The UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) has stressed the urgent need for a more coordinated regional strategy to achieve food security in Eastern Africa while tackling the enduring challenges of trade barriers.

This was emphasized during a side event held at the 57th session of the ECA’s Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development. The event, entitled “Food Security and Cross-Border Trade: Navigating Challenges and Opportunities Amid the Implementation of the Agreement Establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA),” was organized by the ECA’s Subregional Office for Eastern Africa and Eastern Africa Trade Information and Negotiations Institute (SEATINI). It brought together senior officials and experts to discuss the dynamics of food security and cross-border trade within the context of the AfCFTA.

Speakers at the event highlighted that while the Eastern Africa region has recently experienced a growing food trade deficit, it is not that large, representing just 0.3% of regional GDP and, with the right policies, achieving collective food security is an attainable goal. Promoting greater regional trade is crucial to attaining this objective.