EIF support contributed significantly to policy reviews, alignment of legislation, development of consumer protection standards, and enhancing the capacity of sector stakeholders, including through recruitment of technical staff.
The partnership between The Gambia and the EIF began with country-led evidence‑based research and analysis to identify its pro-poor trade priorities. The resulting policy-guiding document – the 2007 Diagnostic Trade Integration Study (DTIS) – identified diversification and domestic production of goods and services in the areas of tourism, groundnuts and other agriculture products and fishing as sectors with the potential to spur sustainable development.
The EIF support to Malawi began in 2012. The Government of Malawi, through the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI), sought to use the EIF partnership to unlock Malawi's latent trade potential through targeted support in three strategic areas: i) strengthening the capacity of the MTI to develop trade policies and strategies and to participate more effectively in the World Trade Organization and regional trade agreements; ii) addressing challenges faced by smallholder farmers to trade; and iii) supporting the Malawi Investment and Trade Centre (MITC) to better promote exports and investments for the agro-industry, including working with the World Bank in establishing the groundwork for an agro-processing special economic zone.
Since 2019, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, with support from the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF), has been implementing the “Enhancing Capacity for Agriculture Trade” (ECAT) project across Solomon Islands. The Ministry of Health and Medical Services, and that of agriculture and livestock, are also involved.
Farming is a demanding sector, particularly for those seeking to compete in the global market. Many farmers in Zambia are unable to meet international standards and other requirements in importing countries that can help them implement good agricultural practices and stand out on the world stage.
Aware of the premium on value-added exports, the government of Burkina Faso between 2014 and 2018 partnered with the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) to improve the drying and certification process of dried mangos for export. The project has been key to slowly but firmly pushing the country towards modernizing its agro-processing businesses – and juicing up its exports.
The tea makers eagerly await a specific aroma or, as they say, “for the teas to speak.” The machines are switched off as soon as the leaves emit that particular aroma. The rolled hunks of darker, chunkier leaves are then hauled to the drying machine. There, another dexterous worker awaits the leaves.
In 2015, Togo produced less than 25,000 tons of soybeans. Since then, production increased five-fold to more than 200,000 tons in 2021. How did this happen?
The impact of the war in Ukraine on food and fuel prices will weaken economies already battered by the COVID-19 pandemic and climate-related disasters.
Supporting farmers and agricultural cooperatives in a post-conflict context is not what funders of international aid often consider a safe bet. But turning swords into ploughs can pave a sustainable path out of conflict for communities, as results from a project supported by the Enhanced Integrated Framework in four districts of the country show.
Yet the country is now Africa’s fourth largest pineapple exporter, and its trade of the fruit with the European Union (EU) increased by almost six times between 2000 and 2014, reaching between 400,000 and 500,000 tons a year. But in 2017 there was a major hitch when the government instituted a voluntary ban on exports to the EU because of high pesticide levels found in its fruit.
The multimillion-dollar shea industry is booming in French-speaking Africa. With the right support, there is a lot of room for the sector to grow and for rural women to benefit.
French-speaking Africa is home to high-value agricultural products. EIF is working with producers and processors to make sure they can meet national and global market demands.
The quiet outside the nondescript warehouse belies what is happening inside. Machines whir, and halls and walls are piled high with filled sacks of sesame, of chickpeas, of mung beans.
Guinea trying out south-south cooperation venture with Tunisia
Trade in Guinea today centres mostly around the export of gold and bauxite, which is used to create aluminum. The country has the world’s largest deposits of the red rock, and aluminum prices are increasing.
Trainings in beekeeping and the provision of hives aims to create additional income sources for agriculturalists
Beekeeping doesn’t come naturally, really.
For smallholder farmers and processors in LDCs, cotton by-products could provide additional income as they adjust to COVID-19 and other exogenous factors impacting world lint prices
Rice plays a strategic role in food security in West Africa, but the region increasingly relies on imports, and local value chains face constraints in terms of technology, finance and coordination.
The government of Uganda put containment measures in place to tackle COVID-19. These included quarantines; bans on public gatherings and weekly markets; closures of schools, borders and nonessential retail outlets; and the suspension of international flights.
“Ethiopia has huge potential in honey if we increase our capacity in terms of some value addition of the honey products and identifying new markets. In terms of capacity in Africa, I think we are the leading country, so we can develop this as a new area to get export earnings,” said Mesgenu Arga Moach, State Minister of Ethiopia’s Ministry of Trade and Industry.
Biruktawit Begashaw started her own export company, Qine Trading, five years ago in Addis Ababa. Her business got a boost after attending Gulfood in Dubai, sponsored through Ethiopia’s Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Enhanced Integrated Framework.
There was space to enhance this system – by improving the quality and packaging of the potatoes Bhutan puts up for sale, making prices more competitive and shortening the transaction times for farmers.
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFRPRI) Senior Research Fellow discusses the challenges and opportunities for food security in least developed countries amidst the COVID-19 pandemic
Tewodros Yilma of Alpha Trading in Ethiopia discusses his business processing and exporting agricultural products, the role of trade fairs and his plans for the future.
SDG 2 commits governments to end hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture, with five specific targets setting the level and ambition of this goal.
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) Senior Research Fellow discusses agriculture-based economies and how the current US-China trade situation is affecting the world’s poor
LUANG PRABANG – 11 MARCH 2019 – Lao PDR’s Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MOIC) and the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) have officially launched a new effort to increase the country’s exports and support investments in business development.
And the government and NASFAM are searching out even more markets for the country's agricultural production, looking to trade with neighboring countries and to Europe with processed items.
Malawi's farmers have been cultivating new crops with the National Smallholder Farmers' Association of Malawi, supported by the Government of Malawi and EIF
EIF is the only multilateral partnership working to support trade for development in the world's poorest countries. Check out how we are doing this, on the ground, with our partners, together with governments, always for development, always for the Least Developed Countries.
Inclusive and sustainable agribusiness value chains can provide one of the highest returns on investment in terms of growth, poverty reduction, pro-poor employment, and women's economic empowerment in LDCs.
The Government is targeting its precious ylang-ylang, vanilla and cloves – key cash crops with global demand. Through the partnership with EIF, cooperatives, trainings for female entrepreneurs like Houria and small business support in the form of vats, labels and processing items have laid the foundation for increased trade for the country.
A new book on sanitary and phytosanitary gaps from the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) highlights ways to support farmers, processors, traders and governments in developing countries to access global markets
(MASERU/GENEVA) March 9, 2018 – The Kingdom of Lesotho is continuing to invest in agro-processing for its farmers: A brand new horticultural market centre will allow them to better preserve their fruits and vegetables and receive prompt payments for their products.
“Coconuts are both culturally and economically important to Samoans,” says Alberta Vitale, Associate Director of Samoa’s Women in Business Development Incorporated (WIBDI).
By investing in modern rice milling facilities, Cambodia could produce higher quality milled rice for growing international markets and gain international recognition for its milled rice standard.
Chandra and her 25 colleagues from her women's association take a break from the day's farming business to hold a meeting on their ginger business prospects and the stiff market competition they face with India's value-added ginger.