Eastern Africa Grain Council’s Post

The WTO and the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 28 June to enhance cooperation and collaboration on a range of issues, including food and agricultural trade, trade finance, and fisheries subsidies. The MoU also establishes a broad framework for collaboration in other potential areas of mutual interest. The MoU was signed by WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Afreximbank President Benedict Okey Oramah on the sidelines of the 9th Global Review of Aid for Trade, held from 26-28 June in Geneva. It aims to facilitate close cooperation between the two parties in the specified areas in Africa. Under the MoU, the WTO and Afreximbank will strengthen collaboration in three main areas of common interest. In the first targeted area — food and agricultural trade — the focus will be to deepen existing cooperation to support the WTO's work on cotton development, engage Afreximbank in the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) to enable more African countries to benefit from safe and inclusive trade, and strengthen technical assistance and capacity-building activities related to ongoing WTO negotiations and food security issues. Read More: https://lnkd.in/eAFFpEei

A very informative piece on imports and exports and where can Ireland go from here

One of my highlights at the just ended #AFSF24 in Kigali was speaking at the plenary session: Making African Continental Food Trade Area (AfCFTA) work for African Food Systems: Innovations and Partnerships to Increase Intra-Africa Trade. The session was opened by Hon. Ray Collins, UK Minister for Africa, and closed by Hon. Dr. Henry Musa Kpaka, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sierra Leone, with an inspiring key note presentation on the status of African food markets by Dr. Ousmane Badiane AKADEMIYA2063 My contribution to the panel was on African Union Member States’ performance on intra- Africa trade, evidence uptake and cross-sector opportunities to optimise data use. My key messages: There is low performance on intra- African trade: According to the 2023 CAADP biennial Review Report (BR), none of the 55 African Union Member States reported being on-track to achieve the overall target of tripling intra- Africa trade by 2025. No data was reported on the recently added KPI on fast tracking the AfCFTA. There is limited evidence uptake: In the 2021 BR only 25 out of 55 countries reported evidence-based decision making.  Typically, information is generated in time for BR reporting but rarely used to create an enabling environment for intra- Africa trade by improving trade policy and institutional environment. There is need to synergize data systems: national governments can do more to incorporate BR into national statistical data systems and synergize reporting processes (BR, NAIP, JSR). To enhance robust and sustainable data systems, there is need for more sector wide efforts to ensure academia, international development communities and private sector data systems not only feed into but are better synchronised with BR and national data systems. My overall reflections: Strong national data systems and evidence uptake are by no means a silver bullet in achieving the ambitions of the AfCTA such as resolving non- tariff barriers and harmonizing Agricultural policies and regulations, but an essential ingredient in equipping sector players with information to effectively implement intra continental trade. Many thanks to the organising team Mansoor Ahmad MBE Watipaso Mkandawire Daniel Njiwa AGRA

Share this information from the European Commission today: The EU is Mercosur's number one trade and investment partner. EU exports to Mercosur were €56 billion in goods in 2023 and €28 billion in services in 2022. The EU is the biggest foreign investor in Mercosur with a stock of €340 billion in 2021. While the relationship is very substantial both exporters and potential investors face barriers in Mercosur markets. The goal of the new EU-Mercosur trade deal is to: Increase bilateral trade and investment, and lower tariff and non-tariff trade barriers, notably for small and medium sized enterprises Create more stable and predictable rules for trade and investment through better and stronger rules, e.g. in the area of intellectual property rights (including geographical indications), food safety standards, competition and good regulatory practices Promote joint values such as sustainable development, by strengthening worker’s rights, fight climate change, increase environmental protection, encourage companies to act responsibly, and uphold high food safety standards The agreement represents a win-win for both the EU and Mercosur, creating opportunities for growth, jobs and sustainable development on both sides. Reinhold von Ungern-Sternberg Tetiana Piletska Fernando Brun Embassy of Brazil in BerlinFernando López Fabregat Embajada de Paraguay en Berlin Deutsch Südamerikanischer Verein e.V. / German-South American Association

***All opinions my own*** Lila Cardell, Yacob Zereyesus, Constanza Valdes, and I have published a report on Cuba's food security situation and its implications for U.S. agricultural exports. The report features an application of the USDA-ERS International Food Security Assessment model and explores linkages connecting Cuba's economic challenges, agricultural trade, and food security.

In our recent dialogue on food security in Southeast Asia, there was extensive discussion on the role of the private sector. We spoke to insan syafaat about successful collaboration efforts between smallholder farms, businesses and local governments. Watch here: https://lnkd.in/eWBvz8yt #Indonesia #SoutheastAsia #FoodSecurity #PalmOil

Read the insightful article by AUMF Fellow, Nila Yasmin Faisal, on the African Union's initiative to establish regional agro-industrial hubs. Africa currently faces a significant food security challenge, with a growing reliance on food imports. To address this, the African Union has launched the Common African Agro-Parks program, aiming to create regional hubs to increase the supply of locally produced agricultural goods, reduce food imports, and boost intra-African trade. By promoting value-added processing of agricultural products, this initiative will not only enhance food security but also create jobs and drive economic growth across the continent. #Agriculture #Africa #AUMF #TheAfricaWeWant #AUMediaFellowship https://ow.ly/47q950UNARW

Food safety key to future China trade Annette Scott September 26, 2024 Special Agricultural Trade Envoy Hamish Marr returns from ‘enlightening’ first trip to China. Grass-fed is no longer the silver bullet with consumer concern around food safety overtaking it as the key to unlocking future trade with China. Fresh home from a week in China looking at agriculture, trade and opportunities, New Zealand’s Special Agricultural Trade Envoy Hamish Marr said NZ has work to do going forward. “We need to understand what the consumer requires, be it packaging, an online presence, digital currency, tourism to NZ, and, most of all, we need people on the ground to leverage and enhance our reputation,” Marr said. https://lnkd.in/g5VUZuY7

🚨 JOINT STATEMENT 🚨 Serious Concerns Over the EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement: Urgent Action Needed to Protect the EU Agri-Food Chain As discussions on the EU-Mercosur trade agreement resumed from October 7 to 9 in Brasília, our sectors are unequivocally opposed to this agreement. It poses a serious threat to the EU agri-food sector by granting an unfair advantage to countries with lower environmental, animal welfare, and sustainability standards. Since 2019 the EU has implemented key legislative measures under the European Green Deal aimed at shaping sustainable agriculture. However, these initiatives do not ensure reciprocity with our trade partners nor coherence between internal and external policies, resulting in an imbalance that favours competitors with weaker regulations. Despite vague sustainability commitments, Mercosur countries cannot adhere to EU standards. We cannot accept an agreement that penalises EU producers for complying with these standards, while allowing imports from countries that do not face the same requirements! 📢 We want trade agreements that prioritise sustainability, fairness, and the integrity of the EU agri-food supply chain. Read the full statement here 👉 https://lnkd.in/eUqQcVFu

Bill Westman, Executive Director of the Meat Import Council of America, and Stephen Sothmann, Partner at DTB AgriTrade, have a new op-ed piece in Agri-Pulse Communications criticizing recent efforts that would undermine the United States’ long-standing reputation for upholding science-based decision-making in international food trade. While fresh beef imports from Paraguay are subject to the latest scrutiny under the Congressional Review Act, the precedent set by the Senate’s passage of S.J. Res. 62 and the House’s consideration of H.J. Res. 115 will only serve to harm the American farmers and ranchers who have long benefited from foreign market development. Undermining the centrality of science-based decision-making in international food trade will leave the U.S. agricultural sector ill-equipped to staunch the current agricultural trade deficit.