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World Bank organizes E-Learning course on the Challenges and Opportunities for Agro-Food Trade in Africa
Course helps participants to think of emerging food safety standards in a more strategic context
Mango shipment preparation | Photo by USAID Ghana TIPCEE project
The diversification of African agro-food exports is considered a key opportunity to accelerate economic growth, reduce rural poverty and expand employment throughout the continent. Some African countries have had success in expanding their export diversification, particularly in higher value foods such as fruits, vegetables, fish, spices and meat. However, the continued success of these initiatives hinges on the ability of African producers and governments to meet the increasingly stringent food safety, agricultural health and environmental standards of destination markets such as the European Union.
As part of its capacity-building efforts in the field of food safety and agricultural health management, the World Bank therefore organized an E-learning course on the Challenges and Opportunities for Agro-Food Trade in Africa from May 14 to June 15, 2007. The course was a partnership between the World Bank’s Agriculture and Rural Development, the World Bank Institute and an array of external colleagues who served as expert facilitators. Offered on a regional basis, the course was predominantly taken by participants from sub-Saharan Africa.
The course aimed to strengthen regional and local platforms for dialogue and consensus-building on standards and trade-related issues. Specifically, the course intended to raise awareness and dialogue among policy makers, regulatory agencies, NGOs, private companies and other stakeholders pertaining to the challenges and opportunities, costs and benefits, strategies and institutional arrangements needed in applying internationally recognized food safety, quality and related standards. Importantly, the course also aimed to cause a shift in the paradigm of thinking associated with trade standards. Though the proliferation and enhanced stringency of food safety and related standards represent potential barriers to African farmers and firms, they may also represent a catalyst for the upgrading of production and manufacturing operations. As such, it is essential to understand the current status and likely trajectory of agro-food standards, the feasible range of commercial, administrative and technical options available to African farmers, firms, and governments, and the underlying economics of such responses. In this way, African farmers, firms and governments will be able to think strategically of Agro-food expansion and act proactively to better meet the needs of export markets and to improve their own economic conditions.
by
Steve Jaffee