flexibility and consensus-bui ldi nq on $hich multilateral action relies. A/40 /59'? EnqIi sh Page 5 II. FOOD AND AGRICULTUF;E, IrcLUDING SPECIAL FOOD AID MEASURES AS REOUIRED FOR SERIOUSTY AFFECTED FOOD*DEFICIT COUNTRIES IN AFRICA 8. The agricultural situation in the developing counEries continues to be characterized by very rtide dlfferences in the performance of various countries. Thus, while food production per capita for the developing countries as a whole hasrisen to some 4 per cent above the average of 19?4-1976, in many indlvidualcountries per capita food production has fallen. In 42 African countries accounting for 95 per cent of the regional population, per capita food production was lower in 1984 than in L97 4-1976. This was also the case for 18 per cent of Chepopulatlon in I€tin America and 10 per cent of lhe population in Asia. Although average nutritional levels are still inadequate in Asia, remarkable gains haverecently been made in agricultural productivity in that region. In L€tin Amerlca, bigher average nutritional levels cont.inue to coexist rrith hunger for those a! the botton of the distribution of income and nealth. Holrever, it is the extreme crisisin many African countries that has focused world attention on food problens in terms of bolh inadequate levels of aggregate food production and productivity andj.nadeguate per capita food consunption. ConsequentLy, the immediate measures now being taken in the area of food and agriculture are concentrated on lhe African continent, 9, The altention being paid to African food probl.ems by the international community is the culnination of a process whereby food assistance has increasingly been direcced tonards bhat continent in response to its deterioraeing agriculturalperformance. I{hereas in l97L/72 Africa absorbed IZ per cenC of cereals received as food aid, by 1980/81 the figure had reached 50 per cent. In the period
**Analysis**
The text primarily focuses on the agricultural situation in developing countries, particularly in Africa, and the international community's response to food problems. It discusses issues related to food production, consumption, and aid, highlighting the severity of the crisis in many African countries. The text also touches on the topic of nutritional levels and the impact of economic conditions on food distribution. Based on this, it appears that the text is most closely related to the categories related to food, agriculture, and humanitarian aid.

**Category**
Agriculture, forestry and fishing, Humanitarian aid and relief