Breakout Group 4: What role does regional trade play in getting food from the farm to the fork?

Chair: Presenter: Rapporteur:

Francesco Rampa, ECDPM Paul Brenton, World Bank Marco Serena, DFID

The Groups main findings and recommendations

1. Facilitating regional trade is crucial to moving food from surplus to deficit areas, increasing food availability, reducing price volatility, stimulating diversification 2. Most governments act out of fear that they will be left without enough food. 3. Africa can feed Africa but supporting implementation of regional trade commitments is a key challenge

What changes or initiatives could member institutions take forward in food production, farmers and markets? 1. Opening up the discussion / multi stakeholders dialogue can work 2. Frame support to government institutions to achieve trade facilitation results. 3. Politics matter. Explore and acknowledge political economy of trade barriers. We need better indicators for accountability and mechanisms for enforcement.

What initiatives could Platform members take together to support the Groups findings? 1. Invest financial and political capital into the development of regional markets and keep it high on the agenda 2. Share more of what works and what doesnt towards scale up of best practice 3. Spread the message and explore the difficult questions: how do we align to support policy change, winners and losers in regional trade, links with international value chains

What are the key messages from the Group that Platform members should further communicate: 1. Donors need to integrate regional issues more carefully into their programming (cross sector, from HQ to country offices, cross government). 2. CAADP provide emerging mechanisms for coordination at continental level (JAGs) and regional level (compacts) 3. Coordination and alignment is crucial to avoid increasing uncertainty for private sector and contribute to institutional strengthening (RECs)