Côte d’Ivoire, 14 August 2025 (ECA) – In a pivotal move to strengthen regional trade and agricultural development, stakeholders from Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana gathered to review a draft assessment report on cross-border cocoa and rice value chains. The initiative, spearheaded by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in collaboration with the African Union Commission (AUC) and ECOWAS, aims to enhance diversification, value addition, and intra-African trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Joan Kagwanja, Chief of the Land and Agriculture Section at ECA, underscored the transformative potential of the AfCFTA in her opening remarks. Adopted in 2018 and operational since 2021, the AfCFTA is one of the world’s largest free trade zones, covering a market of 1.2 billion people projected to reach 2.5 billion by 2050.
“The AfCFTA is not just a trade agreement—it’s a tool to dismantle colonial borders, drive sustainable development, and realize the AU’s Agenda 2063,” Kagwanja stated. She emphasized that regional agricultural value chains are critical to achieving food security and economic transformation across the continent.
The ECA, in partnership with the AUC, has developed *Guidelines for the Development of Regional Agricultural Value Chains in Africa*, endorsed by the AU in 2019. These guidelines provide a framework for policymakers to promote sustainable agricultural growth and intra-African trade.
As part of this effort, ECA launched a pilot project in Zambia and Zimbabwe focusing on maize and dairy value chains. The initiative has now expanded to Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, targeting two strategic commodities: cocoa (a key export crop) and rice (a vital staple food).
The ongoing study, set to be validated in this workshop, will inform a pre-feasibility assessment for a proposed Common Agro-Industrial Park (CAAP) between the two West African nations. Such a park would boost agro-processing, reduce post-harvest losses, and enhance cross-border trade.
“Developing efficient cocoa and rice value chains between Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana will not only increase intra-regional trade but also foster collaboration among policymakers, industries, and academia,” Kagwanja noted.
Present at the meeting were: Janet Edeme (African Union Commission), representing the agricultural and rural development sectors; Esse Rorigue (Ministry of Trade and Industry, Côte d’Ivoire), highlighting the project’s alignment with national industrial strategies; Diabate Inza (Côte d’Ivoire’s Ministry of Trade); ZONON Abdoulaye from ECOWAS), reinforcing the program’s role in regional economic integration.
The final report will guide policymakers in implementing actionable strategies to strengthen these value chains. If successful, the model could be replicated across other ECOWAS states, further advancing Africa’s agricultural and industrial ambitions under the AfCFTA.
Issued by:
Communications Section
Economic Commission for Africa
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E-mail: eca-info@un.org