In 1980, Africa had a balanced agricultural trade when both exports and imports were at about USD 14 billion, but by 2007 its agricultural imports exceeded exports by about USD 20 billion (FAOSTAT). The increase in agricultural and food imports has been particularly striking for basic foodstuffs such as dairy products, edible oils and fats, meat and meat products, sugars, and especially cereals, implying that food imports have been playing an increasingly important role in ensuring food security. For Low-income Food-Deficit countries, persistently high and rising import bills can have serious macroeconomic and social impacts.