This paper gives a general overview of trade figures and dynamics in the ECOWAS region with a focus on agricultural and food products. The study points to some of the overarching actors and factors that shape these regional trade flows at a broad level, in order to inform relevant stakeholders and guide more in-depth policy research.

Key messages

• The trade profile of the Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS) is little diversified, as the region primarily exports a limited number of raw materials and imports industrialised products and, increasingly, food items.
• Intra-regional trade in ECOWAS is low, largely informal, poorly documented, and believed to be dominated by staple food. Yet, it has considerable potential to increase, in line with ECOWAS ambitions.
• Actors and factors that explain formal and informal trade dynamics, as presented in this paper, will need to be taken into account when designing and implementing policies to effectively promote intraregional trade and value chain development.

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Photo courtesy of Carsten ten Brink via Flickr.

Authors

Carmen Torres Policy Officer Sustainable Food Systems | Economic and Agricultural Transformation Programme

Jeske van Seters Associate Director, Sustainable African economies and climate action