As East Africa’s agroecological trade gains momentum, experts have called upon regional governments to adopt intentional policy reforms to unlock its full potential.
Agroecological trade is no longer a fringe concept in East Africa—it is a growing economic and environmental force. But for this momentum to translate into long-term regional prosperity, production and trade must be matched by deliberate and enabling policy frameworks.
That was the resounding call during a high-level summit held at Maanzoni Lodge, situated 41 kilometers from Nairobi, Kenya. The summit, convened by the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) and other strategic partners, brought together agricultural experts, traders, civil society actors, and policymakers from the region, to discuss modalities of strengthening agroecological produce cross-border trade in the East African region.
Its central goal was to carve out a strategic path for supporting smallholder farmers and traders involved in agroecological systems—those rooted in sustainable practices, cultural integrity, and environmental preservation.
While addressing the participants, Bridget Mugambe, AFSA Programs Coordinator, emphasized that governments and stakeholders in the agricultural sector must support traders involved in agroecological products across East Africa, as this not only drives regional prosperity but also promotes a healthier population by preserving soil and animal health and ensuring access to nutritious, culturally appropriate food.
“Agroecological trade is a sign that we are producing sustainably and locally. This goes beyond nutrition—it means food sovereignty, climate resilience, and economic opportunity,” she said.
“It’s about connecting healthy food with improved livelihoods, and ensuring our farmers and traders access markets beyond national borders.”
THE POLICY GAP
Despite the sector’s promise, several structural obstacles continue to hamper growth—chief among them being the non-tariff barriers like inadequate post-harvest storage, inefficient transportation systems, protectionism and the absence of coherent national and regional agroecological trade policies.
Dr. Chaka Uzundu, a Ghana-based Sustainable Food Systems Researcher, emphasized the need for targeted public investment.
“We must see a shift in how governments support smallholder farmers,” he said.
“They need access to soft loans, tax incentives, and subsidies. If we empower entrepreneurs producing organic fertilizers and pesticides, we strengthen the entire agroecological value chain.” Echoing this, John Wilson—lead of AFSA’s Citizens Group and a small holder farmer from Zimbabwe, called for subsidized agroecological inputs such as biofertilizers, seed banks, and infrastructure for local biofertiliser producution. “ Governments must be fully committed,” he asserted.
“Agroecology can’t take off without state backing.” For Ayele Kabede, Senior Programs Manager at the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), food security is inseparable from national security.
“ We are quick to invest building armies,” he noted. “But true sovereignty comes when a country can feed its people. Agroecology is our ticket out of food dependency—it must be taken seriously.”
The forum’s discussions revealed that agroecological trade is not a distant vision; it’s already happening—vibrantly—across key East African borders.
TRADE AT THE BORDERS: INSIGHTS FROM THE GROUND
During the summit, AFSA presented findings from a recent study examining agroecological trade flows at four border points: Busia (Kenya-Uganda), Mpondwe (DRC-Uganda), Namanga-Tarakea (Kenya-Tanzania), and Rusumo (Rwanda-Tanzania).
The results underscored the diversity and vitality of cross-border exchanges in organically produced food. At Busia, maize and beans dominate, with beans alone accounting for 1,000.2 metric tons. Mpondwe sees massive volumes of rice traded—an astonishing 100,000.3 metric tons—alongside sorghum (35 tons) and groundnuts (34.6 tons).
In Namanga-Tarakea and Rusumo, cassava (17.3 tons), bananas, legumes, cereals, medicinal plants, cabbages, carrots, onions, and tomatoes make up a bustling market scene. At Rusumo in particular, cabbages and carrots stand out, with sales reaching 146.9 and 92.6 metric tons respectively.
The summit highlighted the urgent need by governments in East Africa to embed agroecology into national development agendas—not as a peripheral activity, but as a pillar of food systems transformation.