The Africa Food Trade and Resilience is an initiative of the Alliance for a Green Revolution for Africa (AGRA) and the IDH – Sustainable Trade Initiative with funding from the Government of the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) to increase food trade in sub-Saharan Africa to fulfil the anticipated increase and shifts in food demand.
Building on the successes and lessons from previous UK Aid-funded food trade work, the initiative will stimulate an increase in regional food trade in the Sahel, East, Southern and Western Africa, contributing to satisfying a growing food demand and addressing food shortages through regional food production, processing and trade, and generating more rural jobs, climate resilience and income for farmers.
Work with companies that source, process, and trade food in the region, to maximize investment, coordination and benefits to smallholder farmers and
Contribute to improve the transparency and predictability of government policies to unlock regional food trade
Initiative Focus & Intervention Areas:
Improving predictability of policies and public-private dialogue to incentivize private sector to increase investment and trade across borders. This intervention will be led by AGRA and will leverage on investments from other partners including Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) — Rockefeller Foundation — United States Agency for International Development (USAID) — Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development – Germany (BMZ) — Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) — and other strategic partnerships.
Improving coordination between regional investments in production, processing and trade to improve the flow of finance to the sector and generate more income and resilience for smallholder farmers. This intervention will be led by IDH and will leverage on BMGF’s co-funded Small Investment Platform.
The regional food trade & resilience initiative will stimulate an increase in regional food trade in the Sahel, East, Southern and Western Africa, contributing to satisfying a growing food demand and addressing food shortages through regional food production.
Expected Results / Outcomes
Impact
More resilient regional food markets attract inclusive investment, generate economic opportunities and improve resilience in rural areas, reducing the long term need for food aid
Outcome
Regional food trade between surplus and deficit areas in sub Saharan Africa increases, contributing to satisfying the growing & shifting food demand, even under climate shocks and change, generating more resilient income for farmers and rural jobs
Impact
More predictable, private sector friendly and climate friendly government interventions reduce obstacles to regional food trade;
Improved coordination and investment in regional food value chains, with commercial companies supported to efficiently engage and service smallholders, based on actionable data-driven insights and advice;
More resilient smallholder farmers accessing better services, new markets, advice and finance through integration in regional food value chains;
Up to date market and political economy analysis of regional food trade flows
The program will consider and address constraints to inclusion and participation of women in value chains and food trade and prioritize interventions that maximize benefits to women.
Geographic Coverage of the programme
The programme will broadly engage AGRA priority countries and those playing a key role in food trade in Eastern, Southern and West Africa. A process is underway prioritise on geographies and food commodities.
