be pointed out that 80 per cent of the population is living on this activity.

This paper focuses on the severity of the African food situation was demanding programmes and plans of action such as the Lagos Plan of Action (1980) and the FAO African Food Plan (1980), the twin problems of post harvest food losses and of arable land lost to urban development in Africa were considered for joint action.

This paper focuses on report on an advisory mission to Swaziland on the impact of SAPs on agriculture and trade in Southern Africa. The main purpose of each of the country studies is to provide a general picture of the impact of SAPs on agriculture and trade in the country concerned.