Nine of 11 low and medium income Sub-Saharan African countires studied may face even greater problems feeding their populations if recent trends continue. These countries rely on food imports and, increasingly, on food aid to meet minimum nutritional requirements for their populations. Food production is hampered by droughts which hit about every 3 years. Recurrent food emergencies, such as those recently affecting Ethiopia and the Sahel countries, may raise total food aid in 1990 by five to eight times the actual receipts annually in 1981-83. Improved policies and increased foreign exchange earnings could help about half of the study countries satisfy their consumption needs from domestic production. (A 62-item reference list, a 42-item additional reading list and 53 statistical tables are included.) (Author)