This document sums up two regional studies carried out on the impediments to regional agricultural trade in West Africa (with a focus on trade in livestock and palm oil) and in East Africa (with a focus on rice and milk/dairy products).
The level of intra-African agricultural trade is very low compared to the continent’s exchanges with the rest of the world. The two studies are based on the hypothesis that there is a significant potential for development of this trade and that this trade can help to deal with the growing food needs of the African population and with the continent’s food security, thanks to better development of its productive potential and a decrease in dependency towards food imports.
The main limitations to development of intra-African agricultural trade have thus been analysed: tariff and non-tariff barriers, access and cost of access to markets, impediments regarding agricultural production levels, impediments regarding the organisation and functioning of various sectors, insufficient competitiveness compared to imported
products and lack of protection and market regulation, obstacles related to forms of consumption, and factors of a political nature.
This summary highlights the common points as well as some differences between the two regions. It also includes some recommendations for public policies and international development cooperation.
