Championing Agroecological Cross-Border Trade in East Africa: CEFROHT Calls for Just and Inclusive Food Systems.

CEFROHT joined regional partners at the Regional Multi-Stakeholder Conference on Advancing Agroecological Trade in the East African Community (EAC), convened by Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) in Jinja under the theme “Placing Agroecological and Resilient Food Systems Trade at the Heart of the EAC.” The conference brought together farmers’ networks, traders, policymakers, border authorities, civil society organizations, researchers, and market actors from across Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and South Sudan. The gathering reflected a growing regional movement committed to building food and trade systems that are fair, climate-resilient, and rooted in the knowledge and livelihoods of small-scale producers.

CEFROHT, as a panelist in a high-level dialogue focused on strengthening cross-border trade in community seeds, bio-fertilizers, bio-pesticides, and diverse, nutritious agroecological foods. The conversation highlighted persistent structural and regulatory barriers that limit the participation of smallholder farmers, especially women and youth, in regional markets. It also emphasized the importance of territorial markets and local value chains, which ensure that producers retain control over what they grow, how they grow it, and how the benefits of trade are shared.

In our contribution, CEFROHT emphasized that advancing agroecological trade is not only an economic matter, but also a social and ecological imperative. We emphasized the need to recognize and protect farmer-managed seed systems, which remain the backbone of seed access across the region. We further called on the EAC to reduce non-tariff barriers, invest in border and market infrastructure, and harmonize policies that promote safe, nutritious, and environmentally sustainable foods. Strong governance, legal accountability, and rights-based policy reforms, CEFROHT emphasized, are essential to ensure that trade protects both producers and consumers.

The conference concluded with the adoption of the Jinja Declaration, a shared commitment by regional actors to promote just, inclusive, and ecologically sustainable food and trade systems in the EAC. The Declaration affirms that agroecology must be placed at the center of regional integration efforts, ensuring that trade policies strengthen, rather than undermine, community livelihoods, biodiversity, and climate resilience.

See declaration here: https://www.cefroht.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Jinja_Declaration_AFSA_Expanded-1.docx