The 2000s were Africa’s “decade of growth.” Countries in Africa south of the Sahara reached milestones in the 21st century’s first decade that once seemed impossible, achieving improved governance, macroeconomic stability, and sustained economic growth that exceeded the region’s performance in previous decades. Among the economic sectors that improved was agriculture, which grew 3.4 percent per year over 2001-2010, outpacing Africa’s population growth rate, which was 2.5 percent, for the first time in the last three decades. Nevertheless, the agricultural sector’s growth has lagged behind national economic growth in Africa. Given that most poor people are dependent on farming, this slow growth is an obstacle to regional poverty reduction. Poverty and malnutrition remain severe and widespread south of the Sahara. Additional effort is required to build on recent successes and further reduce poverty in Africa south of the Sahara
