Africa Beyond Famine

Published 1989 – This book constitutes the final report of the Club of Rome-sponsored interdisciplinary Africa project, completed in 1988 with the support of the African Academy of Sciences. The purpose of the project was: (1) to help shift attention from the immediate appearances of African food crises and emergency relief to the causes and mechanisms of recurrent famine in modern Africa; and (2) to examine how Africa can move towards a future of self-reliance in food and rural prosperity. The central thesis is that while droughts and climatic features are unavoidable, famines are largely man-made.

Part 1 and 2 examine the complex web of interacting, mutually amplifying problems associated with famines, from different perspectives. Part 1 presents an overview of the situation, whereas part 2 takes a more detailed local and sectoral aproach. The message conveyed is that by combining human resources, institutional and physical infrastructure capacities, Africa’s goal of self-reliant material and social development is within reach. Part 3 presents a conceptual framework for achieving this goal, together with an agenda for action.

Editors: Aklilu Lemma, Pentti Malaska

Available at Amazon

Other Publications

On the macroeconomics of transition and the search for clarity

On the macroeconomics of transition and the search for clarity

30 January 2024 - As part of the Earth4All project, collaborators have submitted deep-dive papers to delve further into the issues and solutions needed to transform our economic system and provide an equitable future for all on a finite planet.  This is the second...

Club of Rome Logo