Answer:
Each ethnic group in New Orleans contributed to the very active musical environment in the city, and in this way to the development of early jazz. A well-known example of early ethnic influences significant to the origins of jazz is the African dance and drumming tradition, which was documented in New Orleans.
The part of the text that relates to this does not show, but anyway the answer would be:
They were not being successful in getting results from what they had planted, so it appeared like there was not way to avoid the population from going hungry/starving.
Famine = starvation, going hungry
Inevitable = unavoidable, impossible to prevent
