African countries need to continue to open their economies to the private sector and make policy processes more transparent. Particularly important will be increasing agricultural production and making African products more internationally competitive. Rapid urbanization and growing regional and international trade will offer both new opportunities for farmers as well as put existing marketing arrangements under stress. Transportation infrastructure upgrades are needed, but these may be best done through multi-lateral assistance. Strengthen rural education, training, and public institutions.
Education is especially critical for rural economic progress and a better quality of life.
Women, particularly, need improved literacy, better education for careers, and basic skills to improve the health and nutrition of their families. African economies are constrained by declines in scientists, educators and extension specialists, and the lack of institutions to train them. Training and institution building were the major contributions the U.S. made to the economic development of Asia and Latin America in the 1950s and 1960s. The progress of many African countries in the 1990s was due in part to the contributions of scientists and policy analysts trained earlier in the U.S. New information technologies offer expanded opportunities for lower-cost training and building institutions, for example, through partnerships linking U.S. and African universities in agriculture, biotechnology, and policy analysis. Expand agricultural research and outreach to exploit science-based agriculture and information technologies, stimulate new ties with business, and avoid damage to the environment.