AFRICA
The African Development Bank, based in the Ivory Coast, through its Technical Review Committee of the Africa Trade Fund (AfTra) approved over $1 million to fund four projects. Two of these projects will benefit coffee farmers and others involved in commercial agriculture.
“Harmonization of African Standards for Agriculture and Food Products,” an African Organization for Standardization project, is one recipient of these investments. It is intended to harmonize standards and practices across Africa to “provide a clear and predictable policy framework for regional trade so that institutions may facilitate exchange and mitigate the inherent risks associated with food production,” according to a press release issued by the organization.
A study entitled “Regional Cargo Tracking System on the Northern Corridor” will also receive financial support from the African Development Bank. Coffee is important as a commercial agricultural product for the six member countries – Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, and Uganda – of the Northern Corridor Trade and Transit Coordination Authority.
“These projects were all carefully selected to make sure that they achieve the goals of helping African countries trade better with each other and to facilitate their integration into global value chains,” said AfTra Fund Coordinator, Moono Mupotola. “The projects are in line with AfTra’s central goal of unlocking Africa’s trade potential.”
Learn more: www.africatradefund.org