ABSTRACT
Sub-Saharan Africa represents nearly 20% of the earth’s surface. The landscape includes many biologically rich and unique ecoregions, such as tropical forests, montane forests, and wood and grass savannas. The region is also home to 13% of the world’s population, and since it has the highest birth rate among all continents-2.4 % compared with a world average of 1.3%—its population is projected to grow to 2 billion by 2050. Currently, 60% of the population lives in rural areas, and 55% of the economically active population depends on agriculture; however, the annual urban growth rate at nearly 4% is the most rapid in the world and nearly twice the global average (FAOSTAT, 2006).
