Policy seminar: AATM report examines challenges to African agricultural trade

BY FRANCESCA EDRALIN

As the COVID-19 pandemic disrupts trade flows and relationships worldwide, African governments are rethinking trade polices to respond to the crisis. At the same time, the potential changes induced by the African Continental Free Trade Area have important implications for food security and agricultural development.

An Oct. 22 virtual policy seminar explored these issues and the findings of the third annual Africa Agriculture Trade Monitor (AATM), the leading comprehensive report on agricultural trade flows and policies in Africa, produced by IFPRI and AKADEMIYA2063.

The AATM analyzes the obstacles African countries face in reaching their full potential in international trade, said Ousmane Badiane, AKADEMIYA2063’s Executive Chairperson and Acting Managing Director. One noteworthy trend is the growing role of the processing sector in agricultural trade, he said. The AATM also works to improve the quality of existing trade datasets and constructs more cohesive trade indicators, said IFPRI Senior Research Fellow Antoine Bouët.