Analysis of Agri-Food Trade Structures

To Promote Agri-Food Trade Networks

In the Islamic Countries

The drive towards sustainable intensification of agriculture is rooted in an older strategic plan.

In 2003, the African Union designed the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development

Program (CAADP) which is the current blueprint for agricultural development in Africa. The

CAADP rests on four pillars: increasing land under cultivation, as about 60% of cultivable land

in Africa is not being farmed; linking farmers to markets through innovation in the value chain;

increasing the yields of staple foods; and investing more in research and technology to the order

of 10% of national public expenditures.

The CAADP programmed implementation in the

ECCAS region experienced difficulties that have been impediments to Cameroon benefiting from

this program. Stakeholders point to weak human and institutional capacity in the region and as

such collaboration among OIC members will have spillover effects on programs such as the

CAADP.

Overall, Cameroon's agri-food market has been characterized by a turn towards market-

oriented policies. These changes have reshaped direct intervention and state involvement in the

sector through trade liberalization schemes. However, despite biophysical advantages, local

producers still face many challenges. The Program of Accompanying Research on Agricultural

Innovation, (PARI) part of an initiative by the German government, notes that a myriad of issues

impacts agri-food imports and exports. They include:

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Lack of or insufficient improved seeds;

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Inadequate methods of conserving and marketing fresh vegetables;

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Low productivity in small-holder systems;

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Weak organization and high post-harvest losses;

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High rates of import dependence for rice in particular;

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Limited access to credit or rural finance;

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Poor value chains for most commodities; and

●

Small farm to market roads especially in high crop areas.

Other OIC members in Africa face similar challenges because agricultural development on the

continent still depends on encouraging favorable investment climates and providing rural public

goods. This is crucial because most smallholders have difficulties accessing inputs, financial

services and insurance.

For intra OIC trade networks to have capacities in terms of economic

growth, they must account for evidence that suggests food and agricultural markets are still

fragmented and this decreases profits of private investments in various aspects of the

commodity chain.

Cameroon has recognized the impact of these challenges and the limits of its previous agri-food

strategies especially concerning agricultural innovation. Aside from basic industrial

exploitations, agriculture in Cameroon is essentially traditional and relies upon traditional tools

and conventional production techniques). In these conditions, work is more difficult, and yields

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Nega, F.. (2015) “Effects of regional trade agreements on strategic agricultural trade in Africa and the implications to food

security”. The Horn Economic and Social Policy Institute.