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Across the African continent, agriculture remains central to livelihoods, employment, and food security. Yet Africa’s trade profile continues to reflect structural constraints. Many African countries export primary commodities such as cocoa, coffee, tea, and cotton, while importing processed staple food products and agricultural machinery. Low value addition and agro-processing disadvantage African countries that rely mainly on agriculture as a driver of economic growth.
Against this backdrop, African–German agricultural trade offers a significant opportunity to develop and strengthen a mutually beneficial partnership. Germany is an important economic partner with strong industrial capacity and technological expertise. If strategically structured, deeper cooperation can support the transformation of agrifood systems, food security, and improved nutrition outcomes in Africa, while strengthening supply stability and sustainability objectives for Germany. If poorly aligned, however, it risks reinforcing dependency by continuing to rely on imported high-value goods and limiting local processing.
It is within this strategic context that the AgriBridge Network developed the policy note titled African–German Agricultural Trade: Unlocking Mutual Gains for Food Security, Nutrition, and Economic Growth. The policy note outlines the network’s vision and key recommendations for strengthening African–German agricultural trade and highlights its potential to unlock shared benefits for both regions. This cooperation can be advanced at both the country and regional levels, particularly through stronger alignment with continental integration efforts.
The AgriBridge Network, an African–German policy network for sustainable agrifood systems, was initiated by Welthungerhilfe and is jointly facilitated by Welthungerhilfe and AKADEMIYA2063. The network operates as a network of networks, connecting African research organisations, the private sector, farmer organisations, and civil society. Through this broad coalition, it supports African and German policymakers with evidence and structured dialogue to inform political and investment decisions that advance agrifood systems transformation. The Africa Network of Agricultural Policy Research Institutes (ANAPRI) is a member of the AgriBridge Network alongside other institutional partners.
The policy note underscores that achieving mutual gains requires deliberate policy alignment.
- First, investments must prioritise local value addition, climate-smart technologies, and sustainable infrastructure. Blended finance approaches that combine public resources with private capital can mobilise the scale of investment required while ensuring environmental and social safeguards are upheld.
- Second, accelerating regional integration through the African Continental Free Trade Area is essential to strengthening Africa’s negotiating position and expanding market opportunities. Reducing tariff and non-tariff barriers, harmonising standards, and investing in digital trade systems can significantly improve efficiency and competitiveness.
- Third, inclusivity must remain central. Smallholders, women, youth, and small and medium enterprises need improved access to finance, skills development, and digital tools to participate meaningfully in evolving value chains.
As a member of the AgriBridge Network, ANAPRI contributes to this collaborative effort by strengthening evidence-based policy engagement across Africa. Through research, dialogue, and institutional collaboration, network members work to ensure that trade partnerships are grounded in evidence, aligned with African development priorities, and capable of delivering tangible outcomes.
African–German agricultural trade has the potential to move beyond transactional exchange towards a strategic partnership rooted in value creation, resilience, and shared prosperity. Realising that potential depends on the choices made today. Check out the policy note here.