Analysis of Agri-Food Trade Structures
To Promote Agri-Food Trade Networks
In the Islamic Countries
51
Figure 26 presents product-level trade balances by regional group for the key products
identified above. The Asian Group has a strong surplus in palm oil, then smaller deficits in most
other sectors except cotton (which is used as an input in the garment industry), vegetables, oil
seeds, and live animals. The Arab Group runs a deficit in every product except fish and
crustaceans, and the rest of chapter 06, which is sugar preparations. Finally, the African Group
runs a mixture of deficits and surpluses. On the surplus side, cocoa and chocolate stand out, and
on the deficit side, attention is drawn to rice, palm oil, and other edible products. Some
policymakers are concerned with deficits in certain food products because they believe that they
threaten food security. However, these figures show that the largest deficits in the OIC are in the
Arab Group, where countries typically have the capacity to acquire food staples easily from
world markets, and food security is not a serious issue. Food security is a more significant issue
in Africa and parts of Asia, but it is largely due to issues of productivity and efficiency in food
staple value chains, including provision of inputs like fertilizers and irrigation, rather than a
question of trade balances.14
Figure 26: Trade Balance by Key Product and Regional Group, 2016, Thousand USD
Source: UN Comtrade and Authors’ calculations.
14 In the West African context see, for example: Maur, J.C., and B. Shepherd. 2015. Connecting Food Staples and Inputs Markets
in West Africa: A Regional Trade Agenda for ECOWAS Countries. Washington, D.C.: World Bank.
-10.000.000 -5.000.000 0 5.000.000 10.000.000 15.000.000 20.000.000 25.000.000
Live animals
Tobacco
Oil seeds
Crude rubber
Cork and wood
Rice
Vegetables
Fruit and nuts
Coffee
Other edible products
Cotton
Bread products
Palm oil
Fish and crustaceans
Cocoa and chocolate
Rest of 06
Rest of 04
Asian Arab African