Agriculture employs two thirds of Africa’s labour force and accounts for one third of the continent’s GDP. However, it is also the least integrated of all African economic sectors into international trade. This may be changing, though, as new evidence suggests: horticulture exports from Africa increased more than six fold in one decade outpacing global growth averages and doubling its world export share.
The challenge remains, however, to ensure that African farmers benefit from global value chains. At the very least, how can they be equipped to adapt to the changing dynamics of the agricultural sector? Going green and social may help African countries diversify products and find niche markets. Developing new varieties of products is a key element of successful strategies in many global value chains.
