The STDF and the Food Trade Coalition for Africa hosted a side event at the 2022 AGRF in Kigali, Rwanda. The session, called "Driving Safe Food Trade in Africa", engaged public and private stakeholders from across Africa on the use of innovative evidence-based approaches to leverage food safety investments for regional trade, and identified opportunities for collaborative solutions to support the African Continental Free Trade Area. 

Regional food trade offers a pathway to drive the transformation of Africa's food systems. The African Continental Free Trade Area is a forward-looking agreement aimed at uniting the continent to, among other things, improve food security. However, weaknesses in sanitary and phytosanitary capacity limit African countries' ability to fully trade with each other. This event provided an opportunity for key stakeholders in food trade in Africa to reflect on why and how evidence-based decisionmaking matters for food safety and regional trade.

Speakers:

• Dr. Apollos Nwafor: Vice President, Policy and State Capability Division, AGRA
• Providence Mavubi: Director of Agriculture and Industry, COMESA
• Poonam Mohun: Head of the NTM unit, AfCFTA Secretariat
• Martha Byanyima: Chief of Party, USDA-TRASE Project in East Africa, Land O'Lakes Venture37
• Isaac Gokah: Regional Programme Officer, Food Trade, AGRA
• Stanley Ahimbisibwe: Assistant Commissioner SMEs (Quality Assurance and Business Development), Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Uganda

Moderator: Melvin Spreij, Head, STDF

For more information, visit the AGRF website.