African countries have diversified their exports and trade partners over the last decade, but agricultural trade still lags behind its potential. The pandemic and recent implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) present a critical challenge and an unprecedented opportunity for Africa. The newly launched 2021 Africa Agriculture Trade Monitor (AATM) examines these recent events, as well as long-term structural issues, and offers recommendations for improving Africa’s competitiveness and increasing agricultural trade flows.

The AATM has become the essential annual African agricultural trade publication, highlighting trends, competitiveness of Africa’s local and global value chains, and regional market integration, along with key policies and opportunities for strengthening trade. This seminar will explore the 2021 findings, including the impact of COVID-19 and the AfCFTA, and this year’s special focus on regional integration in Northern Africa’s Arab Maghreb Union.

Opening Remarks

• Antoine Bouet, Senior Research Fellow, CGIAR-IFPRI
• Getaw Tadesse, Director, Operational Support, AKADEMIYA2063

Speakers

• Leila Baghdadi, Professor of Economics at ESSECT, University of Tunis (Presentation)
• Leysa Maty Sall, Associate Scientist, AKADEMIYA2063 (Presentation)
• Abdoulaye Seck, Professor of Economics, Université Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar, Sénégal (Presentation)

Discussants

• Johann Kirsten, Director, Bureau for Economic Research (BER), Stellenbosch University, South Africa
• Doaa Abdel Motaal, Senior Counsellor, World Trade Organization (WTO)

Closing Remarks

• Chahir Zaki, Associate Professor of Economics, Cairo University

Moderator

• Julie Kurtz, Research Analyst, CGIAR-IFPRI