Publication: Africa Can Help Feed Africa: Removing Barriers to Regional Trade in Food Staples
Date
2012-10
ISSN
Published
2012-10
Author(s)
World Bank
Abstract
Africa's growing demand for food
has been met increasingly by imports from the global market.
This, coupled with rising global food prices, brings
ever-mounting food import bills. In addition, population
growth and changing demand patterns will double demands over
the next 10 years. Two key issues must be addressed: (a)
establishing a consistent and stable policy environment for
regional trade in fertilizers; and (b) investing in
institutions that reduce the transaction costs of
coordination failures. Many countries have enacted new
fertilizer laws in recent years, but few have provided the
resources to define and enforce regulations through
standards and testing capacity. This report shows that
reducing regulatory burdens on fertilizers and the
consequent increase in use of fertilizers will have
substantial impacts on returns to farmers, with consequent
impacts on poverty. The report highlights the range of
barriers to food trade in Africa along the entire value
chain. The issues pertain to many ministries and agencies
within government: trade, agricultural, health and safety,
transport, and finance. This in turn requires a "whole
of government' approach to freeing up food trade, which
will require strong and effective leadership to articulate
the rationale and sustain the momentum for reform. Leaders
must also address the hard choices that will arise in
dealing with the political economy constraints that have
until now blocked the capacity of Africa to exploit its
enormous potential to feed Africans.
Citation
“World Bank. 2012. Africa Can Help Feed Africa : Removing Barriers to Regional Trade in Food Staples. © World Bank, Washington, DC. http://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/26078 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”