UN Economic and Social Development
Division for Sustainable Development

A Snapshot of Trends:

• Public spending on agriculture has fallen in all regions except Asia over the past generation, with the drop in Latin America the most dramatic.
• Foreign assistance for agriculture is at low levels. In real terms, agriculture accounted for just 4 per cent of bilateral assistance in 2003, down from 16 per cent in 1980.
• More regions have become net food importers since the mid-1990s, including East Asia, Oceania and sub-Saharan Africa.
• Markets for value-added exports from developing countries are limited by high tariffs and low brand recognition in developed countries. Many developing country producers are unable to meet strict standards in developed nations.
• Developing regions are likely to stay mostly rural until 2020. South and Central Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa will remain more than 50 per cent rural until 2030.
• Non-farm income represents an increasingly important share of rural income in developing countries.
• “No roads, no economic opportunities”, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.
• Two billion people live in drylands, areas that have the world’s lowest per capita GDP and highest infant mortality rates. These populations are especially vulnerable to further land degradation.
• Droughts can be predictable, making it possible to respond with regional early warning systems. In Africa, droughts tend to result in high mortality rates, particularly in the sub-Saharan region, due to the low level of preparedness. In some developing countries, drought wiped out more than 5 per cent of the previous year’s GDP.