Agricultural Trade Adjustments: Lessons from SADC Experiences

Agriculture remains essential to many Southern African Development Community (SADC) economies in terms of its contribution to Growth Domestic Product (GDP) and employment. Also in the context of SADC-European Union (EU) trade relations, agricultural commodities have traditionally played a key role. However, changing market conditions and preference erosion call for new strategies. Furthermore, new policy developments and the negotiation of bilateral trade agreements such as the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with the EU are bringing up new policy issues and trade adjustment challenges.

With the international commitments to expand aid for trade support and the momentum under the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) framework for increasing budget allocations to agriculture, new opportunities for the development and restructuring of ACP agricultural sectors appear to be opening up.