Boosting Intra-African Agricultural Trade and Enhancing Food and Nutrition Security

19 - 22 September 2023. African Union (AU) Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

4th All Africa Postharvest Congress and Exhibition

The 4th AAPHCE was an opportunity for exhibitors to showcase their latest innovative technologies, practices, and tools for postharvest food loss/waste reduction. The exhibition was aligned with the congress theme for ‘Sustainable Postharvest Management: Boosting Intra-African Agricultural Trade and Enhancing Food and Nutrition Security.‘

Financial support was provided by FAO, AfDB, the Netherlands Government, the Buhler Group, WFP, the World Resource Institute (WRI), Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) and USAID’s Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Horticulture at University of California Davis.

Building from the previous convenings of the biennial congress in 2017, 2019 and 2021, the 4th AAPHCE presents an important platform to create awareness about FLW and showcase sustainable solutions in the African context. The AAPHCE is also a platform to network and establish partnerships for research, outreach and investment initiatives towards better postharvest management and FLW reduction. This is also consistent with the African Union’s Malabo (2014) commitments including the commitment to end hunger in Africa by 2025. Therein is a target to reduce Post-harvest losses by 50% by 2025, which is also aligned to the global target of halving food waste and reducing postharvest losses by 2030 (SDG 12.3).

Programme of the four-day congress

19/09 Four (4) parallel sessions 

1. Postharvest Loss Assessment – Measurement, Extent and Causes
2. Technologies/Techniques/Innovations for Postharvest Quality Preservation
3. Innovative Solutions for Food Preservation – Value addition
4. Capacity Development for Postharvest Management

19/09 Official opening

• H.E. Amb Josefa Sacko, Commissioner AUC
• H.E. Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General, The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)
• Ambassador Solomon Rutega, Secretary General, Inter-African Coffee Organisation (IACO)
• Ms. Wanjira Mathai, Vice President and Regional Director for Africa, World Resources Institute
• Dr. Makoto Kitanaka, President, Sasakawa Africa Association
• Dr. Hameed Nuru, Director of WFP African Union Global Office & WFP Representative to AU & ECA
• Dr. Erin Mcguire, Director, USAID Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Horticulture
• Prof. Margaret Hutchinson, University of Nairobi, Kenya (AAPHCE founding partner)

19/09 Plenary session 1: Technical keynote presentations

• Dr Abebe Haile Gabriel, Assistant Director General, FAO
• Organization (FAO) - Addressing the Negative Impact of Food Loss and Waste on Food and Nutrition Security
• Dr. Damian Onyema Ihedioha, Manager of the Agribusiness Division, AfDB - Financing and Commercialization/Scaling-up of Postharvest Management Solutions
• Mr. Ralf van de Beek, Director for International Agribusiness and Food Security, Netherlands Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality - Promising Innovations to Preserve Quality and Facilitate Trade
• Mr. Heiko Feuring, President, Middle East, Africa & India Region, Buhler Group - Agro-processing technologies with total solution to facilitate food security development under AFCFTA
  

19/09 Launch of AU Guidelines for Inclusive Agricultural Value Chain Development in Africa
(iAVCD)

• H.E. Amb Josefa Sacko, Commissioner (Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development,
  
• Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment (ARBE), the African Union Commission (AUC).
• Ms Katherine Meighan, Associate Vice-President & General Counsel - IFAD

AU-SAFGRAD, IFAD (2023) Guidelines for Inclusive Agricultural Value Chains Development in
Africa African Union’s Semi-Arid Food Grains Research and Development (AU-SAFGRAD)  # 125 p.

The present “Guidelines for inclusive agricultural value chains development in Africa” publication is the product of peer learning. 

It assumes that African economies have somewhat related challenges and destinies. It documents success stories of agricultural food systems transformation and recommends requisite institutional and policy prescriptions along the different value chains. 

It adopts a chain-wide approach to reducing transaction costs and promoting efficiency of value chains to build agricultural products’ competitive advantages. It supports inclusivity and takes into consideration the activities and interests of different actors along the value chains to ensure that no one is left behind. As a development blueprint, the Guidelines provide adaptable and adoptable prescriptions and recommendations needed to transform and reposition African food systems. 

The Guidelines are recommended to regional and national agricultural development planners, practitioners and implementers.

20/09 Plenary session 2: Food Loss and Waste Metrics – Collective Action to Address Data Gaps in Food Supply Chains

The extent of food loss and waste (FLW) differs depending on the commodity, location, type of food production and postharvest system. The latest data estimates food loss (from production to retail) to be 14% (FAO, 2019). On the other hand, food waste (between retail and consumption) is estimated to be 17% (UNEP, 2021). However, this data is based on estimate because there are significant gaps in FLW data on the extent, critical loss points, causes and impact of the losses. The Malabo 2014 commitments, target to halve postharvest losses by 2030 and 2025 respectively.

• Dr. Susan Chomba, World Resource Institute WRI
• Dr. Tanya Stathers, The African Postharvest Losses Information System/Natural Resources Institute, NRI/UK
• Ms. Antonella D’Aprile, WFP Mozambique Country Director and Representative
• Mr. Cephas Taruvinga, The African Postharvest Losses Information System
• Ms Carola Fabi, FAO
• Mr. David Rubia, UNEP

21/09 Plenary session 3: From research to application for impact – innovations and innovative approaches to food preservation

The session explored the challenges and opportunities in implementing these innovations, emphasizing the need for a holistic approach that considers local contexts, involves diverse stakeholders, and prioritizes sustainability and inclusivity.

• Dr. Mel Oluoch, Sasakawa Africa Association
• Dr. Kayode Sanni, Africa Agricultural Technology Foundation AATF
• Mr. Archie Jarman – Associate Director, Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Horticulture USAID
• Ms. Sibi Lawson-Marriott, Senior Regional Adviser for Food Systems, WFP Regional Bureau for the East Africa (RBN)
• Mr. Divine Njine, Introducing the Code of conduct (CoC) for food loss and waste reduction, FAO
• Mr. Bisrat Getnet Awoke, Former Director of Mechanization, Ethiopian Institute of Agriculture Research
• Mr. Eelke Westra, Program Manager for Post-Harvest Loss, Wageningen University and Research (WUR) the Netherlands

22/09 Plenary session 4: Unlocking Markets for Africa’s Produce and Value-Added Products: What has post-harvest management got to do with it?

As part of the efforts to ensure that the agricultural sector derives the maximum benefits from the

opportunities offered by the AfCFTA through effective postharvest management, the African Union

Commission with support from partners are implementing a number of initiatives that are aimed

at creating the required policy environment for boosting regional investment in agricultural value

chains, peruse agro-processing and industrialization to enhance intra African trade in agricultural

commodities services.

• 
  Ms. Antonella D’Aprile, WFP
  
• Mr. Anselme Vodounhessi, FARA
• Ms. Providence Mavubi, Director, Industry and Agriculture COMESA Secretariat
• Mr. Forward Takaindisa, Operations Director, Grain Marketing Board of Zimbabwe
• Ms. Elizabeth Nsimadala, President, East Africa Farmers Federation EAFF
• Mrs. Arpana Philip, Senior Venture Builder, Enviu, Netherlands
• Mr. Sassan Khaladj-Nia, Manager, Buhler MEA
• Mr. Abah Ofon, Manager, Export Development, Afreximbank

22/09 Plenary session 5: Building Capacity of Food Supply Chain Actors for Better Postharvest Management for AfCFTA

This session highlighted examples of approaches and strategies that have been (or can be) used to build and strengthen the capacity of diverse stakeholders in the agri-food.

• Prof. Linus Opara, Distinguished Professor and SARChI Chair in Postharvest Technology, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
• Prof. Barnabas Achakpa Ikyo, Director of the Centre for Food Technology and Research (CEFTER), Benue State University, Nigeria.
• Dr. Agbonlahor Mure Uhunamure, Inclusive Agricultural Value Chains Development (iAVCD) in Africa, AUC
• Dr. Vijay Tokala, President, Postharvest Education Foundation
• Mr. Kolyang Palebale – President, The Pan-African Farmers’ Organization (PAFO)
• Mr. Ibrahim Palaz, Coalition Builder, Netherlands Food Partnership
• Mr. Ones Karuho, Head of Resilience & Food Systems, WFP Regional Bureau for Western Africa

22/09 Closing session: Policy action, strategies and partnerships to realize AU’s Malabo 2025 and the UN’s 2030 food loss and waste reduction targets

The panel discussion focused on macro-level interventions to create an enabling policy environment to support agri-food sector actors in public and private sectors in the efforts to address causes/ drivers of FLW and ensure proper postharvest management. What partnerships are required to address the knowledge, technology and capacity gaps in postharvest management? How can we break the current siloed approaches to FLW?

• Ambassador Solomon Rutega, Secretary General, Inter-African Coffee Organization (IACO)
• Dr. Damian Onyema Ihedioha, Manager of the Agribusiness Division, AfDB
• Mr Abah Ofon, Manager Export Development
• Mr. Divine Njine, FAO
• Mr. Komla Bissi, Senior Adviser to Secretary General, AUC/AfCFTA Secretariat

20/09 Side event program

SIDE EVENT 1 - African Indigenous and Underutilized Fruits & Vegetables

Organised by the Innovation Lab for Horticulture, USAID

• Archie Jarman, Associate Director, Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Horticulture - Role of the Innovation Lab for Horticulture in promoting African indigenous and underutilized fruits and vegetables (AIFVs)
• Dr. Peninah Yumbya, Manager, Innovation Lab for Horticulture East Africa Region - Unlocking the potential for AIFVs for sustainable agriculture and nutrition
• 
  Dr. Naalamle Amissah, Manager, Innovation Lab for Horticulture West Africa Region - Breaking Barriers: challenges and opportunities in the production and commercialization of African indigenous and
  underutilized fruits and vegetables.
  

Panel Discussion: Sustainable post-harvest management of African Indigenous and Underutilized fruits and vegetables

• Prof. Arnold Opiyo- Egerton University, Kenya
• Prof. Willis Owino, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) Kenya
• Dr. Gloria Essilfie - University of Ghana

SIDE EVENT 2: Capacity Development in Sustainable Postharvest Management for better
food and nutrition security

Organised by Sasakawa Africa Association & Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

• Dr. Fentahun Mengistu, Country Director, SAA, Ethiopia - Capacity building in postharvest management to enhance food quality and income in Africa
• Mr. Eelke Westra, Program Manager for Post-Harvest Loss, Wageningen University and Knowledge Center  - Empowering Africa’s food supply chains: Building Capacity for Increased Effectiveness
• Mrs. Arpana Philip, Enviu - Business model innovations in post-harvest management: an approach to awareness & capacity building

Panel discussion: How to translate Capacity Development into innovations to achieve Sustainable

Postharvest Management under Smallholder farming systems in Africa

• Dr. Dieudonné Baributsa, Associate Professor of Entomology, Purdue University, USA
• Mr. Eelke Westra, Program Manager for Post-Harvest Loss, Wageningen University and Knowledge Center Netherlands
• Mr. Yared Sertse, CEO, Shayashone PLC Company, Ethiopia
• Mr. Tesfaye Worku, Technical Coordinator, Capacity Building, Sasakawa Africa Association
  

SIDE EVENT 3 - Introducing the Code of conduct (CoC) for food loss and waste

• HE. Prof. Abebe Haile-Gabriel, Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Africa FAO
• H.E. Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko AUC-DARBE
• EAC African Commissioner
• ECCAS Commissioner 
• ECOWAS Commissioner 
• SADC Commissioner 

Implementation of the code of conduct in the context of sub-Saharan Africa

• Divine Njie, Deputy Director Food Systems and Food Safety Division, FAO - General presentation of the Code of Conduct (COC) 
• Komla Bissi, Senior Adviser, Agriculture Trade & Value Chains, AUC/AfCFTA - Presentation of the AU Postharvest Management Strategy
• IGAD Representative - Presentation of IGAD Postharvest Management Strategy
• Cephas Taruvinga FAO - Presentation of the Guidelines adapted for the implementation of the code in the context of sub-Saharan Africa
• Blaise Kuemlangan, Chief FAO Development Law Service (LEGN) - Results of the study on the Role of legal frameworks in the implementation of the Code in Africa
• IGFAO Representative Proposed Roadmap for the next steps with support from FAO, AU and RECS

SIDE EVENT 4 - Sustainable Post-harvest management of millets for enhanced market opportunities and the well-being of people

• Dr. Divine Njie, Deputy Director, Food Systems and Food Safety Division (FAO)- Keynote presentation 
• Dr. Martin P. Moyo, Principal Scientist (Farming & Systems Analysis) and Zimbabwe Country Representative (ICRISAT) - Presentation of ICRISAT work on millet value chains in Africa
• Dr. Oluwole Fatunbi, Senior Technical Cluster Leader/Innovation Systems (FARA) Science and Innovation around PHM of Millets 

Panel Discussion: Scaling up value addition and trade in millet and fonio value chains: Presentation by SMEs and farmer organization:

• Mr. Djibril Drame, Agribusiness officer, FAO sub regional office for West Africa (FAO-SFW)
• Ms. Halatou Dem General Manager of Cereals at TATAM SARL since 2010, Vice-President of the Mali “fonio interprofession” and President of the Bamako fonio processors.
• Mrs. Siny Samb co-founder of the company Le Lionceau producing infant flour
• Mrs. Fatou Binetou Diop President of the Union of Peasant Groups of Mecké (UGPM); member of the women’s platform “We are the solution” Senegal

SIDE EVENT 5 - Reducing food loss and waste in Africa for people, nature and climate

• Beryl Ajwang’ Overall framing, context on FLW, link to climate change and innovations – FLW and energy nexus
• Dr. Cyprian Odoli - Evidence on Food Loss and Waste - Fish Value Chains
• Westra Eelke  - Viability of Cold Chains in Africa, Cool Move Initiative

Panel discussion: 

• 
  Dr. Cyprian Odoli - Principal Research Scientist, Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute
  
• Wambui Mbarire - CEO of Retail Trade Association of Kenya (RETRAK)
• Ralf van de Beek - Director of international Agribusiness & Food Security at the Dutch ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality Netherlands
• Jonas Munyurangabo - Policy Analyst, Food Program, World Resources Institute WRI
• Zilipa Nyirabyago - CEO and Founder MNB Ltd.

SIDE EVENT 6  - Innovations and Total Solutions for Food Security and Agro-Industry Development

SIDE EVENT 7: - Enhancing Food and Nutrition Security in Africa: The Role of Improved Food Trade Routes

• Lydie Kouame, Deputy Director, WFP African Union Global Office - Keynote Address: Post Harvest 
• Jacqueline Khanali, Africa Food Safety Program Lead & Alexandra Clare, Project Lead, Rwanda Grains Advisory Project, IFC - Building capacities of investors and smallholder farmer - a pathway to PHL management - A case study of Rwanda
• Diana Akullo, Principal Officer, AfCFTA - Making AfCFTA work for PHL and nutrition: Past, present, and future Use of the AfCFTA NTB Online Mechanism
• Ones Karuho, Head of Resilience and Food Systems, WFP Regional Bureau for Western Africa - Partnerships for PHL – Lessons learnt, bottlenecks and Opportunities
• H.E. Massandjé TOURE-LITSE, Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, ECOWAS - Economic Community of West Africa Agricultural Policy (ECOWAP) and its contribution to food loss reduction

Related:

IFPRI & AKADEMIYA Africa Agriculture Trade Monitor (AATM) # 208 p.


African trade agreements can boost agricultural imports and exports and curb the adverse effects of climate change by including actionable provisions, according to the latest Africa Agriculture Trade Monitor (AATM), released on 6th of September.

Published by AKADEMIYA2063 and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the 2023 AATM calls for concerted regional- and continental-level action toward sustainable trade flows and more environment-friendly trade policies. The report also delves into the negative impacts of the Russia-Ukraine war on fertilizers and food trade and recommends action to lessen the effects of the shocks on African countries and consumers.

Unveiled at this year’s Africa Food Systems Forum (AGRF) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, the 2023 AATM provides high-quality trade statistics using consistent indicators to monitor trends in Africa’s participation in global trade as well as the status of intra-African trade. The report finds that Africa’s regional trade agreements (RTAs) do not exert a significant impact on its agricultural trade. The analysis attributes this to "shallow" trade agreements that focus on tariff reductions only, with limited impact on the agri-food market. The research highlights opportunities to include provisions on non-tariff measures and enhance their legal enforceability to accelerate intra-African agri-food trade. The report also calls for RTAs to include climate-related provisions to boost the contribution of trade to combatting the negative impacts of climate change.

"Amid global shocks like Ukraine and COVID-19, as well as the climate crisis, which is
emerging as the biggest threat to Africa’s agricultural trade development, trade policy is indispensable to leveraging agrifood trade as the lynchpin of Africa's recovery and growth. The 2023 AATM analyzes opportunities to "deepen" trade agreements to increase intra-African trade while prioritizing import diversification by tapping into the continent’s natural endowments and the deployment of new and greener technologies to lessen the impact of global shocks like the Ukraine crisis. With the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement underway, there will be added value in policy reforms to streamline and harmonize agriculture-relevant frameworks toward increased food security and a larger agrifood global market share for Africa," Dr. Ousmane Badiane, Executive Chairperson at AKADEMIYA2063

The report’s analysis draws lessons from Africa’s current engagements for application to future frameworks to enhance continental integration. For instance, including enforceable provisions on non-tariff measures (NTMs), such as well-designed rules of origin and sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures in trade agreements, can increase exports of agricultural products by up to 26 per cent, potentially through increasing market confidence and raising demand.

Amid rising temperatures which increased by 0.3°C per decade from 1991 to 2021, and the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war has brought an additional layer in already turbulent global markets.

"The Ukraine crisis set in motion substantial price increases and significant supply chain
disruptions for critical sectors such as fertilizers and food, particularly wheat and vegetable oils, given the high reliance on both Ukrainian and Russian imports," "This year’s AATM includes important recommendations for making Africa less vulnerable to such supply shocks, such as stronger social safety net programs to build the resilience of vulnerable households, increasing production on the continent to minimize import dependency, as well as diversifying imports." Dr. Johan Swinnen, Director General of IFPRI. 

Intra-African agricultural trade increased significantly since the early 2000s; however, figures from 2021 show it remains below its peak value of US$16.1 billion recorded in 2013. An analysis of the nutritional content of intra-African trade indicates that the top agricultural product traded within the continent is pure sucrose, which accounts for 4 percent of intra-African agricultural trade, while a closer look at the cotton value chain suggests that African countries are primarily competitive in unprocessed products.

The report also assesses agricultural trade in the East African Community (EAC), finding that the region has one of the highest ratios of agriculture to GDP among the regional economic communities examined, as well as the highest introversion index, indicating a high intensity of intraregional trade. This is largely due to zero customs duties on intraregional flows and high extra-regional tariffs as well as improvements in logistic performance.

The Africa Agriculture Trade Monitor is produced and published under the African Growth and Development Policy (AGRODEP) Modeling Consortium and the Regional Strategic Analysis and Knowledge Support System (ReSAKSS) programs as a collaborative effort by AKADEMIYA2063 and IFPRI. 

The annual flagship report builds on the work of both organizations in support of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP). The 6th edition was presented during the "Trade and Markets" plenary session at the AGRF 2023 Summit.