Africa farmers, traders and consumers care less about continental ambitions, and instead, care more about whether the road is passable, the rules enable the food to move, the standards are clear, and a buyer is waiting at the other end of the border.
ZAMBIA HAS THE MAIZE AND SOYBEAN; WHAT IT NEEDS NOW IS TRADE PREDICTABILITY
Zambia has long been described as a country with the potential to become a regional food basket. It has land, water, farmers, processors, and a strategic location near major food-deficit markets. In good seasons, the country can produce sizable maize surpluses. Its soybean sector is also increasingly important, not only for grain exports, but also for feed, edible oil, livestock value chains and agro-processing.
UGANDA CAN FEED REGIONAL MARKETS; BUT IT MUST FIRST FIX THE COST OF TRADING
Uganda’s agricultural trade story begins with a major advantage: the country already produces many of the commodities that regional and global markets want.
MALAWI’S MAIZE TRADE POLICY IS TRYING TO PROTECT FOOD SECURITY; IT MAY BE WEAKENING IT
Malawi’s agricultural trade story is a story of promise trapped by uncertainty. The country has fertile soils, water resources, a large farming population and a strategic location in Southern Africa. Agriculture remains the backbone of the economy, employing most of the workforce, contributing significantly to GDP and generating the bulk of foreign exchange earnings. On paper, Malawi should be better positioned to supply regional markets, diversify exports and strengthen agro-processing.
GHANA’S FOOD MARKETS ARE REGIONAL; ITS POLICIES MUST START REGULATING THE REAL MARKET
Ghana’s agricultural trade story is often told through cocoa. That is understandable. Cocoa is structured, regulated, globally traded and central to the country’s export identity. Cashew is also increasingly important. These commodities operate through relatively formal systems with clear institutions, established buyers and recognized export channels.
AGRICULTURAL TRADE DISRUPTIONS IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA: RAPID SYNTHESIS AND FEEDBACK FROM COUNTRY DIALOGUES
The webinar held on 13th May on Agricultural Trade Disruptions in sub-Saharan Africa: Rapid Synthesis and Feedback from Country Dialogues, organised by the Africa Network of Agricultural Policy Research Institutes in partnership with AGRA, convened policymakers, researchers, regional institutions, and development partners to examine the growing scale and implications of agricultural trade disruptions across Africa. Drawing on evidence from Ghana, …
AFRICA’S FOOD MARKETS ARE ALREADY REGIONAL; OUR POLICIES NEED TO CATCH UP
Between February and April 2026, ANAPRI centres convened a series of country-level consultations on agricultural trade barriers in Zambia, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, Kenya and Ghana. The message from these dialogues was remarkably consistent: Africa’s food markets are already deeply connected across borders, but our policies still behave as if food systems stop at national boundaries.
BREAKING THE CYCLE OF TRADE BANS IN MALAWI’S AGRICULTURE
Malawi’s agricultural trade system continues to be shaped by frequent and often abrupt policy decisions that ripple across markets, livelihoods, and the wider economy. This reality was at the centre of a policy dialogue convened on 21 April 2026 by MwAPATA Institute and the Centre for Agricultural Research and Development, both member centres of the Africa Network of Agricultural Policy Research Institutes.
ALIGNING TRADE POLICY WITH TANZANIA’S AGRICULTURAL POTENTIAL
Stakeholders from government, the private sector, and research institutions convened in Dar es Salaam on 23 April 2026 for a policy dialogue on agricultural trade restrictions in Tanzania. Organised by Sokoine University of Agriculture with support from the Africa Network of Agricultural Policy Research Institutes, the meeting provided a timely opportunity to reflect on how current trade policies are shaping the country’s agricultural competitiveness and its role within regional markets.
ZAMBIA’S AGRICULTURAL TRADE IN THE AFCFTA ERA: WHY POLICY PREDICTABILITY MATTERS FOR MARKET CONFIDENCE
On 24 March 2026, Indaba Agricultural Policy Research Institute (IAPRI), a member centre of the Africa Network of Agricultural Policy Research Institutes (ANAPRI), convened a high-level stakeholder dialogue in Lusaka to examine Zambia’s agricultural trade policy environment at a critical moment for the country’s food system. The convening, held under the theme Zambia’s Agricultural Trade in the AfCFTA Era: A Dialogue on Agricultural Trade Policy Predictability and Market Confidence, brought together policymakers, private sector actors, farmer organisations, and regional partners to reflect on how Zambia can better align domestic market policies with emerging regional trade opportunities.
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