AfCFTA Secretariat addresses food wastage and food security in Africa
The African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) secretariat is stepping up efforts to address the perennial issue of food wastage and improve food security on the continent. The COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict have highlighted the urgent need for greater attention to be given to the storage and export of agricultural commodities in Africa. AfCFTA’s Secretary-General, Wamkele Mene, has stated that the secretariat has begun engaging with Zimbabwe to address the issue, where more than US$200 million worth of grain is lost annually due to a lack of storage and processing options.
The ultimate goal of the engagement is to make Zimbabwe a net exporter of grains by processing the excess capacity that already exists. “We have an interest in this as the secretariat, since we want to see more trade in agricultural produce across the African continent,” Mr. Mene said at the first-ever Africa Sustainable Supply Chain Summit held in Accra. The move is a critical step in addressing the high rate of food wastage in sub-Saharan Africa, estimated at approximately 37 percent, slightly higher than the global rate of one-third.
The Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic (FLPC) and the Global FoodBanking Network (GFN) published a study in 2022, which suggests that Ghana loses or wastes as much as 3.2 million tonnes of food throughout the supply chain, resulting in a loss of roughly GH¢762.32 billion. The problem is further compounded as half of the population experiences moderate to severe food insecurity.
Mr. Mene is optimistic that the legal framework for trade on the continent, AfCFTA, and some of its principal pillars, including the protocol on the transit of goods, harmonization of customs procedures, as well as the policy on trade facilitation, will give impetus to the efforts. “Without these, the ability to establish supply chain networks on the continent that are sustainable will be limited,” he added.
The Africa Sustainable Supply Chain Summit was themed ‘Sustainable supply chain for economic growth in Africa,’ and the Secretary-General of the International Chamber of Commerce, John W.H. Denton, expressed his belief that the secretariat’s initiative, along with others, will enhance supply chain processes among members and expedite the achievement of AfCFTA’s forecasted US$450 billion annual contribution to Africa’s Gross Domestic Product by 2035.
“Over time, this will integrate Africa more into global value chains; not only for primary commodities but also for manufactured goods and services that will help keep value in Africa. We will receive innovative skills that are available to the rest of the world and provide the continent with a more robust system, which will enable it to better deal with shocks to supply chains,” he explained.
In addition to the engagement with Zimbabwe, Ghana is also in line for similar engagements as part of the secretariat’s broader plan to promote sustainable supply chain networks on the continent. The Minister responsible for Trade and Industry, Kobina Tahir Hammond, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident representative in Ghana, Angela Lusigi, have both pledged their support for strengthening sustainable supply chains.
The AfCFTA secretariat’s move to address food wastage and improve food security on the continent is a crucial step towards achieving the objectives of the AfCFTA. It is expected that the legal framework for trade on the continent, AfCFTA, will enhance supply chain processes among members and expedite the achievement of AfCFTA’s forecasted US$450 billion annual contribution to Africa’s Gross Domestic Product by 2035.
