FAO statement at UNGA77 side event on AfCFTA – Unlocking Africa's potential in the post-COVID-19 era: Towards Africa Agenda 2063 and Agenda 2030

 

UNGA77 Side Event on AfCFTA – Unlocking Africa's potential in the post-COVID-19 era:
Towards Africa Agenda 2063 and Agenda 2030 

“Supporting the African Union on Boosting intra- African trade, in the context of AfCFTA and in collaborating with the AfCFTA Secretariat on the implementation of Agreements”

Statement by FAO, delivered by

Mr Yurdi Yasmi, FAO Deputy Regional Representative for Africa 

 

Promoting investment and trade is important for unlocking Africa’s potential for sustainable and inclusive growth and recovery from COVID-19.

Trading under the AfCFTA regime. commenced in January 2021. The hope for AfCFTA to boost trade, industrialization, and addressing the effects of the pandemic is high on the agenda in Africa.

By building a unified market of over 1.2 billion people, with a combined GDP of USD 3.4 trillion across the 55 Member States, the free trade area will create economies of scale and facilitate significant investment across the continent.

While AfCFTA offers a huge potential, the impacts of COVID, climate change, conflicts, and uncertainty have also been very significant in the continent.

Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa, for example, is expected to slow down to 3.6 percent this year compared to 4 percent last year.

The Russian-Ukraine conflict could push around 1.8 million more people across Africa into extreme poverty in 2022.

FAO is a longstanding partner of the African Union, and we have engaged in supporting the implementation of the AfCFTA since the agreement entered into force.

The African Union and FAO have set up a joint Task Force to address the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic and provide pathways for African countries to adjust during the post-pandemic era.

In April 2021 FAO supported the AU, launching the Framework for Boosting Intra-African Trade (BIAT) in Agricultural Commodities and Services.  

A key advantage of FAO in supporting African countries implement the AfCFTA rests on the fact that, besides its vast multidisciplinary expertise, FAO maintains the world’s largest open-source database on all aspects of agriculture.

Additionally, FAO is the host of the Codex Alimentarius, or "Food Code" which is a collection of standards, guidelines and codes of practice adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission. Codex standards ensure that food is safe and can be traded.

The recently concluded FAO Africa Regional Conference in Malabo recommended FAO to continue to enhance its technical support to member countries and regional economic communities in promoting investment and trade of agriculture commodities through peer-to-peer learning, exchange of best practices, strengthening policy environment, capacity development, and others.

Examples of recent FAO support includes: FAO is supporting Ghana, the host country of the AfCFTA Secretariat, to roll out the free trade area in the agricultural sector.

Together with IFAD and WFP, we provide capacity building program on trade for micro, small, and medium enterprises of the Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Coordination Authority in Eastern Africa, that involves Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan and Uganda.

FAO is currently working with the AfCFTA Secretariat on advocacy and mainstreaming food security and agriculture in national trade policies. 

Together with the International Trade Center, FAO is implementing a programme that supports women producers, processors, and traders to overcome gender-based constraints and moving up regional value chains. 

Excellencies, Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen,

The COVID-19 pandemic has further exposed the weaknesses and presented an unprecedented challenge for competent authorities to continue conducting routine food control functions and activities in accordance with national regulations and international standards.

FAO’s recent work to support the implementation of the AfCFTA in food safety includes, among others: support to the AU and REC efforts for trade facilitation and harmonization of food controls in the region.

Support to member countries to strengthen the processes for the development of international and regional food standards, for example, in Senegal and Mali.

Support to private sector and micro, small, and medium enterprises on food control measures in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and South Sudan with the funding from the African Development Bank.

In conclusion, the AfCFTA presents attractive opportunities for smallholder farmers, women, youth, and other business operators in the agrifood value chain. 

However, realizing its full potential and enhancing food security and nutrition will require addressing longstanding challenges, including weak agrifood systems, a critical financing gap, low agricultural productivity, infrastructure bottlenecks, informality, and climate change risks. 

Let me assure you, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, FAO will continue to expand its ongoing activities to widen the benefits of the AfCFTA in boosting agriculture trade in the region in order for African countries to realize the Agenda 2063 objectives and the SDGs.