WEBINAR: Eastern and Central Africa cross-border trade of agricultural commodities and inputs

7 October 2020. Regional Policy Dialogue on Enhancing Cross Border Trade and Food Security through Data and Information Sharing. Organised by ASARECA in partnership with IFPRI

The COVID-19 pandemic has unleashed a global health crisis causing deep disruptions to and widespread impacts on food systems, social systems, and economic development. The scale of the pandemic’s expected impact on poverty, food security, nutrition, and the world economy is unprecedented and requires strong and coordinated interventions across both developed and developing countries. Fundamental to the development and implementation of effective and coherent policy responses to COVID-19 that support recovery, rebuilding, and resilience, is the availability of high-quality, up-to-date data. As a result, developing countries, which tend to have weak institutions, limited capacity and resources, are posed to face the pandemic’s most devastating and long-lasting consequences.

To address the challenges and opportunities for improving data, policy responses, and regional coordination in light of the current pandemic and the dire stakes it raises for food security and nutrition, this policy dialogue took a closer look at Eastern and Central Africa sub-region. 

The theme of this regional policy dialogue was data and information sharing, with a focus on regional cross-border trade of agricultural commodities and inputs and its implications for food security in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Moderator: Dr. Teunis van Rheenen, Head of Partnerships and Business Development, IFPRI
• Dr. Rob Vos, Director, IFPRI 
• Prof. Jean Jacques Mbonigaba Muhinda, Executive Director, ASARECA
• Prof. Jean Jacques Mbonigaba Muhinda, Executive Director, ASARECA - Data and information sharing in COVID-19 times
• Dr. Antoine Bouet, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI - Regional cross-border agricultural trade and the implications of COVID-19
• Commissioner Emmanuel Mutahunga, Department of External Trade, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Uganda
• Ambassador Kipyego Cheluget, Assistant Secretary General, COMESA
• Dr. Fadel Ndiame, Deputy President, AGRA