Regional Markets

Foreword
Bart de Steenhuijsen Piters, head of KIT Sustainable Economic Development
and Gender, Royal Tropical Institute
Foreword
Regional markets in Africa have promised to enhance rural development since state
formation following decolonization during the fifties of the 20th century. Or maybe
even long before then, when colonial powers drew linear borders through centuries’
old societies and economies. What used to be common economic traffic then became
cross-border ‘regional trade’ merely by the stroke of a pencil. Regional markets appear
again formally on the development agenda since the seventies as part of a response to
food crises and political debate on African unification. This resulted in the establishment
of economic and monetary organisations of African states, such as the Economic
Community of West African States (ECOWAS, 1975), the Southern African
Development Community (SADC, 1980), the Common Market for Eastern and
Southern Africa (COMESA, 1994) and the East African Community (EAC, 2000).
The role of regional trade in food staples markets in Africa is increasingly being recognised.
We know that despite trade distorting national policies, lack of implementation of
political and organisational commitments, road blocks and high transport costs and lack
of appropriate standards and quality policies, regional trade in food crops is an important
economic reality for the region. Much of regional trade is unrecorded and informal,
mainly taking place over relatively small distances, sometimes crossing borders.
Jean-Christophe Maur and Ben Shepherd state in their ‘Connecting Food Staples and
Input Markets in West Africa; A Regional Trade Agenda for ECOWAS Countries
(2015) that now that activist states have played their role in food staple markets, it is
up to the private sector to take over their role. Much has improved in terms of doing
business in Africa, and even more is still needed from states to facilitate local, regional
and cross-border trade. The development of private markets for inputs, the increased
efficiency in the transport and distribution sectors, and the promotion of value added
processing activities for instance must be part of the agenda.
This publication outlines an alternative route to achieving sustainable economic development
and food security. Rather than focusing on export crops as is often done by
multi- and bilateral actors, this book tells the stories of local and regional (food) commodity
markets. The authors show how important these markets are for smallholders,
how vibrant and well-functioning markets can improve food security for both smallholder
families and consumers at the regional and national level, and how a wealth of
experience is gradually being gained.
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