IITA and partners will be looking into the relationship between regional trade and food security in East Africa by examining the cross-border trade between Tanzania and Zambia. Specifically, the research will look into the various cross-border trade barriers, such as protectionist policies, direct market interventions, inadequate supply markets, lack of infrastructure and price information systems, and other non-tariff barriers. Based on its findings, the study will come up with recommendations to improve trade and, consequently, food security at the border areas of these countries.
The study was formally launched at IITA’s East and Southern Africa Hub in in Tanzania and was attended by representatives of various government ministries and relevant institutions, civil society and donor community. They lauded the initiative and provided insights and feedback on its objectives and methodologies.
IITA would be collaborating with the German Technical Cooperation – GTZ, and the Centre for Advanced Training in Rural Development of Humboldt University in Germany on this study.
Speaking during the launch, Dr Victor Manyong, IITA Acting Director for East and Southern Africa, said the findings from the study will increase the awareness of relevant national and international policy makers on the potentials for regional trade to enhance food security.
Dr Alfred Gerken, team leader from Humboldt University, Germany, added that the study hoped to develop a general framework for identifying potentials of regional trade for food security that can be used in other countries. Currently no such framework exists.
Prof Haidery Amani from the Economic and Social Research Foundation urged the research team to provide policymakers with data on the benefit of regional trade to farmers.
This was supported by David Robinson from International Monetary Fund who said: “Politicians in Tanzania argue that regional trade contributes to food insecurity in the country but for us economists, regional trade leads to increased food security.”
The study will be conducted by young professionals from Germany and an IITA research associate in the Rukwa and Mbeya Regions of Tanzania that border Zambia. These regions produce food surpluses and have established trade relations with Zambia. In addition to interviews, field surveys have been planned involving traders and farmers to investigate in detail the current situation in the research area. The study is expected to be completed in October. Two workshops will be organized to disseminate the findings.
The research is timely as intra-regional trade of food between surplus and deficit regions can greatly lower the negative consequences during times of crop failure. Generally, there is a huge potential for cross-country trade with staple food within the Southern African Development Community.
Agricultural production in Sub-Saharan Africa is predominantly rain-fed causing periodical crop failures when rainfall is inadequate or excess. Bad harvests occur frequently with drastic consequences on people’s livelihoods and the economy in general.
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For more information, please contact,
Dr Victor Manyong, v.manyong@cgiar.org
Acting R4D Director
IITA-Tanzania
Catherine Njuguna, c.njuguna@cgiar.org
Corporate Communications Officer (Eastern and Southern Africa)
IITA-Tanzania
Jeffrey T Oliver, o.jeffrey@cgiar.org
Corporate Communications Officer (International)
Communication Office
IITA-Headquarters
Ibadan, Nigeria
URL: www.iita.org
About IITA
Africa has complex problems that plague agriculture and people’s lives. We develop agricultural solutions with our partners to tackle hunger and poverty. Our award winning research for development (R4D) is based on focused, authoritative thinking anchored on the development needs of sub-Saharan Africa. We work with partners in Africa and beyond to reduce producer and consumer risks, enhance crop quality and productivity, and generate wealth from agriculture. IITA is an international non-profit R4D organization established in 1967, governed by a Board of Trustees, and supported primarily by the CGIAR.
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