What role does regional trade play in getting food from the farm to the fork?

FRANCESCO RAMPA Programme Manager Food Security GDPRD Annual General Assembly 31 January 2013, The Hague

Why regional trade ?

Integrated reg.markets enable food to move from surplus to deficit areas, increasing food availability, reducing price volatility, stimulating diversification BUT: poor performance of African agricultural markets (only 25% marketed - 19% of intraAfr exports is agric) infrastr & Governance & Policy Bottlenecks low supply response, no incentives to inv, export bans
ECDPM Page 2

Why regional cooperation ?

Individual countries alone cannot address challenges & opportunities Coherence/coordination of different reg. initiatives enhance their chances of success, also ODA (HORIZ.COHERENCE) Coherence/coordination of reg. and national action increase the value of both (VERTICAL COHERENCE) Linking food security and regional integration can help public-private cooperation & stimulate investment
ECDPM Page 3

THIS GROUP:
Challenges and opportunities : corridor approaches & trade facilitation for PSD for food security political economy and trade policy issues that constrain open regional trade a common vision on opportunities for private sector involvement in infrastructure development for regional trade opportunities for the expansion of local and external agribusiness investments in regional trade corridors in Sub-Sahara Africa the role donors can play in promoting regional trade
ECDPM Page 4

Different Regions Shared Challenges

ECOWAS, COMESA, EAC, SADC, ECCAS, IGAD Spaghetti vert coherence & horiz coherence Businesses say (Grow Africa) bottlenecks to inv in CAADP are often regional business-led RI Participation of NSA in Reg CAADP Compact preparations? Which agric.model ?

ECDPM

Page 5

DPs challenges
DPs at HQ-reg-nat to align/coord/harmonize Reg Compacts (reg DWG)? From aid to development effectiveness? PPPs ? What are early deliverables & pilots (CAADP)?
ECDPM Page 6

First ever AU Joint Ministerial on Trade & Agric

Plan of Action for Boosting Intra-Africa Trade early deal to liberalise key regional food staples markets? CAADP the instruments to define and operationalize trade-agriculture collaboration Strengthening the capacity of relevant institutions and producers to effectively participate in these innovative practices and monitor their impact at country level; Mandating AU,NEPAD,RECs to institutionalize policy dialogue aimed at realizing synergies between agriculture and trade sectors;
ECDPM Page 7

Thank you
fr@ecdpm.org
www.ecdpm.org/foodsecurity www.ecdpm.org/dp138 www.ecdpm.org/bn38

Page 8