. ▁For ▁example , ▁cot ton ▁sever ely ▁low ers ▁soil ▁fert ility ▁wherever ▁it ▁is ▁grown , ▁and ▁areas ▁of ▁West ▁Africa ▁that ▁are ▁domin ated ▁by ▁cot ton ▁plant ations ▁are ▁now ▁unable ▁to ▁switch ▁to ▁more ▁prof itable ▁cro ps ▁or ▁even ▁to ▁produce ▁food ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁de ple ted ▁soil . ▁Rec ently , ▁more ▁countries ▁have ▁initi ated ▁programs ▁to ▁change ▁to ▁traditional , ▁sust ain able ▁forms ▁of ▁agricult ure ▁such ▁as ▁sh ifting ▁cultiv ation ▁and ▁bush ▁fall ow ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁grow ▁enough ▁food ▁to ▁support ▁the ▁population ▁while ▁maintain ing ▁soil ▁fert ility ▁which ▁allows ▁agricult ure ▁to ▁continue ▁in ▁future ▁gener ations . ▁( G y asi ) ▁ ▁Independ ence ▁and ▁the ▁Cold ▁War ▁After ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁European ▁att itudes ▁towards ▁Africa ▁began ▁to ▁change . ▁In ▁the ▁after math ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁and ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁Cold ▁War , ▁' West ern ' ▁powers ▁were ▁a verse ▁to ▁the ▁idea ▁of ▁using ▁out right ▁con quest ▁to ▁an nex ▁territory . ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁ag itation ▁against ▁colonial ▁rule ▁was ▁becoming ▁persistent ▁in ▁Africa . ▁Between ▁ 1 9 4 5 ▁and ▁ 1 9 4 8 ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁strik es ▁and ▁protest s , ▁in ▁Sen eg al , ▁T anz ania , ▁on ▁the ▁French ▁West ▁African ▁railway ▁system , ▁and ▁along ▁West ▁Africa ' s ▁Gold ▁Coast . ▁ ▁African ▁countries ▁gradually ▁won ▁their ▁independence ▁( with ▁colonial