26 August 2026. This webinar was jointly organised by the Sahel and West Africa Club (OECD/SWAC), the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) and AGRA. Bringing together perspectives from trade, nutrition, public policy and the private sector.
Recording forthcoming
This webinar examined how food trade and markets shape diets in West Africa, recognising both their potential to improve access to diverse and nutritious foods and the risks they may pose for healthier food environments.
- Explored how trade and markets influence diets in West Africa, including both their contribution to food diversity and affordability and their potential to expand access to less healthy foods.
- Identified policy and market conditions that can help align intra-African food trade and nutrition objectives.
- Fostered dialogue between trade, nutrition, public-sector and private-sector actors on practical entry points to leverage markets and trade for healthier food systems.
Background
Diet quality in West Africa remains constrained by insufficient diversity, limited affordability of healthy diets and underconsumption of nutritious foods. Food environments are also changing. Consumption of unhealthy and ultra-processed foods is still lower than in many other regions, but recent evidence from the Global Diet Quality Project shows it is rising in several countries, including Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria. These trends point to a dual challenge: improving access to diverse and nutritious foods while preventing a faster shift towards less healthy food environments.
Trade and markets are central to this challenge, but their role remains insufficiently understood. Imports are often associated with adverse effects on diets, particularly through the increased availability of ultra-processed and unhealthy foods. Yet trade and markets can also support better nutrition outcomes by improving the availability, affordability and seasonal access to diverse foods. Recent evidence from OECD/SWAC shows that intra-regional food trade in West Africa is around six times larger than official statistics suggest and provides an estimated 25% of regional calorie needs. It also connects growing urban demand to more diverse production basins, supporting food diversity and helping to mitigate seasonality.
Speakers
- Joyce Akpata Head of Policy, Advocacy & Communications Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN)
- Alban Mas Aparisi Food Systems Lead OECD SWAC
- Koffi Zougbede Economist OECD SWAC
- Emmanuel Konjoh Director Ministry of Trade of Sierra Leone
- Seun Sangoleye CEO Baby Grubz
- Wubeneh Nega Head of Trade and Markets AGRA
- Victor Ajieroh Director Praisegate / ATNi
Resources
OECD (2025) Report: Intra-regional Food Trade in West Africa: New Evidence, New Perspectives 138 p.
This paper provides new evidence on private sector perceptions on intra-regional food trade in West Africa, drawing on a survey of more than 3 200 food traders operating across 32 markets in eight countries. The dataset allows for a differentiated analysis by business size, gender, country and product specialisation. The findings reveal an extensive, economically significant, and market-driven sector, though it remains predominantly informal. While over 80% of traders are unregistered, the median trader has an average monthly turnover of USD 13 289 and employs five workers.
Traders respond strongly to market signals, such as price differentials and demand patterns, and more than half (56%) trade with non-neighbouring countries. Overall, 62% of traders report a positive business outlook for the next five years, with variations across countries and food products. The main constraints identified extend beyond border procedures and include limited access to finance, insecurity, and inadequate transport and market infrastructure. This analysis points to a strong but under-leveraged market dynamic and underscores the need for better-adapted policies to unlock the potential of intra-regional food trade.
Related:
Rudolf Buntzel and Francisco Marí (2016) Good Food – Poor Producers: How the Agricultural Industry Rules the Food Markets with Standards - Gutes Essen – arme Erzeuger: Wie die Agrarwirtschaft mit Standards die Nahrungsmärkte beherrscht
This book is unusually relevant to current debates about interoperability of sustainability standards: it examines private standards, certification and conformity systems, their duplication, adaptation to local conditions, and the disproportionate compliance burden on small producers.
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