Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail reports that adoptions of children from Africa are on the rise by Canadians due to the scarcity of Chinese children.

From the Globe and Mail:

Canadian adoptions from Africa are on the rise: Last year, there were more than 100 adoptions, a more than threefold increase since 2002. Most are from Ethiopia - now the second most popular country for Canadian international adoptions - rising from 13 adoptions in 2002 to 96 in the first nine months of 2007. South Africa, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Congo have begun sending children to Canada in the past five years.The trend is in large part due to supply and demand: China’s adoption program is slowing down drastically - there are now five-year waiting lists for Chinese infants - so Canadian adoption agencies are spanning out across the globe looking for new programs. Many are turning to Africa, where conflict, poverty and disease have orphaned millions of children - 12 million from HIV-AIDS alone.

Despite the need, and celebrity endorsements from Madonna and Angelina Jolie, Africa’s future as an adoption hub troubles some experts because of the potential for abuses.

The black market in adoptions is estimated at $1.3 billion a year.