Adjusting to Global Transformation: Sub-Saharan Africa and the Global Food System

The global food economy has undergone major transformations over the past two decades. These transformations have been rooted in part in agriculture and agricultural policies, but have reflected other forces as well: the ebb and flow of demand in developing countries and oil exporting nations, the growing impact of macroeconomics on global trade patterns, and the increasing economic interdependence among major nations and regions. The global food system of the 1980s continues to change. The basis for these changes, as well as their implications for the future, are the main focus of Section I.